A potentially life-saving capability is being added to the Pixel Watch 3 for the first time. Google said in a blog post that the FDA had approved its Loss of Pulse Detection feature.
Your heartbeat is tracked by the feature. Your watch will immediately switch on more precise infrared LEDs and search for motion data if your heart stops beating, which could be caused by cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose, or poisoning.
The Watch 3 will initiate an audio alarm and countdown if it detects that you are not responding. If you do not react, the watch will use your phone or LTE connection to summon emergency services, let them know you do not have a pulse, and provide your position.
According to Google, the watch will be able to distinguish between a real cardiac event and the user taking it off. Although safety features like crash and fall detection are not new, they are not as good as this one, which is why the FDA had to approve it first.
Heartbeats are tracked by other watches, although they do so far less frequently than the Pixel Watch 3. For instance, the Apple Watch automatically measures heart rate every three to seven minutes.
Speaking to The Verge in August, Sandeep Waraich, senior director of product management for Pixel wearables, explained that pulse detection is a combination of pulse, heartbeat, contact with skin, and “a bunch of other things like motion.”
Google collaborated with cardiologists to develop the feature by learning what a pulse loss on watch insights looks like. An AI system was developed using that data and tested on hundreds of thousands of hours of real-world user data from a wide range of individuals. Google next replicated the kinds of falls that would mirror someone abruptly losing their pulse by using stunt actors wearing tourniquets, which would artificially generate a loss of pulse.
Google Pixel Watch 4
Robert Haba is the founder and editor-in-chief of Droid Tools. A lifelong gadget enthusiast with over a decade following the Android ecosystem, he built this publication to cut through the noise and give readers honest, real-world coverage of the tech they actually use.
This Galaxy Watch 7 deal is a strong one: Amazon is selling the smartwatch for just $159, which is 36% off its current retail price of $250. The Galaxy Watch 7 is a complete smartwatch that won’t let you down, with a thin, lightweight design and impressive tracking features. For anyone shopping for a new […]
Amazfit has officially announced its September 2026 update, which is already rolling out to many of the brand’s smartwatches and adds new navigation features alongside other improvements. The software release covers many Balance, T-Rex, Cheetah, and Active series models, and the full list of supported watches appears below. The navigation changes come first. The seven […]
Samsung's first AI glasses are now a step closer to reaching store shelves. According to The Korea Herald, a Samsung official has confirmed the company plans to launch its Intelligent Eyewear in November, though pricing remains unannounced. Digital Trends first saw the glasses at Google I/O in May, where Google showcased the Android XR platform […]
Samsung's September 2026 security update bulletin leaves out two of its older smartwatches: the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, effectively marking the end of software support for both devices going forward. Samsung had promised the Galaxy Watch 4 series four generations of Wear OS upgrades, and delivered on that promise: Wear OS […]
The next story loads as you reach the end. You can also load it using the button.
Comments & Discussions
Join the conversation! We use Disqus to handle comments. Click the button below to load the comment section.