When nature calls, Pixel calls 911: A hilarious mishap

A Reddit user was startled when their Google Pixel 8 Pro blared out an emergency alert while they were on the toilet. The user, with the username Mcnobba, shared their unexpected encounter with the subreddit r/GooglePixel. They were just scrolling through Reddit when their phone suddenly screamed, “CAR CRASH DETECTED!”

Mcnobba explained they were sitting on the toilet, completely unharmed and not even starting their business when the alarm went off. “Luckily, I didn’t feel a thing and I’m pretty sure nobody was hurt,” they wrote. They quickly swiped to dismiss the alert, choosing the “No crash” option, but were left puzzled by the whole ordeal.

The post quickly gained traction, amassing hundreds of upvotes and comments from other Pixel users sharing similar, albeit less bathroom-related, experiences. One user suggested with humor that increasing fiber intake might prevent such surprises. Another shared a story about falling off a stand-up paddleboard, triggering their phone to call 911, with the dispatcher casually noting it happens a lot.

The car crash detection feature on Pixel phones is designed to help in real emergencies by automatically alerting emergency services if a crash is detected. However, it seems this feature can sometimes be a bit too sensitive. One commenter mentioned that their fall detection activated due to potholes, forcing them to disable it. Another user shared how their watch once called 911 while they were just sitting in a car smoking a cigar, leaving them bewildered by the tiny voice coming from their device.

Mcnobba’s experience isn’t unique, as other users chimed in with their own tales of tech gone wild. One user wryly noted that they got into an actual minor car crash, but the feature didn’t activate, suggesting perhaps the toilet was the key to triggering it. “You obviously weren’t sat on a toilet at the time then,” Mcnobba humorously replied to this comment.

This incident highlights the quirks of modern technology, where even the most well-intended features can lead to amusing or embarrassing situations. It’s a reminder that while our devices are getting smarter, they’re not immune to misinterpreting human activities, especially in the most private of moments.

The post not only provided a laugh but also sparked a conversation about the reliability and sensitivity of car crash detection. Hopefully, with time, Google will manage to prevent such instances from occurring. But I guess we can all have a laugh every now and then at some epic tech fails.