Adding and Removing Emergency Phone Numbers

[Darius Wey]

<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060526-Emergency1.jpg" /><br /><br />Some of you may be aware of this, and then some of you may not - but dialing an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number">emergency phone number</a> in the keypad of the Windows Mobile <b>Password</b> screen will allow you to make the all-important call without ever unlocking the device. Annoyingly, not all devices ship with global emergency phone numbers pre-programmed, so it doesn't always work. However, there is a way to change that. <!><br /><br />In this article, I discuss the act of adding a new emergency phone number with the example of 000 in Australia.<br /><br />My Pocket PC Phone Edition does not have 000 pre-programmed, so all attempts at dialing 000 in the <b>Password</b> keypad yields a set of masked digits as shown below.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060526-Emergency2.jpg" /><br /><br />To get around this, all that is required is a registry editor such as <a href="http://www.resco.net/pocketpc/explorer/default.asp">Resco Explorer 2005</a>, which is used to make a slight registry modification.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060526-Emergency4.jpg" /><br /><br />With the registry editor open, navigate to <b>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security\ECall</b>, and note the presence of a multi-line value called <b>List</b>. Opening this value brings up a list of pre-programmed emergency phone numbers. To add an unlisted number, simply type it in and save the changes (the example of adding 000 is shown below).<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060526-Emergency5.jpg" /><br /><br />Unlike a lot of registry modifications, this one comes into effect immediately, so you don't have to worry about soft-resetting your device.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060526-Emergency3.jpg" /><br /><br />The next time you type in the newly-added emergency phone number in the keypad of the <b>Password</b> screen, it will no longer be masked, and you will have the option of calling the number simply by hitting the hardware <b>Call</b> button.<br /><br />A couple of points that I feel are worth mentioning:<br />• Firstly, while it's possible and tempting to remove numbers that aren't commonly used, I recommend leaving these in for the times when you travel to another country. There's no telling when and where you might need to dial a seemingly trivial emergency phone number, so having them pre-programmed can effectively be a life-saver.<br />• Secondly, please remember that any registry modifications are done at your own risk.

[smittyofdhs]

Darius,
thanks man, you've helped me with 2 major registry questions in the last 24 hours. AWESOME!

[smittyofdhs]

I've got another registry question for you but didn't want to go off-topic here. It doesn't appear that I can PM you. Would you mind me asking here or via another method?

[Darius Wey]

I've got another registry question for you but didn't want to go off-topic here. It doesn't appear that I can PM you. Would you mind me asking here or via another method?

If it's unrelated to the topic, feel free to create a new thread in one of the community discussion forums: Just Chattin' is probably a good one to use.

[bnycastro]

Thanks for this tip. I hope no one ever needs these numbers soon. But it is good to be ready just in case.

[scs_ppc]

Excellent tip :)

[dlinker]

While this is a great tip, a better tip is to remember that 112 is the Global GSM emergency number. It's part of the GSM standard so will work on any GSM phone in any country in the world. That way, you don't need to worry whether someone has applied the correct Registry Hack or if you're travelling, what the local Emergency Services' phone number is.

If you pick up a mobile phone in any country, and need to dial the emergency services use 112. Many phones don't even need to be unlocked.

It will even work in many countries without a SIM card in the phone.

See the Wikipedia article for more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number#Emergency_numbers_and_mobile.2Fwireless.2Fcellular_telephones

[Darius Wey]

While this is a great tip, a better tip is to remember that 112 is the Global GSM emergency number. It's part of the GSM standard so will work on any GSM phone in any country in the world.

Right, but in some countries, it's not widely educated to both technical and non-technical end-users that 112 is the global emergency number.

You and I both know that out of instinct, 000 is the first emergency number to call in Oz. Dialing 112 takes a bit of thought. I think it's worth adding a local emergency number into the registry, but like you said, definitely bear in mind that 112 exists as well.

[JMac]

And sometimes your local emergency number is pre-programmed on your phone and you don't even know it!

Just yesterday I found that out unexpectedly with my Cingular 8125 - purely by accident, which is not really a good thing.

I decided to set up some speed dial numbers on my 8125, though I rarely use speed dialing on my cell phones; I normally use voice dialing instead.

Anyway, when I entered the speed dial setup screen, I noticed that the first three had been pre-programmed by Cingular. 1 and 2 were my voice mailbox and Information (411 here in the USA) respectively. However the third was simply labelled "Voice Connect", and the corresponding phone number was "08". I honestly had no idea what Voice Connect was. So of course I did what anyone would do - I dialed it.

I didn't understand what the person who answered said at first, so I asked him to please repeat it - and then I heard him say clearly, "This is the XXX County 911 Emergency Center." Ouch!! 8O

I apologized and told him I had dialed an unknown speed dial number on my cell; he laughed and said it was OK. I imagine I was a nice shade of pink by then! :oops:

So.... Now I know, at least. :|

[ctmagnus]

Great tip!

911 and 112 were set up on my JAMin by default. Carrier provisioning, perhaps?

[Darius Wey]

Carrier provisioning, perhaps?

Yes, it's applicable. In fact, a month ago, I learned that one of my friends, who works for a carrier, utilised this tip to add and remove numbers on a portion of the company's Windows Mobile devices. :)

If carriers wanted to do the same on the phones offered to end-users, the option is there.