Apple Watch Fall Detection: Should You Activate It?

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 15 February 2022, 10:02 pm

The Apple Watch can detect when you get into an accident and fall, and the device can contact assistance for you.

However, the feature needs to be enabled for it to work. So when do you turn on the fall detection feature, and is it essential that you do?

Apple Watch's Fall Detection Feature

The fall detection feature is available on the Apple Watch Series 4 and Apple Watch SE, it is also available in later models. The feature works by detecting the user's sudden impacts that are suggestive of a fall.

As soon as the device detects an impact, it will tap you on the wrist, sound an alarm, and display an alert on the watch screen.

If the Apple Watch detects that you are moving, it will wait for you to respond to the alert on screen and no more action will be taken, according to How to Geek.

If the Apple Watch detects that you have not moved for a minute, the device will do an emergency call after 30 seconds. The alert will also sound louder and louder.

Also Read: Top 3 Apple Watch Features to Save Your Life and How to Use Them: Fall Detection, ECG, and MORE

You will have to tap Cancel in order to prevent the call, but if you do not respond, the call will be placed, automatic message will pop up.

The message tells responders that you have taken a fall and includes your location through latitude and longitude coordinates.

Your Medical ID will be shared with emergency services if you have the "Share During Emergency Call" option turned on, and your country's services can receive it.

The message will repeat until you choose "Stop Recorded Message" and talk to the emergency service yourself, or until the call ends, according to iMore.

Aside from contacting emergency services, fall detection will also send a message to any emergency contacts you have nominated once that call ends.

Benefits of Using Fall Detection

If you are prone to falls due to a medical condition, the fall detection feature could give real peace of mind that you will get medical attention if you need it. This is useful if you live alone or if you constantly engage in an activity on your own where you could sustain an injury.

Some think that the feature is only for the elderly or users who have a health condition, but it can actually benefit anyone. It is beneficial during an emergency, especially if you are physically active. This is also useful for those who are into sports, hiking, biking, and if you go out alone frequently.

The fall detection feature looks for impacts, which may not always be due to a fall. For example, if you crash your car, it will trigger fall detection if the effect is complex, according to Digital Trends.

If you are knocked unconscious by the crash, the device will call in the accident and will notify emergency services immediately. The device even updated fall detection with the rollout of watchOS 8 to include detection for certain workout types.

The update lets you restrict fall detection so that it is only enabled during a workout.

There are countless stories of fall detection being credited with saving the user's lives. Last year, Apple Watch called the emergency services after the user suffered a motorcycle accident.