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New Apple Feature Would Allow iPhone Users to Discreetly Call 911 With a Fingerprint

A new feature from Apple would allow iPhone users to discreetly call emergency services with a fingerprint touch, with the goal of helping people in distress evade potential attackers.

CNBC reports on the patent application published Tuesday for a technology that would sense the “manner” in which a fingerprint hits the iPhone screen to trigger a 911 call. The smartphone could recognize a particular sequence of fingerprints, for instance, or even the particular cadence of taps to the screen, the filing says.

When the user activates this “panic command,” the phone would provide the user’s location to responders. It could also livestream video or audio from the phone, the report says.

Apple, which rarely acknowledges new product features prior to their release, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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