The good news and the catch

The FCC now requires carriers to route your 911 call by your phone’s actual location, not whatever tower it hit. Big carriers switched over in late 2024. Smaller ones came online this past May, but calls still fall back to a tower guessing when your phone can’t get a fast location fix. 

When your phone can’t grab a fast fix (basements, concrete high-rises, rural valleys with no bars), your call still falls back to the old tower method. Millions a year still will. Your settings decide whether 911 sees you or a guess two towns over.

 Lock it down

Phone makers love moving things around, so your taps may look a little different. Poke around. The setting’s in there.

·         iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services, turn on Emergency Calls & SOS. Then in Health, tap your photo > Medical ID and turn on Share During Emergency Call.

·         Android: Settings > Safety & emergency > Emergency Location Service.

Use Wi-Fi calling? Your carrier keeps an emergency address on file. Moved since? 911 could get your OLD address.

·         iPhone: Settings > Cellular > Wi-Fi Calling > Update Emergency Address.

·         Samsung: Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi Calling > menu > Emergency address.

·         Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > your carrier > Wi-Fi calling > Emergency address.

·         On any other Android or if you can’t find the setting: Open your carrier’s app (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, etc.), search “Wi-Fi calling emergency address” and update it there. Same fix, different door.

 Send this to anyone who only carries a cell phone. It’s their lifeline to 911.