Google will soon display prewritten texts people in crisis can use to ask for help

Image of the Google “G” logo on a blue, black, and purple background.

Illustration: The Verge

Google will soon start displaying prewritten text messages that appear when users search for suicide-related terms. These prompts are supposed to help people start a difficult conversation during a mental health crisis and were created in partnership with the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

The message options will appear directly beneath the information for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which Google already surfaces when people search for suicide-related terms. It will encourage users to “connect with people you trust,” with each prompt featuring a “send a text” button that opens and pastes the prompt into a user’s text messaging app. It’s not clear whether these messages will appear on Google’s desktop site, but...