Fall detection false trigger

This fall detection problem had happened a third time. I've contacted Apple support level 2. The problem had been passed on to the engineers. I've given them permission to track my iPhone and Apple watch. They don't know if it's a software problem on a hardware problem. With so few people experiencing this problem I'm inclined to think it a hardware problem. In any event it could be an Apple problem. This issue could blow the series 4 out of the water. Fall detection is one of their main selling points for the series 4.

It happened to me at least twice on a single bicycle ride on city streets. I finally had to turn the option off. There was no fall or extraordinary activity other than a simple ride. To the point, one of the reasons I upgraded was to have this option especially when riding. Will follow.

The continuing saga of the Apple Watch Series 4 fall detection. I opened my car door and received a false fall detection alert.

This is the fifth false alert. Of the 5 alerts 3 have been all different movements. I've reached out again to Apple Customer Support. I've not heard back. I think it's time to replace the watch. I hope Apple thinks so also!

Now I'm up to a "Senior Apple Watch Advisor", which I guess is above a "Senior Customer Service Representative".

She is contacting the engineering department to see if I should get a replacement. This should only take 4-5 days...

She claims that the software in the watch is "learning" my movements and should improve over time.

I haven't tried chopping up garlic. I'm afraid to!!!

This is never ending.....

Thanks virgilfromcypress for sharing your experience and the resolution offered.

I am not sure I have the patience to go through what you have done. I would like to hear if the new replacement fixes your issue. If so, I may try to see what I can get done.

My major issue in this was deciding whether to get one for my father. Given the large number of false alarms I was experienceing, I decided to purchase the Guardian Freedom watch instead. This does not have the fall detection but does have an alarm button. The Initial cost is lower, but monthly cost much higher. It is designed for seniors, and is realtively defeatured which will probably be a good thing for my elderly father. We shall see.

I am on my 3rd Apple Watch. The first 2 told me I fell when I was sitting. I then got the watch with gps and I fell on the ice. The watch did nothing. I have been talking with senior advisors and corporate customer relations. So far no one can figure out what is going on. I don’t have much confidence in this fall detection feature, which is the main reason I got the watch.

I stopped at two watches because of fall detection false trigger. Maybe the issue will be resolved when Apple Watch 5 is released. I seriously hope that Apple sees that there is a problem with this feature. And by the way the fall detection was the reason I purchased the watch also

That's strictly your opinion. Clearly many disagree with your opinion. It's a royal pain in the neck when you're preparing a meal, and your hands are wet and oniony or garlicky. You too often have to stop, clean up, dry off and then answer the watch, then restart your work. The watch should be learning that particular repetitive motions aren't falls, but so far it's not learning.

Earlier this month I did. I laid down in the afternoon and rolled over and it went off when I touched the pillow. At night my watch is on a charger. My security system had two false alarms while it was armed night also. Engineers fixed that problem by sending a firmware update and replacing a window sensor that said it was opened when it was closed and locked.

I was able to stop the 911 call from my phone. For my security system it was a little more difficult. The touchscreen that controls everything froze so I had to run downstairs to the keypad at an exterior door and stop it from there. Then I had call for technical support to have them figure out what was wrong with the system. My security system is good for now but I just found out my neighbor who has the exact system has been having problems for over two months. Hopefully the engineers have solved that problem. Sometimes stuff just doesn’t work under real life circumstances and trying to produce it again can be difficult. Something to mention is that the apple tech did tell me active people can have false alarms.

The problem in establishing a false positive rate is that many false positives are entirely reasonable, like the poster that's chopping garlic. I would be upset if such action did NOT trigger a fall detection.

The problem in establishing a false positive rate is that many false positives are entirely reasonable, like the poster that's chopping garlic. I would be upset if such action did NOT trigger a fall detection.

Well it happened to me recently at the Phoenix AZ airport. I missed the last step down to the visitor parking lot. I took a big fall that resulted in me winding up flat face down on the concrete. I skinned my knee badly and ripped a hole in my pant leg. My right elbow suffered a good scrape too. Fortunately I didn’t break anything and only my pride and pant leg suffered ignominy.

My series 4 Watch... did NOTHING, no response. I checked to make sure the feature was on and it was.

I had the same problem. Last night fall detection went off and I was unaware. The police paid me a visit. Today it went off again while I was driving my car. I shut off fall detection but the watch kept sending out messages. I shut the phone down.

Chopping butternut squash up triggered it too!

This has happened to me twice. I was just carrying my small toy poodle into the yard.

I called Apple the first time. They had never heard of a call detection problem.