Apple is announcing a new life-saving feature in iOS 12 that hasn’t been publicly disclosed before today. Starting this fall when iOS 12 is released, first responders will be able to access location data “securely and automatically” when iPhone customers call 911.
The move is intended to dramatically improve emergency service response time, and Apple says the feature is implemented with privacy in mind:
In keeping with Apple’s focus on privacy, user data cannot be used for any non-emergency purpose and only the responding 911 Center will be able to access the user’s location during an emergency call.
