Starting this fall, if you have Apple’s iOS 12 on your iPhone and you make a 911 call, your chances of getting help are set to improve.
Apple said Monday that when the iOS 12 update comes out later this year, it will include a feature that will let first responders “automatically and securely” access a person’s location from their iPhone when they make a 911 call. Apple said that only the 911 center taking the call will be able to get access to the person’s location during the call, and the caller’s data can’t be used for any non-emergency purposes.
“Communities rely on 911 centers in an emergency, and we believe they should have the best available technology at their disposal,” said Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook in a statement. “When every moment counts, these tools will help first responders reach our customers when they most need assistance.”
Apple said it is integrating technology from a company called RapidSOS into iOS 12 to provide the data-location services to 911 centers. RapidSOS already makes an app that can be downloaded and used to share location data with first responders, but it will bring that technology directly into the iPhone so that an additional app won’t be needed to give an exact location when calling 911.
Apple’s announcement adds to a growing trend of making location recognition from mobile phones easier for both individuals and those responding to 911 calls.
In late May, Uber said it was integrating direct 911 dialing capability into its app for riders, and was also launching a test program in a handful of American cities that will send a person’s location and details about their trip directly to a 911 dispatcher when the caller uses the 911 in-app feature.
