I'm seeing many conversations, also on this forum, that you would be able to make an emergency call without a SIM card (and at that point you're traced), but it doesn't work with me and the phone is not certainly in airplane mode :) , so I wonder if this is an US thing or is there any other country involved?
In my case, it requires a SIM card for such call...

On the other side, you would be traced only if you make the call, not if the phone is not in a Faraday bag, right? That bag is useless in this scenario as far as I know.

    steve66th If you're making an emergency call, then traceability is a good option, especially if the situation is dire, and you drop the phone. That is a trade off that has to be accepted. But I would hope that airplane mode would prevent it at all other times
    UK doesn't require a dedicated network connection to use that service, as all networks are obliged to carry the call

        PaulDavis Thank you, so you can be traced only if you make the call.
        Though it doesn't explain why it doesn't work on my phone :D , am I the only one?

        • de0u replied to this.

            steve66th When reporting an issue it is often productive to say what was tried (more detail is often better), what outcome was expected, and what outcome was observed instead.

            What number are you trying to call? What happens?

              steve66th That's weird it wouldn't initialize an emergency call on your end...

              I've read me in in this matter not very long ago, tho i forgot most of it, so correct me someone if i'm wrong.

              Very short and probably not 100% accurate because leaving many details out;

              To initialize a regular call, your phone and the tower your phone connects to, need to communicate 3 pieces of data; IMSI (identifies a mobile subscriber), ICCID (identifies a SIM card’s chip) and MEID (identifies a mobile device), IMEI-variant for GSM-networks, but based on your post i assume you are from the us and use CDMA network.

              To initialize a emergency call, your phone connects to the nearest "supporting" cell tower. There is only 1 piece of data that can be given to the cell tower, which is MEID or IMEI, based on CDMA or GSM network.

              At least in the EU, operators are required by law to support emergency calls, and even drop regular calls to give priority to emergency calls, so it's very weird u aren't able to perform an emergency call.

              Are u sure your phone's radio can connect to a tower. Did u try it in the same spot, at roughly the same time with sim as u mentioned and without sim?

              The part that u can be traced if u make the emergency call, is correct in the sense your phone could be triangulated, but can it identify u? Is yr MEID tied in one way or another to your identity?
              Edit: It probably is, since u already connected to a tower once with a sim, i.e. 3 parts of data in once togheter (IMSI, ICCID, MIED)

                  r134a No emergency call ever worked, but even in case, it's fine for me.
                  I at least connected once with a SIM anyway, but not in my home.

                  I was just wondering how it was possible that GrapheneOS asks for a SIM to perform a call, which for me is absolutely fine but you guys say the opposite :) .

                      steve66th To be clear, i'm not claiming in any way u can't, but at least its highly interesting what could be the cause of this.

                      I was just wondering how it was possible that GrapheneOS asks for a SIM to perform a call

                      i assume u mean an emergency call?
                      Also, i doubt GrapheneOS would be the cause of this. if so, it would be nice to have more data as @de0u mentioned. Did u try it with stock os? Did it work? Are u able in any way to try it with the stock os, preferably in different 'area's', aswell as with grapheneos? To compare if it is actaully caused by grapheneos?

                          r134a Yes, I meant emergency call.

                          Sorry but at this time I can't flash it back, I need the phone.
                          Unfortunately, I don't remember if I did this test before installing GrapheneOS, so sad I didn't note it down because I'm pretty sure I was super interested to test it prior to carry the phone at home.