This important Microsoft Teams for Android update fixes the strange 911 calling bug

Microsoft has rolled out an update to its Teams app on Android to fix a weird bug that affected a device after users made an emergency 911 call when not signed into the Teams app. 

Word of the 911 Teams-Android bug spread on Reddit last week after a user with a Pixel 3 on Android 11 dialled 911 which then froze after one ring. 

Via 9to5Google, a Reddit user wrote: "My phone got stuck immediately after one ring and I was unable to do anything other than click through apps with an emergency phone call running in the background. This is all while the phone informed me that it had sent my location to emergency services."  

Google confirmed it was able to reproduce the issue under a "limited set of circumstances". It appeared that users might have problems calling emergency services if they have Teams installed on the phone but aren't logged in to the app. 

Microsoft has now released an update for Teams on Android and also confirmed in a blogpost that the issue was "caused by an unintended interaction between the Teams app and Android operating system. It added that it was "only present on a small number of devices with the Teams app installed when the user is not logged in."

Microsoft and Google cooperated to address the unintended interaction. Android users can get the fixed version of Microsoft Teams from the Play Store. It should be Teams version 1416/1.0.0.2021194504 or higher. 

Google is also set to roll-out an Android update on January 4 to address the issue from its side.

Google notes that this emergency calling issue only affects Android 10 and above. It also recommends that Teams users check to see if they are signed in, which doesn't trigger the problem.