Pixel owners in an emergency can send for help faster with this app update

No one likes to think about it, but you may find yourself in a situation where you need to get help. Whether it’s a car accident, a medical emergency at home, or something else that requires first responders, sometimes a faster response to a situation could keep someone alive. This week, Google Pixel phone owners can update an app that might save their life in an emergency.

As first revealed by the GooglePixels Telegram Group (via XDA-Developers), the Pixel’s pre-loaded Personal Safety app now has a new feature, Emergency SOS. This feature is activated when a person quickly presses on the Pixel’s power button five times. Pixel owners can set up the feature so that when this action is taken, the phone can automatically call emergency services. It can also send out messages to any of your emergency contacts, along with real-time status updates on the owner’s location and the phone’s current battery life.

In addition, the feature can be set up to automatically record a video for up to 45 minutes. The recorded clip can be backed up to a cloud server for up to seven days. A link to the stored video can also be automatically sent to any emergency contacts.

Pixel owners can still use their phones normally while the Emergency SOS feature is active. They can also go into Settings and set things up so that the feature doesn’t automatically start after the power button is pressed five times, but rather allows owners to make the choice to send messages to contacts and emergency services.