The first Developer Preview of Android 11 didn’t just reveal a barrage of new system features and tweaks to pore through. It also ushered in a dogfood version of the Personal Safety app that can enable crash detection on Pixel phones outside of the 4 and 4 XL. Here’s how to sideload the app and get it running:
First, you’ll need to download the Personal Safety app version “1.1.286909525.dogfood beta” from APK Mirror and install it — this is the release that came bundled into the Android 11 Preview, now extracted and ready to be shared. Next, follow the prompts to add your emergency contacts that would be notified if you were to get into an accident. Then fill out any pertinent medical information to help first responders understand your health profile.
Next, click the settings cog in the top left corner of the screen. From there, you will see a “Driving” section with a tab that says “Car crash detection.” Select that, toggle on the feature, and you’re all ready to go!
Next, click the settings cog in the top left corner of the screen. From there, you will see a “Driving” section with a tab that says “Car crash detection.” Select that, toggle on the feature, and you’re all ready to go!
We didn’t actively attempt to wreck a car when testing out the Personal Safety app with crash detection, but we were successful in activating it on a Pixel 3a XL. We were also able to use the built-in demo button that ran us through the a digital crash simulation, and everything went off without a hitch.
If you’d like to try out the Personal Safety app for yourself, you can grab version “1.1.286909525.dogfood beta” at APK Mirror here. Keep in mind that the app will still not work on non-Pixel phones.
