14 DAY TRIAL // Google is preparing the new Android Q, and they are implementing some pretty interesting new features, one which could be automatic car crash detection.
Every time a new Android version is in the works, a lot of new features are touted or discovered before the launch. This is possible because users have access to the latest development builds, something that’s not really possible with other mobile operating systems, or at least not to this degree.
It’s also worth noting that some of the features that might be available early on in the development cycle might not make it into the stable branch and int time to launch day. Still, some of the stuff reported to be present in Android Q is exciting, and the same goes for this new option.
Why not use all the available data?
According to an analysis on XDA, the latest Android Q Beta 3 comes with an app called Safety Hub, but it’s unclear what it does. What we do know about it is that it only rung on Google Pixel phones, presumably the ones that are going to be supported by Android Q.
Opening the code for the apps reveals its true purpose, but how it works is still unknown. One of the strings in the app reads “Welcome to the car crash detection dogfood. In order to properly use this feature, please enable the following permissions. Once you enable them, this dogfood will automatically launch an alert activity when the device detects you are in a car crash.”
Dogfood is used just as a placeholder name, so it’s not relevant, but presumably, the app can detect if you’ve been implicated in an accident and send out an alert. That alert could very well be an automatic call to emergency services or message to the emergency numbers saved into your phone.
Google Pixel phones are full of sensors, and they could be used to detect a sudden stop, but that also means that the devices need to ascertain that you’re also in a moving vehicle. It’s going to be interesting to find out just how this app is going to work.