Apple Watch has made headlines about detecting falls and tipping people about dangerous heart arrhythmias. Your smartphone and smartwatches come with incredible life-saving features. Read to know how to make the best of your devices in case of an emergency.
How can your smartwatch save your life?
Apple Watch has made incredible discoveries about the user’s heart health. Recently Apple also released a video based on real 911 calls where Apple Watch helped in survival. A hard fall can trigger the smartwatch’s auto-match accident detection feature. When you fall, it springs into action and calls the local 911 dispatchers. However, this feature is generally switched off for users under the age of 55. You can switch it on in three simple steps:
Firstly, go to the Apple Watch app on your phone
Click on the ‘Emergency SOS’ option
Enable fall detection. You can choose if you want it all the time or just during workouts.
Similarly, Samsung also added this feature to Galaxy Watch wearables. You can turn on the ‘Hard fall Detection’ feature if you have a Galaxy Watch 4, 3, or Watch Active 2. Follow these three simple steps to enable this feature:
Open the Samsung Wearable app on your phone.
Click on SOS and switch on the ‘Detect falls’ option.
Choose an emergency contact of your choice for sending an SOS message in case of a potential fall or accident.
Both Apple and Samsung smartwatches will alert your emergency contact in case the device detects a hard crash or fall and the user does not respond to alerts. Sources believe that Apple is working on a similar feature for iPhones. Certain Android phones and Google Pixel 3 and on, have this feature.
Use your devices for precautionary advice
Your smartphones and watches are also helpful in telling you about potential health dangers so that you are not taken by surprise. iPhones can now detect unsteady gait that can lead to higher risk. The ‘show all health data’ option on the health app on your iPhone can reveal important clues based on your step count. As you grow older, your control and steadiness weaken. The ‘walking steadiness’ feature can show reports of your stability based on data.
Don’t forget to set up your medical ID on your Apple or Android smartphones. For iPhone users, the Health app on your phone can provide detailed medical details and allergies can be added with the ‘edit feature’. This information, in addition to your emergency contacts, will be visible on your Lock Screen in case of an emergency. Android users can also add this information by selecting ‘Users and Accounts’ under the settings app on Android 11 and older phones. You can enter your vital details here. For users with Android 12, this denture is a bauble I’m the About phone under the settings menu.