Apple has disabled fall detection for everyone younger than 65.
Apple Watch Series 4 fall detection feature is off by default unless you are 65 or older. This simply means if want to use this feature, you will need to manually turn it on. In an Apple support document page, first spotted by a Reddit user, Apple clearly mentions that unless a user lists his/her age as 65 years or older when setting up the watch, or the Medical ID record on the iOS Health app, the Fall Detector feature is disabled by default.
“If you’ve entered your age when you set up your Apple Watch or in the Health app and you’re age 65 and over, this feature automatically turns on. Apple Watch cannot detect all falls. The more physically active you are, the more likely you are to trigger fall detection due to high impact activity that can appear to be a fall,” Apple explains.
Apple’s support document page also explains other key aspects of the fall detection feature. If an Apple Watch Series 4 wearer falls, but doesn’t move for a minute, a 15-second countdown begins. And when the countdown ends, a message will be sent to the user’s emergency contacts as per his/her Medical records.
Also read: Apple Watch Series 4 first impressions: ECG feature is here, but how will it work?
If an Apple Watch Series 4 wearer is not over 65 and wish to use the fall detection feature, it will need to be enabled in the emergency SOS section of the Apple Watch app. To enable fall detection, you must launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and go to My Watch tab>Tap Emergency SOS>Turn Fall Detection on or off.
The Tim Cook-led company launched the Apple Watch Series 4, alongside the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR on September 12. For many, Apple Watch Series 4 was the highlight of the event – after all, it offers a number of innovative features, including a new ECG feature and fall detection.