Fall detection false trigger

Clearly many disagree with your opinion.

How many is that?

Do you get false fall alarms while sleeping?

Did you shut it off before the calls went out?

Since you stopped the 911 call, I do not consider that to be a major issue.

Regarding your alarm system - is that an Apple burglar alarm?

No

Then discussion is not appropriate here.

Fortunately that was a case where you did not need 911.

You clearly know nothing about the movement of the arm and wrist when you chop garlic. The movement is so trivial it's absurd. that it sets the fall alarm off.

This happened to me just recently. And is repeatable. So not fixed yet.

I think clearly a software bug. I also get false positives on fall detection from gesturing during presentations that I give. Repeatable.

Second level Apple tech support aware and reported to Engineering. No real advice yet.

I was advised to do a reset of calibrations: Watch->Privacy->Reset Fitness Calibration Data.

Now ... my Watch is also reporting wildly wrong pulse rates during certain exercise activities ... also repeatable. Even though pulse rate is largely accurate ... but not always.

These are software issues that should be reported to Apple.

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.

I've have my series 4 for less than 2 weeks and this is exactly how my first fall detection was triggered last night. I almost ignored the wrist buzz, good thing I didn't so I was able to cancel the 911 call. If this happens again I may return it. Fall detection was one reason to buy it (along with a host of even better reasons).

Maybe another example of oversold technology from Apple.

I have had this problem many times, more than 15.

Each time I tell the watch I have not fallen. I was hoping that the watch would gradually learn my movements, but so far that has not been the case. I upgraded to a series 4 watch. I intended to purchase one for my 93 year old father as I want him to have the fall detection. However I don't think he would notice the alarm on his wrist indicating that the watch thinks he has fallen and stop it from calling EMS. At present I am not purchasing one for him as I think there would be many false alarms transmitted.

Too bad as this is a very useful feature. Apple either fix this, or make the alarm situation more obvious.

Thanks,

nancy

This is a part of a letter I sent to Tim Cook:

Here is my experience with Apple Support regarding the Series 4 watch.

Five different times my watch has indicated that I had fallen. Each time the alert was caused by

very normal movements of my wrist. The first time I was so surprised I

mistakenly clicked that I did fall but was not hurt. Each succeeding time I

clicked that I did not fall.

The first time I was placing my toy poodle gently on the ground. The watch alerted me that I had

fallen. I called Apple Support the next day and the tier 1 associate told me

she had never heard of the problem.

Several days later I got the “you have fallen alert” again while doing the same thing. A few days

later I got another alert. Same arm motion. I contacted another Apple Support

tier 1 associate and was told by her that she had not heard of the problem. I

was transferred to a tier 2 associate. She had not heard of my problem, but she

contacted “engineering” as I was instructed to unpair and repair my watch. If

that didn’t work Apple would replace the watch.

About a week later I clapped my hands to get my dogs attention and received another false alert that

I had fallen. I contacted my previous tier 2 associate. She directed me to a “Senior

Customer Relations Specialist”. She said I must return the watch to Apple’s

“depot” for evaluation. I did this, and the watch was returned. The “depot”

couldn’t replicate my experience so in their opinion there was nothing wrong

with the watch. I was advised to set the watch up as new and I did.

A few days later I opened my car door and was again alerted that I had fallen. I was then the

referred to a “Senior Apple Watch Specialist”.

The “Senior Apple Watch Specialist” referred my case to another engineering group. Since the

beginning of this ordeal I have been sharing the Watch Analytics with Apple.

Their conclusion was the watch was working “as designed” and my Apple

Series 4 watch would not be replaced. I pleaded with the “Senior Apple Watch

Specialist” to make me a happy Apple customer and replace the watch

since my experiences could not have been “as designed” by Apple to give

false triggers to such ordinary wrist movements. She said she would review my

case with her manager. She called back the next day and told me that her

manager would not replace my watch.

I have spent over 10 hours on the phone with Apple on this case and two to three hours waiting on

Apple to return phone calls only to be told there was nothing wrong and the

watch was “learning” my movements.

I will say that all your people that I contacted were professional and courteous, but “no one,

no one” in all my conversations was aware of a problem such as mine.

I cannot adequately express my disappointment with their conclusion or with Apple. I have the

highest regards for Apple, but your company would never have designed the

Series 4 to operate as it has for me.

Both my wife and son-in-law have Series 4 watches and neither has experienced such problems.

I respectfully request that you look again into my case and replace my Series 4 watch.

End of letter to Tim Cook.

A few days later i was contacted by another "Senior Apple Specialist". He was reaching out to me concerning my "problem".

We downloaded additional software to my watch so that "engineering" could monitor my watch.

I'm now up to 12 Hours om the phone with Apple.

We'll see how this goes.

It happened to me today. All I did was get up from my chair and walk a few steps to the kitchen.