Cars Crash Detection is, thankfully, a life-saving feature most Google Pixel owners don’t know about. Using the motion sensors of Pixel phones, it can call the emergency services and share your location if a crash is detected and the driver is unresponsive.
Now, it looks like Google is about to bring the feature to all other Android handsets, via a future software update.
A line of code in the latest version of Pixel-only app Personal Safety, spotted and tweeted by Mishaal Rahman, mentions a function that “uses your device’s location, motion sensors, and ambient audio to detect a car crash”. Crucially, it also states “nonpixel”, suggesting the feature will work on handsets beyond those made by Google itself.
The code, which appears to be a dialogue box that will be shown to users of the app, also states how Personal Safety “may not be able to detect all crashes, and high impact activities may activate car crash detection
Car Crash Detection has been available exclusively to Pixel owners since early 2020, so it’s great news for owners of other Android handsets, from the likes of Samsung, who can now make use of the feature.
