We have tested the Android SMS emergency alert button. This functionality is a recommended option for everyone who has a current version of a Samsung terminal.
This functionality allows us to send an SMS to one or more previously selected trusted contacts in case of an emergency situation.
To activate this functionality, simply access the menu: Settings - Advanced functions - Send SOS messages.
In this screen you can easily configure the different options related to the emergency message.
The first field to enter is the destination number to which you want to send an SMS in case of emergency.
In turn, you can activate the option of sending photos taken with the front and rear cameras at the moment of pressing the button and an audio recording of the microphone lasting 5 seconds.
The message received by the contact person includes a link to the position referenced in google maps. Likewise, the emergency activation time is included.
The alert message is activated by pressing the terminal's power button 3 times relatively quickly.
Once pressed, a pop-up message appears in the phone's notification menu indicating that the message is being sent. This process may take a few seconds if the option to attach photos and audio from the moment of the click has been included.
The message is sent to the contact phone in SMS format and the attached information such as photos and audio is sent in MMS format.
NOTE: It is important to bear in mind that MMS messages related to images and audios usually have an additional cost that in some cases can be high.
After the tests carried out, we can highlight that it is a highly reliable functionality that has worked on all the occasions in which we have pressed the emergency button as long as mobile coverage is available.
The position is referenced through a link to google maps in the SMS itself received by the contact person. Taking into account the GPS precision of current Samsung models, this data is of high quality when it comes to geo-locating the emergency point.
The option of being able to attach a front and back photo of the moment of the emergency can provide great information when it comes to identifying the context of the emergency in order to act and we consider it to be of particular interest in profiles of people in situations of vulnerability or threat.
The 5-second audio recorded at the moment of pressing the button can help, together with the photographs, to identify the context of the emergency.
Highlights
- Being integrated into the operating system and not depending on any application outside the terminal, the system is highly reliable and fast as long as mobile coverage is available
- It is a very valuable tool in emergency situations and useful for anyone in natural disasters, gender violence, the elderly, minors.
- The possibility of activating or deactivating in a simple way when the user requires it, as well as configuring whether or not to include images or audio in the shipment.
Improvement points
- Provide the possibility of sending images and audio through 3G or 4G data messages avoiding the use of higher cost MMS.
- Include the possibility of activating the emergency for people with mobility difficulties using external buttons.
