Share live video with emergency services to get the help you need

In an emergency, every second counts. But it can be hard to describe exactly what’s happening, especially when you’re stressed or in danger. Whether it’s a car accident, a medical crisis or a rapidly moving wildfire, giving emergency responders eyes on the situation can make all the difference.

Starting today, we’re introducing Emergency Live Video on Android. During an emergency call or text, a dispatcher can send a request to your phone to share live video. With a single tap, you can start securely streaming from your camera, allowing responders to quickly assess the situation and get you the right help in the moment. This real-time view can also help them guide you through life-saving steps, like CPR, until help arrives.

How Emergency Live Video works

We designed the feature to be simple and secure, with no setup required. During an emergency call or text, if the responder determines that seeing the scene would be helpful and it’s safe to do so, they can send a request to your device. You’ll see a prompt on your screen, and you can choose to start securely sharing your camera’s live video with one tap. The feature is encrypted by default, and you are always in control of whether your video is shared, and can stop sharing instantly at any time.

Android Emergency Live Video builds on our work to make it easier to get help and provide users peace of mind through features like Emergency Location Service, Car Crash and Fall Detection, and Satellite SOS. The feature is rolling out today across the U.S., as well as select regions of Germany and Mexico, and is supported on Android phones running Android 8+ with Google Play services. We are closely working with public safety organizations around the world to expand this capability to more regions.

Public safety organizations interested in partnering to bring Emergency Live Video to their region can find more information in our partner documentation.