The Emergency SOS feature on Pixel devices is a crucial safety tool, but it can occasionally cause unwelcome issues if triggered by accident—like sending an inappropriate video to all twelve of your emergency contacts. A recent update for Emergency SOS on Pixel Watches aims to reduce such incidents, or at least that’s the idea.
Google initially shared news of this update at the end of January, and it’s now being rolled out to users. Now, if you press the watch crown five times, it won’t immediately dial 911. Instead, you’ll be prompted to press and hold your screen for three seconds before a call is initiated.
This added step is intended to help avoid unintentional emergency calls. However, it does come with a trade-off: the extra time it takes could potentially make it a bit less secure than before. Nonetheless, this feature becomes the new default option, though you have the ability to switch back to the former setting for instant dialing by simply pressing the crown.
All users of the Pixel Watch should receive an alert about the Emergency SOS feature update once they upgrade to version 2025.01.23.x of Wear OS.
The importance of features like this has been demonstrated repeatedly. For instance, in April 2023, the Emergency SOS function on an iPhone was crucial in rescuing three students who had become stranded in a canyon in Utah. Being able to discreetly call for help can be a matter of life or death.
Should you accidentally call 911, it’s essential not to hang up, as this can lead emergency dispatchers to call you back. Instead, stay on the line and explain that it was a mistake. Accidental calls are more common than you think, and there are generally no repercussions for one-off incidents—just make sure it’s not a frequent occurrence.
