Google launched the Pixel Watch 2 with “Safety Signal” to ensure users could use Emergency SOS and Safety Check without a Bluetooth or cellular signal. Now, those features require a phone or internet connection.
The Pixel ecosystem offers a few different life-saving features under the Safety app, which works both on the Pixel Watch and Pixel phones. That includes Emergency SOS for quick access to emergency services, and Fall Detection, which alerts others when the person wearing the watch takes a hard fall and might not be able to contact someone themselves. But it needs a connection to work.
All of those still worked for Fitbit Premium, and then for Google Health Premium users on the Pixel Watch 2 or 3 LTE models, as long as the watch didn’t have a Bluetooth or cellular plan connected. Safety Signal essentially allowed the Pixel Watch 2 or 3 to connect to LTE services for that emergency situation – a solid reassurance that those features would work without your phone or a carrier plan.
Google says support for Safety Signal will end on December 12, which means that the safety net won’t exist for much longer. Google says users who are subscribed to Google Health Premium will get an email notification letting them know 30 days prior to the final shutdown. Safety Signal will be operational until that transition period is over.
Safety Signal was just the fallback connection plan. Google’s existing standalone safety features will still work with another connection method:
- Safety Check
- Emergency Sharing
- Emergency SOS
- Fall Detection
Even though this feature only worked for the Pixel Watch 2 and 3, and then only for the LTE models, it’s still a huge loss.
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