A bug that prevented a small variety of Android customers from calling 911 if that they had Microsoft Teams put in and weren’t signed in has been fastened within the latest version of the app.

Google on Friday confirmed the bug after an investigation and mentioned it had been capable of replicate the issue “under a limited set of circumstances.” The firm decided that the problem had been attributable to an unintended response between the Microsoft Teams app and the Android working system. Both Google and Microsoft had prioritized the problem, Google mentioned, and superior that there would an replace to Teams to handle it.

On its facet, Google mentioned it could be rolling out an replace to Android on Jan. 4. The firm mentioned it was solely conscious of 1 person that had been affected by the bug, however nonetheless inspired customers with Teams put in on any system operating Android 10 and above to replace the app as quickly as doable. (Before Microsoft up to date the app, Google was advising customers to uninstall and reinstall Teams to repair the issue within the interim).

The bug was initially flagged by a user on Reddit with a Pixel 3 operating Android 11. In late November, they needed to contact emergency providers to request an ambulance as a result of they believed their grandmother was having a stroke. According to the person’s account, their telephone froze after one ring although it appeared to have a name operating within the background. While the person mentioned the Pixel knowledgeable them that their location had been despatched to emergency providers, they had been unable to talk to an emergency providers operator.

After attempting once more to no avail, the person determined to name 911 on their grandmother’s landline. They famous that they don’t have a landline at residence and wanted to have the ability to belief that their telephone was going to have the ability to make emergency telephone calls.

“I’ll let you know from experience that the last thing you want to go wrong during an actual emergency is your phone to mess up,” the user wrote. “Especially when time is of the essence, and the faster you get emergency services to your door, the more likely it is that you will survive.”

I completely agree with the Reddit person right here. I additionally don’t have a landline at residence and could be at a loss at how one can get in contact with 911 in an emergency on this scenario. I might most likely knock on all my neighbors’ doorways till I discovered a telephone that labored, which is added stress you don’t want in an emergency.

Thankfully, the bug appears to have solely affected one person who managed to discover a answer, however the thought of this being an issue on an enormous scale is really horrifying. It’s additionally a reminder of how a lot humanity has come to depend on know-how and the way helpless we might be when it fails.

“You know it’s amazing how a phone can bring feelings of safety, and how shockingly unsafe one feels when they know their phone is royally effed,” the person wrote in an update to their Reddit submit after Google responded to the problem.