14 DAY TRIAL // Motorola has a special maintenance update rolling out as we speak for a handful of its smartphones, including the first-gen Moto X, second-gen Moto X, Nexus 6, DROID Turbo, Moto MAXX, DROID Ultra, and Moto X Pro.
The problem that the update is designed to deal with is said to be extremely rare but can have dangerous repercussions if not treated accordingly.
The complication arises whenever someone using one of the above mentioned Motorola handsets wants to make an emergency call before inputting the PIN on a phone encrypted with “PIN to start.”
The problem
Motorola refers to the PIN entered on an encrypted phone when it is powered on and booting up, not the PIN or pattern entered by users to bypass the screen lock on a device that is already powered on.
While the handset is fully powered off, the user will try and power it on (not just wake it) in order to place the emergency call. Upon boot-up, the user taps on the emergency dial shortcut option that is presented before the boot PIN is entered and does not allow the phone to boot completely before attempting to make the call.
In such a scenario, the call will be connected to the operator, but the big inconvenience is that the audio will only be available in one direction. The dialer will be able to hear the dispatcher, but the dispatcher won’t be able to hear the caller.
Thus, crucial information about the phone user’s whereabouts and the emergency situation they’re in will not get through to the police and medical assistance units.
Tips to handle the situation before the update arrives
While waiting for the update that fixes this glitch, Motorola gives users a few tips to ensure emergency calls are not compromised.
For one, they should try keeping their phone powered up. If the mobile device is turned on, the problem is no longer encountered when trying to place an emergency call.
But if the handset must first be powered on in order to make the phone call, users should enter the start PIN and allow the phone to boot completely before placing the emergency call.
However, since most folks don’t use encryption, PIN-to-start to turn on their devices, this situation is pretty unlikely to happen, so most of you don’t have anything to worry about.