Google introduces Emergency Location Tracking service for Android users in India

Google has launched the Emergency Location Service (ELS) for Android users in India. This is a built-in emergency feature on Android that will share the user’s location to emergency responders, such as police or ambulance, when 112 is dialled. This feature utilises GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile network data, usually within a 50-meter radius, to spot the caller’s precise location.

Google further highlighted that Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in India to fully implement enhanced caller location and automatically receive the location information of the caller. The service is powered by a machine-learning-based Android Fused Location Provider to share locations with emergency services. 

The ELS feature is a free service, and it activates only when the 112 number is dialled. This feature does not require any additional hardware or app to send location. The company assures that the location coordinates are sent directly to the emergency services, allowing UP112’s command infrastructure and PertSol’s routing system to send police, medical, or firefighting support in a timely manner. In addition, the caller’s location remains private and is not collected by Google. 

The system is already operational in over 60 countries, and it has helped emergency teams to act in a timely manner and save lives. As Uttar Pradesh has promptly adopted the emergency system, Google is now hoping, or we can say urging other states in India to “explore the potential of this technology to further strengthen the life-saving interventions of their local emergency services.”