Q: How do I check whether my devices have the crash detection option available?
A: A recent tragedy involving a car that went off a cliff was reported in real-time by an Apple Watch that the person in the vehicle was wearing.
Authorities said the automated call included coordinates and an approximate search radius, which helped first responders locate the crash site more quickly.
The vehicle went down a 1,000-foot cliff at night, which would have made locating the crash much more difficult without the information delivered by the Apple Watch.
Having this feature enabled on devices that offer it could be the difference between life and death, as time is of the essence in many emergencies.
How it works
Newer smartphones and smartwatches use various motion sensors, such as an accelerometer and gyroscope, combined with ambient audio from the microphone to detect that a user has been involved in a car crash.
Device orientation can be detected by the magnetometer and a barometer can detect atmospheric pressure changes from air bags deploying or a window breaking during a crash.
All these sensors combined with an algorithm that can process the data quickly can cause an automated call for help.
Apple smartphones and smartwatches
If you have an iPhone 14 or later or an Apple Watch Series 8, SE or Ultra with WatchOS 9 or later, the crash detection option is available and turned on by default.
If you want to make sure it’s activated on iPhones, go to the Settings app, tap “Emergency SOS” and make sure the “Call After Severe Crash” is enabled (green).
While you are on this page, click “Set up Emergency Contacts in Health” if you want to alert a friend or family member as well. Click the “Edit” option in the upper right corner to add emergency contacts
This will also update your Apple Watch, which you can confirm by going to “Settings” then “SOS.”
For all the details on this feature, visit Apple’s support page.
Google Pixel smartphones and watches
If you have a Pixel 4a or later, the “Personal Safety” app is preloaded or you can add it via the Play Store on the Pixel 3a or earlier models.
“Car Crash Detection” is not enabled by default and there is a more involved setup process that requires you to grant access to location services and other privacy-related items.
The easiest way to get started is by going to “Settings” and searching for “Car Crash Detection.”
Pixel Watch 2 users can turn on and use the safety features on the Personal Safety app in the Play Store.
Samsung devices
As of this writing, Samsung does not offer crash detection, but “Fall Detection” is available in their smartwatches.
False positives
It’s entirely possible to have crash detection activated during nonemergency situations, which is why every device alerts the user before triggering an emergency call. Vigorous movement with your hands, such as overly enthusiastic clapping during a sporting event while wearing a smartwatch is one example posted on various online forums.
If you simply hit cancel (Apple and Samsung) or say you are OK (Google) within the 30 to 60-second countdown, your device will not call emergency services.
Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services. Ask any tech question on Facebook or X.
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