I talked my mom into upgrading to the Apple Watch Series 4 specifically for the fall detection feature. On her 2nd day of owning it, she already had a false trigger and is ready to turn the feature off.
The "fall" was actually just her taking the watch off, and setting it down on a counter.
Shouldn't the watch be able to detect if it is even being worn when monitoring for falls???
Apple Watch Series 4, watchOS 5
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.
Happened to me, too. Good thing my husband heard the alarm and canceled the call to 911! I was in a different room by then. I contacted Apple but they said they had never heard of the problem before. Maybe this will be fixed in an update?
Prologue
Please let me know if you have the same issue with the new series 4 watch.
Thanks!
I've had no problems with the replacement series 4. I suspected the watch was the problem. I guess I was right!
I totally agree.
Please keep me posted. I was thinking about trying the watch for a third time but very hesitant.
Mine goes off chopping up garlic.
Go figure.
That's happened to me many times. Maybe the watch doesn't like the smell of garlic?
If you're having that much trouble, don't use the feature. Mine works fine.
Moreover, considering the number of watches Apple has apparently replaced over this problem...
How many is that?
I know of zero but I don't canvass the neighborhood.
Because the amount of problems is insignificant compared to the quantity of devices in use.
I agree. However, the consumer should be made aware that they might experience the problem, because if it happens to you it's a BIG problem that is not easily resolved.
Fall detection false trigger