I turn off cellular to save battery on long runs. If I activate SOS or fall, will Apple Watch automatically turn on cellular to call emergency services? To be clear, I have cell service on my watch. It is just switched off during my run.
Apple Watch
In case anyone else has this question, I contacted Apple Support. No, Apple Watch will not automatically turn on its cellular radio in response to an SOS or fall. Cellular must already be switched on or the watch must be able to connect in the manner that javaliga quoted. I sent Apple feedback asking that the watch automatically switch on cellular in a fall/emergency. If you’re a runner or otherwise need max battery life but still want fast access to emergency services please consider sending feedback too.
In case anyone else has this question, I contacted Apple Support. No, Apple Watch will not automatically turn on its cellular radio in response to an SOS or fall. Cellular must already be switched on or the watch must be able to connect in the manner that javaliga quoted. I sent Apple feedback asking that the watch automatically switch on cellular in a fall/emergency. If you’re a runner or otherwise need max battery life but still want fast access to emergency services please consider sending feedback too.
If you turn the cellular feature off, then I assume the watch acts a GPS only version. As it says in:
Use Emergency SOS on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
"To use Emergency SOS on an Apple Watch that doesn't have cellular, your iPhone needs to be nearby. If your iPhone isn't nearby, your Apple Watch needs to be connected to a known Wi-Fi network and you must set up Wi-Fi Calling.":
If you really want a definitive answer, I suggest you contact Apple Support.
SOS while cellular is turned off
