According to Google, the much-anticipated fall detection feature is now available to all Pixel Watch users.
Fall detection determines if a user has fallen hard and connects them with assistance if necessary using motion sensors and on-device machine learning. Similar functionality is provided by Apple, which introduced its fall detection capability in 2018 with the introduction of the Apple Watch Series 4. The timing of Google’s announcement coincided with Mobile World Congress (MWC), which is currently taking place in Barcelona.
Users of Pixel Watch can choose to employ the fall detection feature as of right now. On the “Updates” page of their Watch Companion App or in the Personal Safety app, users will see a promotional card where they can toggle on fall detection.
A Pixel Watch will vibrate, sound an alarm, and display an on-screen message to see whether the wearer needs assistance after detecting a heavy fall and waiting for 30 seconds without any movement. If the user can, they should tap either “I’m OK” or “I fell & need help” on their watch face to end the notice and immediately contact emergency services.
The watch’s alarm will continue for nearly a minute without being chosen if the user doesn’t choose either of these prompts, becoming louder in the final few seconds. In the event that the user still doesn’t answer, the watch will automatically try to contact emergency services and play a message that asks for assistance to be sent to the user’s location. If it’s feasible, the user can also call the emergency operator directly to request assistance.
Google claims that fall detection has undergone “extensive testing” to ensure that a Pixel Watch can distinguish between a serious fall and engaging in strenuous physical activity or rising from a minor misstep. Users won’t have to be concerned about inadvertently making an emergency call as a result, according to the business, when performing burpees.
Google has previously announced that fall detection would be made available in the winter at the time of the smartwatch’s introduction. In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan, fall detection is currently accessible.
