Apple Watch can be a lifesaver for Seniors. We all know as we age, our walking steadiness can wreak havoc. The built-in fall detection feature is powerful. It can detect a significant hard fall.
For example: When a hard fall is detected, the watch will tap your wrist, sound an alarm and display an alert. You can decide to contact emergency services(from the watch) or dismiss the warnings.
Well, what if you’re knocked out cold? The Apple Watch is smart enough to know if you’re moving. So it will wait for you to respond to the alert. If you’re not moving, the watch will contact emergency services automatically if you don’t answer within 60 seconds.
Now a 30-second countdown time appears on your watch, and you can cancel at any time to stop the countdown.
Once contact has been made to emergency services, those on your emergency contact list will receive a message indicating that a fall has occurred. It will also give them your current location.
Apple Watch Models with Fall Detection
- Apple Watch Series 4, 5, 6, and 7
- And the Apple Watch SE
What Happens When Emergency Services is Called
The Apple Watch plays an audio message that informs them that a fall was detected. The watch will also share your latitude and longitude coordinates. The recorded message will continue to play in a loop until you tap Stop Recorded Message. If you can do that, you can now have a conversation with the responder. When done with your call, click on the phone icon to disconnect.
How to Set Up Fall Detection
FAll Detection is turned off by default under the age of 55. However, if you’re over 55, and have entered your age on set up fall detection will be turned on.
Here’s how to check the settings:
- Open the Watch app from your iPhone
- Tap My Watch at the bottom left corner
- Select Emergency SOS
- Toggle on Fall Detection
How To Activate an Emergency Call After a Fall
When you fall and receive an alert on your watch, a slider will be visible to call emergency services, alongside a button for I fell, but I’m okay.
- Move the slider left to right to initiate a call or tap. I fell, but I’m okay
- Follow the instructions from the emergency response center
- Click on the phone icon to end the call
- Tap Yes to confirm
You can also make an emergency call at any time on your Apple Watch and iPhone using Emergency SOS.
How To Add Family and Friends to Emergency Contact List
- Open the Apple Health app
- Tap your Profile in the upper right corner
- Select Medical ID
- Tap Edit in the upper right corner
- Scroll and tap add Emergency Contact
- Select the contact you wish to add
- Tap on the phone number for that contact
- Identify your relationship with this person
Fall Detection needs these Settings turned on
You must have wrist detection on to call emergency services automatically.
- Open Settings on your Apple Watch
- Select Passcode
- Toggle on Wrist Detection
Checking Your Fall History on the iPhone
- Open the Health app on your iPhone
- Tap Browse at the bottom right corner
- Now tap Other Data
- Select Number of Times Fallen
Conclusion
Now you know exactly what you need to do to use Fall Detection. If your parents, grandparents, or elder siblings have an Apple Watch, make sure they turn on this feature. It can be lif-saving. Check out this article to see how: https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/apple-watch-saves-mans-life-7755449/, https://9to5mac.com/2021/08/24/apple-watch-saves-mans-life-after-he-fainted-and-hit-his-head-on-the-floor/
