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Weird Pixel 911 calling bug caused by Microsoft Teams (Updated: Fix now out)
- Google has confirmed a 911 calling bug on some Pixel devices.
- The issue is related to an “unintended interaction” between Microsoft Teams and Android.
- Microsoft has released a Teams update that addresses the problem.
Update: December 13, 2021 (12:58 AM ET): It recently emerged that a Microsoft Teams bug resulted in some Pixel owners being unable to dial 911, being a pretty massive flaw. Thankfully, it seems that a fix is now rolling out.
According to former XDA-Developers editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman, version 1416/1.0.0.2021194504 of the Microsoft Teams app addresses the issue. Users simply need to update their Teams app to this version to fix the problem. Google is also set to issue its own Android update as part of the January 2022 security patches.
Original article: December 9, 2021 (1:18 AM ET): Late last month, a Reddit user highlighted a critical bug affecting a small group of Google Pixel devices attempting to connect to emergency services. The company has now confirmed it has reproduced the issue and that it’s working on a fix.
As highlighted by Reddit user u/KitchenPicture5849 on November 26 (h/t AndroidPolice), their Google Pixel 3 running Android 11 on Verizon faced several issues when calling 911. “My phone got stuck immediately after one ring and I was unable to do anything other than click through apps with an emergency phone call running in the background. This is all while the phone informed me that it had sent my location to emergency services,” the user explains.
Google has since issued a response on Reddit confirming that it’s a bug weirdly related to Microsoft Teams. The issue is the result of an “unintended interaction” between Teams and Android, specifically when the users have the app installed but are not logged in to any account. The bug doesn’t affect devices running Android 9 or older. Google also confirmed it would roll out a fix on January 4 to affected devices.
In the meantime, Google has suggested that users uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Teams if they haven’t logged in to the app yet. Those already logged in aren’t affected by the issue, but Google still suggests keeping an eye on Teams updates in the coming days.