ICYMI: Google disables Pixel Car crash detection when roaming even in supported countries

Google’s Car crash detection is an excellent feature that recently made its way to more countries, but there’s a major shortcoming that you may have missed. What’s that? Well, Car crash detection gets disabled when your Pixel device is on roaming, even in supported countries.

For all the tech prowess packed into Google’s Pixel lineup, there’s an inconvenient truth many users overlook: feature availability can be a tricky road, especially when you cross international borders.

During a recent trip to Bilbao, Spain, Android Authority’s Rita El Khoury noticed this flaw with Google’s Car crash detection feature on the Pixel 8 Pro. Upon disabling Airplane mode, a notification informed her that Car crash detection had been disabled. Oddly enough, Spain is an official Google market supporting this feature, and Rita’s home country, France, shares the same status.

The culprit? Roaming. It turns out that even in supported countries, Car crash detection is rendered useless once your Pixel detects a roaming SIM card. Whether you’re traversing different EU nations or still within the borders of supported countries, the feature shuts down. The only way to get it to work is to purchase a local SIM card in the country you’re travelling in.

It’s highly likely the feature is disabled due to the requirements to call emergency services. While there might be cases where one’s roaming SIM could be able to dial emergency services in the country, it’s not universal. And this is where I feel telcos and regulators need to bring in necessary changes.

Having quick access to emergency services shouldn’t be tied down to your SIM card’s country. It’s hard to imagine someone losing their life only because they didn’t have local SIM card and their trusty ‘smartphone’ couldn’t get a hold of emergency services on time. There’s no point in having all the fancy AI features if they don’t work when actually needed.

As a Pixel user, it’s essential to be aware of these limitations, especially if you’re a frequent traveler. Until Google addresses these issues, consider alternative safety measures or, in extreme cases, obtaining a local SIM card to enable crucial features. Your safety shouldn’t be compromised by the limitations of your device. You can read the post on Android Authority highlighting Rita’s complete experience.