SOPA Images / Contributor / Getty
If you're an AT&T Wireless customer, you're about to receive a potentially life-saving feature on your phone.
The company announced several upgrades to its Next Generation 9-1-1 ESInet emergency communications platform this week, with the most important one coming to your phone. Later this year, AT&T customers will be able to send picture and video messages to 9-1-1.
Also: You should use these 10 personal safety features on your Pixel phone (before it's too late)
Many jurisdictions allow users to text 9-1-1, and some areas support the ability to text photos or videos, yet it can be complex. AT&T says the new feature will allow users to send picture and video messages "just as effortlessly as they text family and friends."
There is a small caveat: users will only be able to text 9-1-1 if the system utilizes AT&T's ESInet. I didn't see a list of the systems that use this setup, so I've reached out to AT&T to see if the information is available.
Also: Updating to Android 16 gives you 2 useful security features - but you need to enable them
Apple devices have a similar capability to share live video during an Emergency SOS call.
What is AT&T ESInet?
AT&T introduced its ESInet Next-Gen 9-1-1 emergency communications platform in 2018 as a replacement for traditional analog connections.
... continue reading