How to set up Emergency SOS on your smartwatch

Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge

The ability to make emergency calls was a big step forward in making them a stand-alone device.

There are two functions to Emergency SOS features. If you find yourself in a bind, the first thing you should do is call the emergency responders. If you take a spill and can't make it to the phone, your watch can call the police. Relaying your location to a group of trusted contacts is the second thing. If you want to leave your phone at home, you can use these features to make sure that your loved ones can find you.

You don't need a cellular watch to use Emergency SOS. If you want Emergency SOS to be available at all times, a cellular watch is the best option. You will need to have your phone nearby or your watch with internet access via wi-fi.

It doesn't mean that the device is automatically set up. If that feature is relevant to you, you will have to designate people as your emergency contacts.

Here is how to set up and use Emergency SOS features on some of the most popular watches.

Apple Watch

Screenshot: Victoria Song / The Verge

Emergency calling features are available on the Apple Watch. The watch will call and send your location to the emergency services if you use the Emergency SOS feature. This isn't just limited to your home country. Emergency services can be accessed internationally if you have an Apple Watch Series 5 or later. You should check to see which countries are supported.

You can make an emergency call from your wrist.

• Press and hold the side button. This is the flat button underneath the digital crown.
• You should see three sliders: Power off, Medical ID, and Emergency SOS.
• Drag the Emergency SOS slider to start a call.
• You can also simply hold the side button until a countdown begins.

If you want the Watch to notify your trusted contacts, you have to set aside time to do so. Emergency contacts can be added or removed.

• Open the Health app on your iPhone.
• Tap your profile icon in the upper-right corner.
• Tap Medical ID.
• Select Edit and scroll down to Emergency Contacts.
• Tap the “+” button to add a contact.
• Select someone from your contacts who you trust.
• You’ll be prompted to describe their relationship to you.
• Tap Done.
• When in Edit mode, you can also hit the “-” button to remove someone as an emergency contact.

There are tips and things to remember.

• If you make an emergency call, the Apple Watch will continually share your location with your emergency contacts. It’ll periodically send you a notification to remind you of this. You can stop this by tapping Stop Sharing when the reminder pops up.
• If you tend to accidentally press the side button, you can disable it from automatically calling emergency services when held. Just go to the Watch app on your iPhone, select the My Watch tab, select Emergency SOS, and turn off the Hold Side Button to Dial toggle. This only turns off the shortcut to trigger an automatic call countdown. You can still hold the side button to bring up the Emergency SOS call slider.
• If you use the Emergency SOS feature abroad, your emergency contacts will not be notified.

Image: The Verge

Wear OS

At the I/O keynote this year, the company noted that Emergency SOS would be a feature on Wear OS 3. Emergency calling will be supported by the forthcoming Google Pixel Watch and any other Wear OS 3 watches. We will update this section once the Wear OS 3 upgrade arrives in fall 2022.

Samsung smartwatches

Emergency SOS is not set up by default on the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration of the most recent iteration It's not available on the two models. If you see the Emergency calls only on your watch, that's a sign that you haven't set up cellular and that the feature will only work if you have a phone.

Image: Samsung

When Emergency SOS features arrive on Wear OS 3 in the fall, this may change, but currently 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 Instead, it will call and let you know if there is an emergency. Once you have set up your contacts, you can use Emergency SOS by pressing the Power button three times.

How to start:

• Open the Galaxy Wearable app.
• Tap Watch Settings.
• Select Advanced Features.
• Tap SOS.
• Turn on the toggle labeled When Home Key pressed 3 times.
• There is an additional Count down before sending toggle. When enabled, this will add a five-second delay so you can cancel in case of accidental presses.
• You can also optionally turn on the toggle When hard fall detected.
• To select emergency contacts, tap Create Contact or Select From Contacts.
• Under the Emergency Contacts menu, you can also designate contacts to send texts and calls to.
• To designate who will receive texts, select Send messages to and choose a contact.
• For calls, select Make SOS call to and then select a contact.

Garmin wearables

Assistance is a version of emergency calling for outdoor enthusiasts. Assistance isn't turned on by default. Only certain devices, like the Forerunner , have the ability to communicate with your phone in the vicinity, and most of them will require you to have your phone in the vicinity to alert your emergency contacts. If you plan on hiking, biking, or running in an area without good reception, you need a viable cellular signal on your phone.

Image: Victoria Song / The Verge

The app must be open and running in the background for it to work. The feature will not work if the app is not open.

There isn't one universal way to send emergency alert because of the wide variety of form factors. If you hold down the top- left button for seven seconds, the alert will be activated. You usually hold down the button until the watch vibrates three times. Double-checking thetrigger for your specific device is even more important.

To set up assistance.

• Open the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone.
• If you’re an Android user, select the three-bar icon in the upper left. If you’re an iOS user, select the More tab in the lower right.
• Scroll down to Safety & Tracking.
• Tap Safety Features.
• Tap My Information and enter your details.
• Return to the previous menu and select Emergency Contacts.
• You can add up to three contacts by tapping Add Emergency Contact. Garmin recommends adding more than one.
• In the Emergency Calling menu, you can add a number to call if the Assistance feature is triggered. However, your phone needs to be nearby and paired to your device for this feature to work.

Now that you have set up your emergency contacts, make sure you review them frequently. It's a good idea to do this when you buy a new watch, move to a new city, have a falling out, or if a trusted contact passes away. This should not be a feature that you set up once and forget about.