OnePlus 5: Users urged to install new update that fixes issue that stopped them ringing 911

OnePlus 5 users are being urged to download a new software update for the phone.

A customer this week discovered a serious flaw on his handset, which restarted itself when he tried to call emergency services.

He was able to replicate the issue and film it, with a video posted to Facebook showing the OnePlus 5 switch itself off and back on again after he dials 911.

The company has now fixed the issue, and has told users to download a newly released update.

“We have begun rolling out the software update,” OnePlus told the Independent.

“Timing may vary by region. We encourage OnePlus 5 users to download the update.

“If users haven't received a notification, check for the update by going to ‘Settings’ > ‘System Updates’.”

The company contacted the customer – known on Reddit as Seattle_Horn – after he flagged up the issue, and said its “whole team” was working on a fix.

“UPDATE: After talking with OnePlus and sharing my log files which included the issue, the OnePlus Tech team was able to send me a test update and the 911 bug has been fixed!” he has confirmed in a post on the site.

“The fix they shared with me is only for my phone but they will be using it as a template either for OTA updates or to send the fix to people who are also having the same problem. In short: PROBLEM FIXED!”

When he first noticed the glitch, he said he'd just seen a building on fire "a few blocks away", and tried and failed to call emergency services twice.

The specific cause of the problem isn’t yet clear, and OnePlus has said it “[does] not have any information we can update you on regarding the issue.”