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.)

If you’re able to respond. If you need to contact emergency services, slide the Emergency Call slider to the right. Your Apple Watch makes the call to emergency services and you can speak to a responder.

If the call has been made but you don’t need emergency services, don’t hang up. Wait until a responder answers, then explain that you don’t need help.

If you’re unresponsive. If 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 haven’t responded, 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 gives them your latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates with an approximate search radius. If you’ve added emergency contacts, your device sends a message to share your location and let them know that you've been in a severe car crash.

To call emergency services, your Apple Watch or nearby iPhone needs a cellular connection or needs to have Wi-Fi calling turned on and Wi-Fi coverage available.

If cellular and Wi-Fi coverage aren’t available and your iPhone 14 or later is near your Apple Watch, Crash Detection notifications to emergency services may be communicated by the Emergency SOS via satellite system, where Emergency SOS via satellite is available. See the Apple Support article Use Emergency SOS via satellite on your iPhone.

Note: When a severe car crash is detected, Crash Detection won’t override any existing emergency calls that were placed by other means.

Turn Crash Detection on or off

Crash Detection is on by default. You can turn off alerts and automatic emergency calls from Apple after a severe car crash by following these steps:

Go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Go to SOS > Crash Detection, then turn off Call After Severe Crash.

For more information, see the Apple Support article Use Crash Detection on iPhone or Apple Watch to call for help in an accident.

Note: Apple Watch cannot detect all car crashes.

Helpful?

Apple Watch User Guide

Manage Crash Detection on Apple Watch

Turn Crash Detection on or off