Are you in trouble, but can’t ‘call’ 911? You can now text them instead

By Williams Pelegrin May 15, 2014

how to text 911 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Back in 2011, the Federal Communications Commission unveiled a plan that would enable people to send text messages, videos, and photos to 911 in the event of an emergency. Today, the fruits of labor can finally be witnessed, as the FCC announced the gradual rollout of the service across the country.

While the service is live right now for AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile, it’s only so in several counties within Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. The FCC expects the service to be available throughout the entire country by the end of 2014.

The service works simply enough: if you are in an emergency, just text ‘911’ with your emergency and location. Since it’s through text message and not through a voice call, your location cannot be triangulated, thus the need to state your physical address.

You will also have the ability to attach photos to your text, though that capability isn’t supported everywhere as of this writing. Because the service is still on a limited rollout, the FCC advises people to not rely on text to reach 911, though the service could nonetheless prove useful for the hearing-impaired and when you’re in a situation where calling proves too risky.

Text to 911 Deployments

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

Mobile

As an Android user, I can’t wait for USB-C on the iPhone 15

The USB C port on the bottom of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

There's one question that strikes fear into the heart of any Android user: "Do you have a phone charger?" Or, at the very least, it makes me mildly annoyed in a world dominated by iPhones.

I've been an Android user since I first picked up a smartphone, and every time I'm around friends or family, someone will ask for a charger without fail. I've even picked up a couple of Lightning cables to keep around whenever someone needs to top off. Now, I'm ecstatic that the days of digging through a pile of misfit cables are finally behind me.
Universal for years

Mobile

3 reasons why I can’t leave my iPhone for an Android phone

An iPhone 14 Pro with an unlocked lock screen showing a DoorDash notification.

For more than a decade, I’ve been using Apple’s iPhone. I started with the original iPhone in 2008, which was a birthday gift and also my first Apple product, and have upgraded every year since.

However, since I started at Digital Trends, I’ve been checking out more Android phones. Though not all Android phones are winners, there have been a few that I've really enjoyed — including the Google Pixel 7, Samsung Galaxy S23, Google Pixel Fold, and Nothing Phone 2. I’ve experienced firsthand how Android handles some things a lot better than the iPhone, like customization and notifications, and the hardware designs can definitely be a lot more interesting.

Mobile

Best stylus for tablets and computers: 11 you can buy right now

Drawing with the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro (2022).

Touchscreens are a central part of our lives, and we've all become intimately familiar with them thanks to our smart devices. But even with all this practice, sometimes you want a little more precision than a finger can allow. The handy stylus has never really gone away, and now, they're the perfect way to interact with your phone or tablet if you're looking to jot down notes or sketch to your heart's content. Heck, they're even useful to have in case you need to sign something on a digital device.

The stylus you're going to want to buy is going to depend entirely on what you're going to be using it for. A stylus for digital art and one for note-taking are similar but different enough that you're going to want a slightly different style for each. Also, keep in mind that many of these stylus options have pretty stringent compatibility lists. For instance, you can pair the Apple Pencil 2 with some of the best iPads, but if you want to draw on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, then the Apple stylus won't work for you at all.