Pixel Watch adding Emergency SOS confirmation step

Abner Li | Jan 24 2025 - 10:52 am PT

While we wait for the next Wear OS update in March, Google is adding a confirmation step to Pixel Watch’s Emergency SOS safety feature to prevent accidental activations “during activities like exercise.”

Emergency SOS will call emergency services or a predefined contact when you quickly press the crown five consecutive times. Previously, this would start a 5-second countdown and then the call is placed.

Now, Google will have you “hold the screen for 3 seconds to start the call.”

If you miss the initial touch and hold prompt, the screen will automatically close after 20 seconds to prevent accidentally placing a call.

This is the new default behavior for Emergency SOS, but Google will let Pixel Watch owners restore the previous behavior, which is now called “Automatic call.”

On your Google Pixel Watch, swipe down.
Tap Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency SOS.
Select Ways to start SOS.
Tap Automatically call.

This is rolling out “over the next few weeks” and not yet live today.

As a reminder: “If you place a call to emergency services by mistake, don’t hang up. Tell the emergency operator that the call was accidental and you don’t need assistance.”