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In 2025, smartwatches are more than just step counters or stylish accessories. They’ve become health companions—tools that can potentially save lives by tracking vital signs and calling for help when something goes wrong. Google's Pixel Watch 3 recently introduced an impressive new feature: Loss of Pulse Detection, which can sense when your pulse stops and automatically contact emergency services if you don’t respond.
But what if you’re using a Samsung Galaxy Watch or an Apple Watch? Do these devices offer anything similar?
The answer is: not exactly. While neither Samsung nor Apple currently includes a feature that directly detects the absence of a pulse, both platforms offer powerful health-monitoring tools that can play a similar role in emergencies. Here's how you can use them effectively.
The Galaxy Watch doesn't include dedicated loss of pulse detection, but it does offer a variety of advanced health and safety features that can be just as crucial in a crisis.
If you pass out or suffer a serious fall, the watch can detect it and alert your emergency contacts. This feature gives you a chance to respond—if you don’t, it assumes you're in trouble and sends for help.
To enable fall detection:
This function is particularly useful for people with heart conditions, the elderly, or those who live or train alone.
While the Galaxy Watch doesn't monitor for complete pulse absence, it can alert you when your heart rate falls outside of safe zones.
To enable heart rate alerts:
If your heart rate suddenly drops too low or spikes without a physical trigger, your watch will let you know. This gives you the chance to take action—or to alert someone nearby.
Pressing the Home button on your Galaxy Watch five times quickly will send an emergency message to your predefined contacts. The message includes your real-time location and lets them know you need help. While it's a manual action, it's a vital tool if you're still conscious but in distress.
Apple has long been a leader in wearable health tech. Although the Apple Watch doesn’t have a loss of pulse detection feature, it does include a suite of tools that can help monitor your heart, detect emergencies, and contact help automatically.
Apple Watch detects hard falls and checks if you're okay. If you don’t move for about a minute, it will automatically call emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.
To turn it on:
This feature is especially beneficial for people with existing medical conditions, but really, it's valuable for everyone.
Apple Watch continuously monitors your heart rate. It can notify you if your heart rate is:
To set these notifications:
These alerts can act as early warnings, helping you catch serious conditions before they become emergencies.
Starting with Series 6, Apple Watch includes a blood oxygen sensor that can alert you to potential respiratory or circulatory problems. You can also take an ECG (electrocardiogram) to check for signs of atrial fibrillation. These features, while not automated emergency triggers, add a deeper level of heart health monitoring.
Even though neither Apple Watch nor Galaxy Watch has a direct equivalent to the Pixel Watch 3’s Loss of Pulse Detection, both provide advanced tools that can help you stay safe and act quickly when your health is in danger.
If you’re still having trouble, consider reaching out to Support.Com for a personalized solution to all technical support issues.
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