Fall detection not working.

Apple Watch cannot detect all falls. Your watch might detect high-impact activity as a fall and trigger Fall Detection. There are no adjustments that can made. Fall Detection is either on or off. For more info, see:

Use Fall Detection with Apple Watch - Apple Support

I couldn't agree more. For the "privilege" of paying for an additional cellular line MONTHLY and for a much more expensive Apple watch, over the 3+ years I've had my watch, I'd say its performance record looks something like this:

• % of times that the alarm DIDN'T GO OFF when I HAVE fallen is >90%
• % of times that the alarm DID GO OFF when I HAVEN'T fallen is also >90%

Shortly after I got the watch and began to realize how USELESS it was, I took it back to the Verizon store where I purchased it and, after 15-20 minutes of fumbling around with it, the "technician" said he couldn't find anything wrong and suggested I send it directly to Apple's Technical Service Department (or whatever it's called). I did that. A couple of weeks later, my watch was returned with a note that said they could find nothing wrong and the watch was working as designed. Further, they added that the watch was not designed to work on all fall scenarios.

Until I find a better solution, I still wear it, figuring a 10% chance of saving my life is better than nothing. If anyone knows of a good app to address this situation, or, a different device altogether, please let me know.

Agree 100% i had very similar experience ... So I fell heavily & according to my daughter whom found me unconscious, I was on the floor for about 30 minutes. When I was at the hospital afterwards, the doctor asked me if my Apple Watch is the one with fall detection, then immediately was confused as to why it didn’t seem to give my daughter a prompt or my partner/emergency services. The fall was a heavy/larger fall as i hit a wall then landed on concrete.. Knocked unconscious and when daughter found me i Was taken straight to emergency and spent a few days in hospital. No detection of fall on watch, all settings on watch confirmed to be correct by apple techs. But told by the apple health support team that it doesn't detect all falls, but this was a heavy fall which i received a head injury cut to forehead and graze on arm where i hit concrete and at 140kg i didn't hit softly, so maybe only detects if you fall out of a dam tree, plane or building. Apple appears to have a no care policy in regards to you buying a watch for a feature that doesn't work as advertised either. As all they wanted to do after hardware/software testing, was sell me a battery as mine was showing may need to be replaced soon. A joke at best !!

sanjiv34 wrote:

I had a similar experience with my apple watch unable to detect fall on two occasions. First time I had bout of syncope and fell from bed with deep gash on forehead. Second time I fell face forward while running on tiled track. Wrote to apple but no response. I think they have a serious issue with fall detection. In my case it just does not seem to function.

Have you told Apple?

Product Feedback - Apple

Your fellow users on this forum have told you everything there is to know, both here and your other thread, ie there are no adjustments, settings or tricks you can do to improve fall detection.

This is not the Apple complaints department, go to https://apple.com/feedback

You started replicating, I'm just trying to keep up with you.

This is where you ask volunteer users how to change settings or sort out software and hardware glitches.

There are no user settings you can make to help your situation.

Apple will not read this, nor will the many users who have been rescued by fall detection, crash detection, heart rate abnormalities, none if which work 100%. Apple watch is not a medical device or a carer substitute.

https://apple.com/feedback

"Hey Siri dial 911"

I had a similar experience with my apple watch unable to detect fall on two occasions. First time I had bout of syncope and fell from bed with deep gash on forehead. Second time I fell face forward while running on tiled track. Wrote to apple but no response. I think they have a serious issue with fall detection. In my case it just does not seem to function.

The watch does not have a sixth sense, only accelerometers it can only measure how hard your watch hits the floor not your head. 

wasn't just my head, didn't pin dive onto my head. i stated that i also had graze on arm and knee as result of hitting the ground. Accelerometer should have picked up the acceleration and force of the fall in any case as advertised. (noting nil movement as result of being knocked out so fall detection failed)

Yes !! replying to people experiencing the same problem for goods we have paid good money for. also for your information the arm that my watch was on is the one that needed attention. Sorry if it inconveniences you, but it's a serious matter that a function that many of us have bought these watches for DOESN'T work.

As stated before users deserve to know, not worried about Apple. It's the fellow consumers that need to know that there are others experiencing the same problems, not hide it like you appear to want to happen !!

As for your statement ''Apple watch is not a medical device or a carer substitute.'' don't expect it to be, but i do expect it to operate as advertised as the fall detection is a major reason most buy this device.

I see you are putting your story on other threads.

Your watch arm did not hit the ground hard enough this time. Bad luck is all.