Pixel Phones Will Soon Have Text-To-Speech Feature For Emergency Calls

According to Google, the Pixel devices’ Phone app will soon have the text-to-speech feature that allows users to provide location information to the police, the fire department, or hospitals. With this function, users can make an emergency call even if they have speech impediment, or in a situation that they cannot speak out loud.

The new system works like this. When users are making an emergency call, three buttons will appear on the Phone app, including “Police,” “Fire,” and “Medical.” If you press the button, the text-to-speech function will be activated. The system will then read out the content of the message to the operator while informing he or she that the caller is using an automated service. The help needed and the location of the caller will also be passed on.

The service works on device so the information will be kept between users and the emergency operators. When the service is activated, callers can always speak directly to the person on the other side of the line.

This text-to-speech feature is an expansion of what Google gave its Pixel devices’ Phone app in 2017, which will show the user’s location when they dial emergency numbers. This new addition will make things even simpler for users as now they do not need to say a word to describe their situation.

This feature is scheduled to be launched in the US next month and on some selected Android devices.

Apart from the application in phone calls, the text-to-speech technology can be used in Google Translate to provide the pronunciation of words, Google Play Books to read books’ content aloud, and Google Talkback, as well as some other third-party apps.