Smartphones have advanced tremendously over the past decade, yet every new generation still seems to introduce a fresh set of bugs and quirks for users to deal with. Some are minor nuisances — like the early performance hiccups reported by Pixel 10 owners — while others have been more severe, such as the notorious battery issues that once troubled Samsung devices. Most smartphone bugs are annoying at worst, but a recurring Pixel glitch stands out because it could actually put users in danger.
For several years now, Pixel users on Reddit have been reporting a troubling issue that occasionally prevents calls to emergency services from going through. The fact that the problem persists across multiple generations — all the way up to the Pixel 10 — makes it particularly worrying.
The 911 call failure that won’t die
In a recent Reddit thread, one user described trying to dial 911 on their Pixel 9 Pro, only for the phone to flash a message urging them to turn on Wi-Fi or disable airplane mode — despite neither setting being the issue. Moments later, the phone froze and restarted, effectively cutting off the emergency call attempt altogether. Similar experiences have been shared by Pixel 10 users, suggesting the glitch remains unresolved in Google’s latest lineup.
What makes the bug even more frustrating is its unpredictability. It doesn’t seem tied to a specific carrier or signal condition. Users from different networks have reported identical symptoms, and their carriers have largely confirmed that the issue doesn’t appear to be on their end. That points to a long-standing problem within Google’s own software or network handling systems.
Despite the seriousness of the bug, Google has yet to offer a comprehensive fix or explanation, even as reports continue to surface. The Pixel 10 may feature impressive camera tech and AI integrations, but the lingering emergency call failure casts a shadow over its otherwise polished image — and serves as a stark reminder that even the smartest phones can fail when it matters most.
