Google Enhances Pixel Watch Safety with New Emergency SOS Confirmation Step

Emergency SOS Update for Pixel Watch

Google has introduced an update for the Pixel Watch that adds a confirmation step to the Emergency SOS feature, aiming to reduce accidental calls to emergency services.

New Confirmation Step

• Previous Method: Pressing the crown five times would trigger a 5-second countdown followed by an automatic call to 911 (or a contact) accompanied by an alarm sound.
• New Method: The same gesture now brings up a UI prompt asking you to hold the screen for 3 seconds. The prompt will automatically close after 20 seconds to prevent accidental calls. Users can still choose to enable the 'Automatically call' option in the settings.

Update Availability

• The update is part of Personal Safety version 2025.01.23.x for Wear OS, available via the Google Play Store.
• Users will receive a notification on their Pixel Watch once the update is installed.

Tips

• If an accidental call to emergency services occurs, users are advised not to hang up but to inform the operator that it was a mistake.

Additional Information

• The Personal Safety app and Safety & Emergency settings in the main menu allow customization of the SOS feature.