What is Loss of Pulse Detection on my Google Pixel Watch?

Loss of Pulse Detection is a feature on Google Pixel Watch that can place a call to emergency services on your behalf if a pulse isn’t detected, even if you’re unconscious.

Availability:

Loss of Pulse Detection is currently available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Additional countries will be added as regulatory clearance is obtained.¹

Currently available on Google Pixel Watch 3.

What is loss of pulse?

Loss of pulse is the absence of a detectable pulse that usually results in loss of consciousness and requires urgent emergency intervention.

Loss of pulse can occur from a variety of causes including, but not limited to, cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose, or poisoning.

How does Loss of Pulse Detection detect a pulse?

When your heart beats, the blood volume in your arm changes. While you are wearing your watch, Loss of Pulse Detection uses optical heart-rate sensors on the back of your watch to detect your heart rate.

How does Loss of Pulse Detection work?

If a pulse isn’t detected while wearing your Pixel Watch, your watch will vibrate and check in to see if you need help. If movement or a pulse is detected, the check-in is automatically dismissed.

After about 15 seconds, your watch will also sound an alarm and start a countdown. If you don’t need help, you can tap X to dismiss the countdown.

If you don’t respond during the countdown, your watch will attempt to place a call to emergency services.² If the call connects, your watch plays an automated message that shares your location and informs the emergency call operator that a pulse wasn’t detected and that there was no response from you.

If you or a bystander are able to speak to emergency services, you can tap the button at the bottom to stop the automated message.

Disclaimers:

Loss of Pulse Detection may not always be able to detect all loss of pulse events.
You may receive a check-in when there is a poor pulse sensor reading, which can happen as a result of normal day-to-day activities.
In some cases, your Pixel Watch might not be able to call emergency services. For example, your phone might be connected to a weak mobile network or in an ongoing call.³
- Google Pixel Watch Wi-Fi needs to be in range of your phone and connected with Bluetooth for your phone to call emergency services. You will not be able to talk to emergency services from your watch if your watch is not connected to a phone through Bluetooth.
- Google Pixel Watch LTE needs an active LTE connection on your watch to call emergency services.
- Certain regions require an active LTE carrier or Safety Signal to support emergency calls placed from a Pixel Watch.

Who can use Loss of Pulse Detection?

Loss of Pulse Detection is not intended for:

Anyone under the age of 22
Individuals who have been identified by healthcare professionals as high risk for sudden cardiac death, such as those with coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, or unexplained syncope (fainting)

This feature does not replace any real-time and/or continuous cardiac or pulse monitoring devices prescribed by healthcare professionals

How to manage accidental emergency calls

If a call to emergency services is placed by mistake, do not hang up. Tell the emergency operator that the call was accidental and that you do not need assistance.

How do I turn on Loss of Pulse Detection?

To set up Loss of Pulse Detection:

On your phone, open the Google Pixel Watch app.
Tap Safety & emergency Loss of Pulse Detection.

Note: If you’re located in a region where Loss of Pulse Detection is available, but don’t see the feature listed in the Safety & emergency section, update the Personal Safety app on your watch.
Follow the on-screen instructions to turn on the feature. After you turn on Loss of Pulse Detection, it monitors your heart rate signal to detect a potential loss of pulse whenever you’re wearing your watch.

You must be signed in to Personal Safety with your Google Account on the Pixel Watch to turn on Loss of Pulse Detection. If you have not signed in to the Personal Safety, you’ll be prompted to do so during the setup flow.

Loss of Pulse Detection is only available in select regions. If you travel to a region where Loss of Pulse Detection is not supported, the feature will be temporarily suspended. While temporarily suspended, the feature will not detect a loss of pulse and can’t place a call to emergency services. If you return to a supported region, the feature will automatically resume.

What happens when a loss of pulse is detected?

Check-in notification

If a pulse isn’t detected, your Pixel Watch vibrates and displays a fullscreen check-in, asking you to confirm you’re okay. Tap I’m OK to dismiss the notification. If your watch detects movement, it will automatically dismiss the check-in and emergency services won’t be called. This notification remains for ~15 seconds before progressing to a ~20s emergency countdown

Emergency countdown

During the countdown, your watch continues to vibrate and will begin to sound a loud, audible alarm. Tap the X button to dismiss the countdown. Moving your wrist will not cancel the emergency countdown. If the emergency countdown is dismissed, Loss of Pulse Detection will not place a call to emergency services.

Calling emergency services

If a call is placed and connected to emergency services, your watch will play an automated message that tells responders that your watch detected a loss of pulse and that you did not respond to a check-in. It also shares your location. This message will not be audible to you or any bystanders. To speak to emergency services, tap the button at the bottom of the screen. Aside from the automated message, the call placed is a standard phone call, so the microphone can be used.

Open call with emergency services (optional)

If you tap the button to stop the automated message, you can speak with emergency services through your watch’s microphone and hear them respond through the watch’s speaker. The call remains open until you or the emergency operator ends the call.

How should I wear my watch for best results?

Follow the tips in How to wear Pixel Watch and adjust band size for optimal tracking.

How is my data handled?

When you use Loss of Pulse Detection, data is collected and stored on Google servers to ensure safe and effective use. This data includes:

Data about how you use this feature
Heart rate and movement data if a loss of pulse is detected

Your data collected for Loss of Pulse Detection will not be sold or used for ads.

You can request to see your data that was collected for Loss of Pulse Detection by reaching out to Customer Support.

You can turn this feature off in the Google Pixel Watch app. This won’t automatically delete your data. You can delete your data by deleting your Google Account.

Things to remember about Loss of Pulse Detection

This feature may not always be able to detect a loss of pulse and it can’t predict or determine the cause of a loss of pulse.
Contact with emergency services isn’t guaranteed and emergency calls require a mobile network connection and do not guarantee that emergency services will respond. Not all calls may connect.
This feature uses your watch’s pulse and motion sensors to detect a pulse, even when the app is not in use. You may receive a check-in when there is a poor pulse sensor reading, which can happen as a result of normal day-to-day activities.
- There are other factors that can impact the quality of the PPG signal and result in a check-in when you don't need help; these include but are not limited to individual variability, motion artifacts, ambient light, and applied pressure to the skin.
Always talk to a healthcare provider about your health concerns, A check-in from this feature does not serve as a diagnosis, indicate the presence or lack of an underlying health issue, or suggest the need for medical care. Make sure to speak with your doctor before changing your medication or healthcare appointments.

What’s the difference between Loss of Pulse Detection and Irregular Rhythm Notifications?

Loss of Pulse Detection and Irregular Rhythm Notifications are two separate features on the Pixel Watch. For more information about irregular rhythm notifications, refer to How do Fitbit Irregular Rhythm Notifications check for atrial fibrillation (AFib)?

How do I provide feedback on a check-in?

If you cancel a check-in and do not need help (or if your watch automatically cancels an alert because it detects movement or a pulse), you’re invited to provide more information so that we can improve the feature.

How do I turn off Loss of Pulse Detection?

To turn off Loss of Pulse Detection:

1. On your phone, open the Google Pixel Watch app.

2. Tap Safety & emergency Loss of Pulse Detection.

3. Tap the slider next to Use Loss of Pulse Detection.

Where can I find additional regulatory information?

For more information, refer to the Instructions for use.

¹ _{This product has not been cleared or evaluated by the US FDA. CE marked - Will be available in certain EU markets.}

² _{Google Pixel Watch operates using radio signals, which cannot guarantee connection in all conditions.}

³ _{Emergency calling is dependent on call functionality such as your phone or watch being charged and having adequate cellular connectivity. Not available in all countries or regions.}

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