Calling for emergency services is pretty straightforward and easy as dialing 3 digits (the number varies depending on where you’re from), but sometimes in certain situations, it might not be feasible. This is where a recently discovered patent filed by Apple comes in, where it comes up with alternative ways for users to dial 911.
According to the patent, it describes how one could use just their fingerprints to make their iPhone dial 911. The system describes how users could set up different fingerprints, patterns, or even pressure so that the phone knows when you’re trying to call 911, as opposed to you just pressing on Touch ID to unlock your device.
For example you could use your thumb to unlock your phone, but maybe you could set it up in such a way that your pinky could be used to activate the 911 call, or maybe repeated presses could trigger it, and so on. However given that sometimes it’s not always convenient to speak during emergencies, like if you’re being held hostage, the system will also help relay the necessary information to the emergency services, like your location.
It could also enable the microphone, or even trigger a live stream video. The patent also talks about how it could potentially wipe the data on your phone so that if you know your phone is being stolen, whoever steals it won’t have access to your information. However given that this is just a patent, there’s no telling if it will become a reality, but it is still a pretty clever system all the same.