Google Initiates Launch of Loss of Pulse Detection for Pixel Watch 3 in the U.S.

Google has officially commenced the rollout of its new Loss of Pulse Detection feature for Pixel Watch 3 users in the United States.

This feature is incorporated into the latest update of the Personal Safety app for Wear OS (version 2025.03.19.x), which began its rollout on Tuesday, as reported by 9To5Google. The rollout is taking place gradually, so users who do not have the update yet are advised to check back over the next few weeks.

Loss of Pulse Detection utilizes the heart-rate sensors located on the underside of the Pixel Watch to check for indications of a missing pulse. If the watch detects an absence of pulse, it will vibrate and show a message asking if the wearer is alright. Should there be no response within 15 seconds, the watch will produce a loud sound and start a countdown. If the user remains unresponsive, the Pixel Watch will automatically contact emergency services, sharing the user’s location and an automated message.

As mentioned on Google’s support page, a loss of pulse may occur due to various medical emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, overdose, or poisoning.

The feature gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February and was initially slated for release in late March. It has been available in the European Union since September 2023.

To enable Loss of Pulse Detection, users need to open the Google Pixel Watch app on their smartphone, go to the Safety & Emergency section, and select Loss of Pulse Detection to start the setup process. The Pixel Watch 3 must be operating on the latest software version for the feature to work.

This new capability enhances Google’s expanding array of health and safety tools for its Pixel devices. Other already available features include fall detection and irregular heartbeat monitoring.