Another Pixel, another 911 failure: Pixel 10 users say emergency calls sound like screeches

Google’s Pixel lineup has an unfortunate history of being unable to make 911 calls, a statement that doesn’t incite confidence at all. Reports first emerged in 2021 about Pixels being unable to connect to 911, and the issue was traced to a Microsoft Teams bug and fixed in 2022. More 911 call failure reports emerged in 2023 on Pixels, but Google never acknowledged the problem or publicly issued a fix. It seems even the Pixel 10 series cannot make 911 calls reliably, and that’s frankly scary at this point.

Reddit user YellowWidget had to call 911 for an emergency. Unlike previous Pixels, the call went through. However, the user only heard what they describe as “garbled beeps, shrill electronic screeches, and the occasional ghost of a human word buried in the noise.” The user tried four times, but faced the same issue. Ultimately, the user had to pick up an older Pixel 7 to call 911, and the call went through just fine on the same carrier (Google Fi).

Reddit user katzi6543 also allegedly faced the same issue twice on their Pixel 10 when calling 911. Ultimately, 911 emergency services called the user back. The user didn’t mention this, but we presume the callback sounded normal.

It’s important to point out that the issue on the Pixel 10 series appears to be technically different than the previous 911 calling failures, where the call would fail to connect. However, the result for the end user is the same — they are unable to contact 911 during an emergency, which is a rather catastrophic failure for any smartphone, let alone the latest and greatest flagship series.

Reddit user Jeremyn805 suggests that the described electronic noises could be TTY noises. TTY (short for “teletypewriter”) is intended for people with hearing or speech difficulties, to allow them to communicate over traditional telephone networks. TTY devices translate typed text into electronic signals sent across the telephone network and retranslated to text at the other end. However, 911 call centers don’t usually activate TTY on incoming calls, so what’s happening in this case still remains a mystery.

We’ve contacted Google for comments on the Pixel 10’s 911 calling bug. We’ll update this article when we learn more. Until then, Pixel 10 users can schedule a “test” call to confirm that emergency calling is working on their phone. You may or may not face issues even after a successful test, but it will give you some peace of mind.

How to schedule a “test” call to ensure that 911 emergency calling is working on your phone

According to 911.gov (the official website for the National 911 Program in the US), you can schedule a test call to check whether your Pixel smartphone can successfully place a 911 call. However, a test call is different from directly calling the emergency service!

Instead of directly calling 911, you need to schedule a test call with your local 911 call center by contacting its non-emergency phone number.

1. Visit the National Association of State 911 Administrators’ site.
2. Select the state where you live. This will show you the details of your 911 administrator.
3. Contact the administrator to find out the non-emergency number of your local 911 call center to schedule a test call.
4. Call the non-emergency number to schedule a day and time for a test call.
5. Make the test call to 911 during this scheduled slot only.

If you know or can locate the non-emergency phone number of your local PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point), you can inquire with them to schedule a test call without routing through the 911 administrator.