Whether or not or not you think about them tasteless or highly effective, Apple’s SOS commercials made an actual impression final yr, displaying real-world examples of the Apple Watch Collection 8 or iPhone 14 saving individuals’s lives via their emergency SOS and satellite tv for pc options.
What you could or could not know is that different smartwatches and health manufacturers provide their very own emergency options like Emergency SOS indicators, fall detection, reside broadcasting of your location, satellite tv for pc messaging once you’re out of mobile vary, and so forth.
So even if you happen to’re not an Apple person, you may maintain your self protected — if you happen to be sure that to allow these options forward of your subsequent outside journey into the woods, mountains, or ocean.
Under, we’re itemizing the preferred iOS and Android smartwatch manufacturers in alphabetical order, describing all the security instruments that every model gives. This can assist you resolve which smartwatches you may depend on throughout a disaster… and which you’ll’t depend on.
Apple Watch
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The Apple Watch Collection 8 and Apple Watch Extremely assist Fall and Crash Detection. If any Apple Watch on watchOS 9 detects that you just come to a sudden cease in both context after which stay motionless for 20 seconds (automobile crash) or 60 seconds (fall), it’ll sound an alarm and call emergency providers by way of your iPhone or built-in LTE connection.
Automotive crash detection is enabled by default, whereas fall detection is auto-enabled throughout exercises and outdoors of exercises for anybody aged 55 or older. Go to Settings > SOS > Fall Detection to make it all the time on, no matter your age.
Outdoors of conditions the place the Apple Watch auto-detects an issue, you may maintain down the aspect button or a “Hey Siri” command to name 911. Your watch will then show your saved medical info in case you are discovered unconscious; additionally, your emergency contacts might be contacted by way of textual content message after the 911 name ends. You may arrange your Medical ID and listing of emergency contacts within the Apple Well being app in your cellphone.
Lastly, if you happen to purchase the brand new iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Professional, you get two years of free Emergency SOS by way of satellite tv for pc in conditions the place you don’t have any mobile protection. This primarily works via your cellphone somewhat than the Apple Watch, however Apple does say that Crash/Fall Detection alerts are despatched over satellite tv for pc if there isn’t any mobile connection.
Total, the Apple Watch is a good possibility for security options if (A) you even have a charged iPhone with you to relay a name or (B) you pay for the LTE model of the Apple Watch Collection 8. The one actual draw back is that the usual Apple Watch battery is notoriously unreliable, and you do not need your watch dying on you proper earlier than an accident; the Apple Watch Extremely’s 36-hour battery and built-in LTE are rather more dependable for outside varieties.
Fitbit / Google Pixel Watch
Sadly for homeowners of the finest Fitbit watches and trackers, Fitbit and Google have but so as to add any emergency providers or fall detection to those units. The one exception is the Google Pixel Watch, which gives Fitbit Premium and has emergency SOS assist by way of its Put on OS 3 assist.
You may test our information on the way to allow emergency SOS calls on the Pixel Watch to get began. In Security & Emergency settings, you may toggle Emergency SOS on, then add emergency contacts. Then, in an emergency, you merely faucet the crown 5 or extra instances, and your Pixel Watch will name 911 and ship automated textual content warnings to your contacts.
We even have a information on the way to allow Pixel Watch fall detection, however don’t fret: it solely takes a couple of minute to look via the “Private Security” menu in your watch. As soon as enabled, your watch will begin loudly buzzing and ringing if you happen to’re motionless for 30 seconds after a detected fall. After 60 seconds, it’s going to contact 911 with an automatic voice message.
In both case, the usual Pixel Watch will want a mobile or Wi-Fi connection by way of your cellphone to achieve emergency providers. In the event you personal the Pixel Watch LTE, you may contact 911 straight by way of your wristwatch in case your cellphone is damaged or out of juice.
The Pixel Watch’s 24-hour battery makes it barely higher than the Apple Watch by way of longevity, however nonetheless not very dependable. Additionally, Google’s latest telephones, just like the Pixel 7 Professional, haven’t any satellite tv for pc SOS assist, although we have heard that Android 14 will add satellite tv for pc connectivity assist for future Android telephones.
Maybe the Pixel 8 will observe in Apple’s satellite tv for pc SOS footsteps. For now, the Pixel Watch works finest in emergencies the place there is a robust mobile sign.
Garmin watches
Garmin watches cater to hikers, climbers, winter sports activities followers, and different nature lovers who may simply discover themselves in hurt’s method. So it is sensible that Garmin does a superb job with its security and emergency options, together with instruments that maintain you protected outdoors of emergencies.
One in every of our prime Garmin suggestions and tips is to arrange emergency contacts. Within the Garmin Join app, go to Security & Monitoring > Security Options and enter your title and Metropolis/State. Add an emergency contact and ship a request to that particular person; they’re going to want to just accept the request to be able to obtain your emergency data. Then resolve if you need your Garmin watch to name Emergency Providers or a particular emergency contact once you set off Help.
