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Stop accidentally calling emergency services from your Android with this pro guide
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Are you tired of accidentally calling emergency services from your Android's lock screen? Because many regions require emergency call buttons on lock screens, there's no setting to turn the feature off. But don't give up hope—this wikiHow article teaches you how to avoid making emergency calls accidentally.
Stop Making Accidental Emergency Calls on Android
- Edit your emergency SOS settings to require a swipe before calling emergency services.
- Turn off "Double tap to turn on screen" to prevent accidental emergency calls.
- Remove the Phone icon from the Lock screen to stop pocket-dialing 911.
Steps
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Open your Android's Settings. A feature in your Android's software—pressing the side button five times to call emergency services—will automatically call emergency services. This can be a problem, as putting your phone in your pocket, purse, or car mount can trigger an emergency call. To fix the problem, you can require an additional swipe before a call is placed.- To open your Android's settings, tap the app with a gear icon, or swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap the gear.
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Tap Safety and emergency . It's next to a red icon with an exclamation point. This is where you can edit the information included with your emergency call, like your medical info or emergency contacts.- The menu might have a different name depending on the manufacturer of your Android. Some phones have a "Passwords & security" menu instead.
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Tap Emergency SOS . It's usually in the second group of menu options.- Some phones might let you turn this feature off, but not many do. If you see an option to do so, you can select that instead.
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Tap the switch next to "Require swipe to call" to turn it on. Once enabled, restart your phone, and it will no longer make calls without your confirmation.- You can also change the emergency number if it's incorrect. Some Reddit users claim that changing this number to "0" will prevent your phone from calling emergency numbers, but others found that the number here resets to actual emergency numbers. [1] X Research source
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Open your Android's Settings. Double-tapping to unlock your phone can be convenient, but it's also easy to accidentally unlock your screen and dial emergency services. Follow these steps to turn off this feature so your screen remains locked until you're ready to use it.- Open Settings by tapping the app with a gear icon. Alternatively, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings panel, then tap the gear icon.
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Tap Advanced features . This is next to a yellow icon. -
Tap Motions and gestures . It's in the third group of options. -
Tap the toggle next to "Double tap to turn on screen" to turn it off. With this feature off, your phone screen will no longer wake when you double-tap the screen, making it far less likely your pocket or purse will dial emergency services accidentally.
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Open your Android's Settings. Your Lock Screen has room for two shortcuts on either lower corner. If the Phone app is on your Lock Screen, it's easy to accidentally make calls without unlocking your phone. Removing this icon will reduce the likelihood of accidentally dialing an emergency number.- Open Settings by tapping the app with a gear icon. Alternatively, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings panel, then tap the gear icon.
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Tap Lock screen . It's next to a padlock icon. -
Tap Edit Lock screen . It's under the "Looking for something else?" header at the bottom of the page.- Alternatively, you can press the Side button or double-tap your screen to lock it, then tap and hold the Lock Screen to edit it.
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Tap the phone icon. A list of other apps will appear. -
Select a different app to use on the Lock screen. You can use any app that doesn't require you to unlock your phone, including Calculator and Flashlight.- You can also select "No app" if you don't want any apps in this corner.
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Tap Done . You'll see this in the top right corner of your screen. It will apply your changes so the phone app is no longer on your Lock screen. Removing this icon will decrease your chances of accidentally calling emergency services.
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Open your Android's Settings. You can turn on a feature that uses ambient light sensors to detect whether your phone is in a dark place, like a pocket or bag, and disables the touch screen. This feature is usually enabled automatically, but you should make sure it's on if your phone makes emergency calls by itself.- Open Settings by tapping the app with a gear icon. Alternatively, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings panel, then tap the gear icon.
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Tap Display . You'll see it next to a green sunburst icon. -
Tap the toggle next to "Accidental touch protection" to turn it on. If the toggle is already on, you can try turning it off, restarting your phone, turning it back on, and restarting your phone again. This can clear out glitches with your ambient light sensor.- Also, make sure your phone case does not cover your phone's ambient light sensor.
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Open your Android's Settings. While leaving your phone unsecured is not recommended, you can remove the "Emergency Services" button from your Lock screen if you do not have a Lock screen. -
Tap Lock screen and AOD . This menu might be named something different, depending on the manufacturer of your Android. -
Tap Screen lock type . It's usually the first option. -
Tap None . This isn't recommended, as it makes it easy for anyone to access your phone. However, it will get rid of the Emergency Call button.- Using "None" also means you will have to re-enter any biometric settings you use for apps.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhy do people want to remove this feature?Community AnswerBecause this feature causes far too many accidental pocket dials to emergency services.
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About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Disable your current lock screen.
2. Open the Play Store.
3. Search for a lock screen replacement app.
4. Download and install an app.
5. Open the app and give it permissions.
6. Lock your screen.
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 791,971 times.
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