Android glitch prevents calls to 911 for some, but you can fix it

Some Android cellphone users across the nation have been unable to reach 911 because of a glitch with the devices' operating system, Suffolk police said Monday.

The problem appears to affect a small number of Android devices that have the Microsoft Teams app installed but are not logged in. Suffolk and Nassau county police said they have not received reports of the glitch affecting people trying to call 911 on Long Island.

The connection issue, which affects only the dialing end of the call, is caused by an unintended interaction between the app and the phone’s operating system, Suffolk police said.

Calls to 911 by the user ring once and then sound as if the line is busy or that the call is not being answered, officials said.

The call does not show up in outgoing call logs, but outgoing calls to other numbers can be completed successfully, authorities said.

Google, which did not respond to requests for comment, plans to release a fix to its Android operating system on Jan. 4 to address the system flaw, reports said.

In the interim, authorities said Android users can fix the issue by updating to the newest version of the Microsoft Teams app in the Google Play store. Users should make sure they are signed onto Microsoft Teams, including when updating the app, police said.

Only users of Android 10 or later versions of the phone are potentially impacted, officials said.

The problem was first reported on Reddit by a Google Pixel user trying to get help for his grandmother who appeared to be having a stroke, according to media reports.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.