Apple to Let iPhone Users Report Emergency SOS False Alarms

Apple on Tuesday started rolling out iOS 16.2 beta 1 to developers, just one day after the full, public release of iOS 16.1.

One of the new features iOS 16.2 brings to the iPhone is the ability for users to submit feedback to Apple after dismissing an Emergency SOS prompt that was triggered erroneously — reports 9to5Mac.

Emergency SOS is a safety feature Apple introduced years ago, which lets users quickly call emergency services by simply holding down the Power button along with either of the volume buttons.

The iOS 16.2 beta now asks users for feedback when they back out of Emergency SOS mode. “Did you intentionally trigger Emergency SOS on your iPhone?” a prompt reads. Users can send Apple a report, complete with data about what happened, through the Feedback Assistant.

The new feature comes after mounting user reports of Emergency SOS being falsely triggered by Crash Detection, a new feature Apple introduced with the iPhone 14 and this year’s new Apple Watch models. Crash Detection is designed to work in tandem with Emergency SOS, contacting emergency services and contacts if the device detects a serious crash.

In the event that a crash is detected, Emergency SOS is automatically triggered if the user doesn’t mark themselves safe. Unfortunately, the feature is being activated by more than just vehicle crashes — rollercoasters, dropping your phone out of a moving vehicle, you name it.

Apple’s new Crash Detection feature might need some more work, and it looks like user feedback could be key to dialling the feature in and increasing its accuracy to prevent false positives.