‘Emergency Location Service’ Can Save Lives: How to Activate It on Your Phone and Its Benefits

New Delhi: In critical situations, knowing your exact location can be life-saving. Google’s Emergency Location Service (ELS), available for Android smartphones, ensures that your location is automatically shared with emergency services when you call 112, India’s national emergency number.

What is the Emergency Location Service?
The Emergency Location Service is a safety feature designed for Android smartphones. Once activated, it works automatically whenever a user dials 112. The feature uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks to determine your location, allowing emergency responders to reach you even if you are unable to share your exact position verbally.

This means that during a crisis, you do not need to worry about giving directions or estimating your location—the emergency services receive it automatically.

How to Activate Emergency Location Service
To enable this feature on your Android device:

1. Open the Settings menu on your phone.
2. Search for Safety and Emergency and tap on it.
3. Select Emergency Location Service from the menu.
4. Turn the feature ON.

Once activated, your location will automatically be sent to emergency services whenever you call 112.

Current Availability
Currently, the service is active in Uttar Pradesh, linked to the 112 emergency system with support from UP Police and Pert Telecom Solutions. During testing, it was observed that even if a 112 call was disconnected abruptly, the emergency services still received the caller’s location details.

Important Tips

• Keep your phone’s location services ON for the feature to work effectively.
• During the first use, your device may ask for permission to share location data—ensure you grant all required permissions.

This simple but crucial feature can significantly enhance personal safety and ensure faster emergency response, potentially saving lives in critical situations.