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.)

When your Apple Watch detects a severe car crash, it displays an alert and initiates an emergency phone call after 20 seconds unless you cancel. If you’re unresponsive, 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.

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 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