Manage Crash Detection on Apple Watch
With Crash Detection turned on, Apple Watch can help alert emergency services when a severe car crash has been detected and notify your emergency contacts. (Crash detection is available on supported models.)
Note: If you use Emergency SOS, your emergency contacts won’t be automatically notified if the Messages app isn’t the selected text messaging app or is deleted.
What is Crash Detection?
If your Apple Watch detects a severe car crash, Crash Detection can help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.
Note: Apple Watch cannot detect all car crashes. Crash detection is available on supported models.
How Crash Detection works
When your Apple Watch detects a severe car crash, it displays an alert and initiates an emergency call unless you cancel. Crash Detection doesn’t override any existing emergency calls that were placed by other means.
If you’re able to respond: To call emergency services, drag the Emergency Call slider to the right. Your Apple Watch makes the call to emergency services and you can speak to a responder.
If you don’t need emergency services and the call has been made, don’t hang up. Wait until a responder answers, then explain that you don’t need help.
If you’re unresponsive: When you haven’t initiated a call or canceled the alert after 10 seconds, your Apple Watch begins a 30-second countdown. During this countdown, Apple Watch sounds an alarm and taps your wrist to get your attention.
If you still don’t respond, your device automatically calls emergency services at the end of the countdown. It plays an audio message for emergency services, which informs them that you’ve been in a severe car crash and shares your current location as latitude and longitude coordinates with an approximate search radius. If you’ve added emergency contacts, your device sends a message to share your location and tell them you’ve been in a severe car crash.
Note: To contact emergency services, your Apple Watch or nearby iPhone needs a cellular connection or Wi-Fi calling with an internet connection.
If you’re off the grid without cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, Apple Watch tries to contact emergency services via satellite. (Requires Apple Watch Ultra 3, or other Apple Watch models paired with iPhone 14 or later. Not available in all countries and regions, and not offered on Apple Watch Ultra 3 or iPhone models sold in certain countries or regions.)
Turn Crash Detection on or off
Crash Detection is on by default. To turn Crash Detection on or off, do the following:
Go to the Settings app
on your Apple Watch.Tap SOS, tap Crash Detection, then tap Call After Severe Crash.