Can’t call 911? Google Messages app will allow you to text 911 via RCS to receive help

The beauty of having the RCS platform to send your request for help to 911 means that you will see the read receipts confirming that your message made it through to emergency services. As Google points out, “This eliminates the uncertainty of waiting to see if your messages went through.”

Part of the process of texting 911 requires that you send a photo or video of the underlying emergency. With RCS, you’ll be able to send a high-quality image or video so that the 911 crew can make out exactly what the emergency is allowing the right equipment to deployed. With Android Emergency Location Service, you can share your precise location with the 911 crew so that the emergency responders know exactly where they have to go to respond to the problem.

In some locations, you can contact 911 using SMS texting. However, this is available for only 53% of U.S. emergency responder call centers, and with SMS, you can’t always share pictures and videos of the emergency. Today’s news is a good example of why RCS is a much better messaging platform than SMS.