Google has announced that the much-awaited fall detection function for the Pixel Watch will be available to all customers starting Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Device-based machine learning and motion sensors can determine whether a user has fallen and then link them to emergency services.
Like Apple's fall detection functionality, which has been available on the Apple Watch Series 4 since 2018, this feature may be used to alert the user if they have accidentally been immobilized.
'Need Help?'
In a report by TechCrunch, the fall detection function is now available as an option for Pixel Watch users to enable. A promotional card will appear on the Updates tab of the Watch Companion App or the Personal Safety app, where users may switch on fall detection.
After 30 seconds of immobility after a violent fall, a Pixel Watch will vibrate, sound an alarm, and show a notice on the screen to see whether the wearer needs assistance. To dismiss the alert, the user may swipe left on their watch face to choose "I'm OK," or they can swipe right to select "I fell and need help" to be immediately linked to emergency services.
If the user does not respond to any of these reminders, the watch alarm will continue going off for another minute, rising increasingly louder in the last few seconds.
After a few minutes without a response, the watch will try to contact emergency services and play a recorded message asking for assistance at the user's current location.
Those who have access to a telephone may call the emergency operator directly to request assistance.
New Feature Announcement
The Mobile World Congress (MWC) is taking place this week in Barcelona, and Google timed its announcement to coincide with it.
According to Google, the Pixel Watch's fall detection has been extensively tested to guarantee that it can distinguish between a hard fall and other activities like intense physical exercise or getting up after a little accident. Therefore, the company claims that users may safely do burpees without fear of mistakenly triggering an emergency call.
"We trained this process using a broad variety of human and simulated fall data and other motion patterns to accurately detect real falls and minimize potential false alarms," the blog reads.
During the smartwatch's release, Google said that fall detection would debut that winter. The US, Canada, the UK, France, Ireland, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan now have access to fall detection.