As soon as the whole lot is ready up, all it’s essential to do to name for assistance is maintain down the top-left button for seven seconds till the watch vibrates 3 times — or the top-right button on watches with fewer than 5 buttons, just like the Venu 2. It will set off emergency help.
Like most smartwatches, Garmin watches depend on a related smartphone and mobile connection to work; the truth is, iPhone homeowners have to ensure Garmin Join is open within the background, and the watch is synced to it, or else emergency calls will fail. The connection is barely extra dependable for Android cellphone homeowners, fortunately.
The one exception is the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE, which has built-in LTE assist for restricted makes use of like LiveTrack, Dwell Occasion Sharing, and Spectator messages. It does not assist typical cellphone calls, nevertheless.
Utilizing LiveTrack is definitely a preventative security function. You may broadcast your location in real-time throughout a hike, so if one thing had been to occur, your family members may see your precise GPS location the place you stopped (or the sign stopped).
Garmin additionally sells GPS handheld units just like the GPSMap 67i or InReach Messenger that connect with an InReach satellite tv for pc subscription and allow you to ship SOS messages to Garmin’s 24/7 Worldwide Emergency Response Coordination Heart while not having a smartphone. However Garmin’s watches can solely function distant entry to InReach units — which means you may want each units, plus a pre-paid subscription, to get SOS calls.
Relying on the extent of your InReach subscription, you may have it ship your satellite-backed location to your family members each 2 or 10 minutes. It’s also possible to ship limitless check-in messages and a set variety of customized messages like, say, “A bear ate my leg. I am by the large tree.”
With or with out InReach, Garmin watches are dependable in an emergency due to their constantly lengthy battery life, making certain they’re going to nearly by no means die on you. It is simply unlucky that Garmin does not provide extra watches with LTE assist, leaving you dependent in your cellphone or making you spend lots of on a second InReach-compatible system.
Samsung Galaxy Watch
For the newest three Galaxy Watch fashions working One UI 5 based mostly on Put on OS 4, Samsung gives emergency SOS, emergency contacts, and exhausting fall detection. You may open your Galaxy Wearable app, sync your watch, and go to Watch Settings > Security and Emergency to seek out these options and activate them.
You may press the top-right House button 5 instances in your Galaxy Watch 6 or Galaxy Watch 5 to set off an emergency SOS name. You may want to enter the Wearable app and set off a countdown of 5–20 seconds so you might have an opportunity to cancel the SOS if you happen to make a mistake; in any other case, it occurs instantly.
Additionally, within the Galaxy Wearable app, you may change the SOS from 911 to a private quantity, select whether or not or to not share your emergency with contacts, and make your medical info, like allergic reactions and blood sort, accessible to first responders in your cellphone and watch.
In comparison with the Apple or Pixel Watch, the Galaxy Watch sequence is extra dependable for battery life, lasting 40–50 hours for the standard mannequin or 80 hours with the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional. Samsung additionally sells its watches with LTE assist, which means you may depend on them in case your cellphone dies — however provided that you purchase a mobile mannequin upfront.
Which watches haven’t any emergency calling or fall detection?
As of mid-2023, these smartwatch or health tracker manufacturers haven’t any dependable emergency providers or fall detection:
- Amazfit
- Fitbit
- Fossil
- Mobvoi TicWatch
- Withings
- Xiaomi Mi Band
Regardless that Google introduced that it might deliver emergency SOS calls to Put on OS 3 in Might 2022, that solely applies to Samsung and Google to date. Different inventory Put on OS watches just like the TicWatch 5 Professional and Fossil Gen 6 do not but present the identical choices of their Security settings.
It is also disappointing that Google hasn’t introduced fall detection and SOS calls to Fitbit, prioritizing Pixel Watch customers’ security over Fitbit customers’ security.
In any other case, it is not too stunning that many of the finest health trackers haven’t got these options. They’re designed to be affordably low-cost, with no mics or audio system for emergency calls. They may ship an automatic message to 911, nevertheless it’s not clear if one thing just like the Amazfit Band 7 would have the processing capability to measure fall detection. We will solely hope health manufacturers make this extra of a precedence sooner or later.
Selecting the best smartwatch for emergency options
Apple, Garmin, Google, and Samsung all provide a fairly dependable possibility for emergency providers. It simply relies on what form of emergency you are frightened about.
In the event you do not spend too lengthy in remoted corners of nature with no cell sign, then simple SOS calling and fall detection are most likely all you want. You should purchase a smartwatch with LTE performance as an additional measure of safety in case your cellphone is useless, broken, or unreachable, and all you might have is the watch in your wrist. Since Garmin’s last-gen LTE watch does not do conventional calling, you may need an Apple, Google Pixel, or Samsung Galaxy Watch.
However if you happen to reside or incessantly journey to locations with poor reception, you might have considered trying satellite-backed emergency instruments to go together with your watch. At present, your solely two choices on that entrance are Apple (for emergencies solely) or Garmin (for satellite tv for pc messaging, LiveTrack, and emergency calls).
