Google rolls out emergency location sharing on Android in India, beginning with Uttar Pradesh

Google has rolled out its Emergency Location Service in India for the first time, activating the feature in Uttar Pradesh to help emergency responders locate callers more accurately during distress situations. The feature, known as ELS, is built into the Android operating system and automatically shares a user’s location with emergency services when an emergency number such as 112 is dialled, Google informed.

The company stated that the service is designed to address situations in which callers may be panicked, injured or unable to clearly communicate their location, as well as cases where calls drop due to poor network connectivity. Google has rolled out its Emergency Location Service in India for the first time, activating the feature in Uttar Pradesh to help emergency responders locate callers more accurately during distress situations. The feature, known as ELS, is built into the Android operating system and automatically shares a user’s location with emergency services when an emergency number such as 112 is dialled, Google informed.

The company stated that the service is designed to address situations in which callers may be panicked, injured or unable to clearly communicate their location, as well as cases where calls drop due to poor network connectivity. ELS is intended to ensure that location details are transmitted as soon as an emergency call or SMS is placed.

Google said the service uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile network signals to determine a caller’s location, often with an accuracy of up to 50 metres. Additional contextual information, including the device language, may also be shared to assist emergency responders.

Uttar Pradesh is the first state in India to fully operationalise ELS. The system has been integrated by the Uttar Pradesh Police with support from Pert Telecom Solutions and is now linked to the state’s 112 emergency response system, which handles millions of calls and messages each day.

During pilot testing conducted over recent months, Google stated that ELS helped identify the location of more than 20 million emergency calls and messages across the state. In several instances, the service was able to transmit location information even when calls disconnected shortly after being initiated.

Google further stated that ELS is powered by Android’s machine learning-based fused location system, which is designed to function across varied environments, including dense urban areas, moving vehicles and remote locations.

On privacy, Google said the feature activates only during emergency calls or messages, is free to use, and does not require users to install additional applications or hardware. The company informed that location data is sent directly from the device to emergency services and is neither collected nor stored by Google.

ELS is currently available on Android devices running version 6.0 and above in Uttar Pradesh. Google stated that it aims to work with additional Indian states in the coming months to expand adoption of the service and strengthen emergency response capabilities nationwide.

Google said the service uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile network signals to determine a caller’s location, often with an accuracy of up to 50 metres. Additional contextual information, including the device language, may also be shared to assist emergency responders.

Uttar Pradesh is the first state in India to fully operationalise ELS. The system has been integrated by the Uttar Pradesh Police with support from Pert Telecom Solutions and is now linked to the state’s 112 emergency response system, which handles millions of calls and messages each day.

During pilot testing conducted over recent months, Google stated that ELS helped identify the location of more than 20 million emergency calls and messages across the state. In several instances, the service was able to transmit location information even when calls disconnected shortly after being initiated.

Google further stated that ELS is powered by Android’s machine learning-based fused location system, which is designed to function across varied environments, including dense urban areas, moving vehicles and remote locations.

On privacy, Google said the feature activates only during emergency calls or messages, is free to use, and does not require users to install additional applications or hardware. The company informed that location data is sent directly from the device to emergency services and is neither collected nor stored by Google.

ELS is currently available on Android devices running version 6.0 and above in Uttar Pradesh. Google stated that it aims to work with additional Indian states in the coming months to expand adoption of the service and strengthen emergency response capabilities nationwide.