Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Google Pixel Watch 3 Loss of Pulse Detection feature is now available in the United States.
- It was previously launched in many European countries and the UK, but thanks to earning FDA clearance, it is finally here in the US.
- As you’d expect, the feature monitors your pulse and looks for drops, which could indicate cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, or other problems.
Last year, Google started rolling out an incredible new feature for the Pixel Watch 3: Loss of Pulse Detection. This first-of-its-kind smartwatch feature monitors your pulse and, if it sees a drop, causes the smartwatch to trigger a response. Many European countries and the United Kingdom have been using this for months now. However, it was only in March 2025 that Google received FDA clearance for the feature.
Finally, today, Google is rolling out Loss of Pulse Detection to the Pixel Watch 3 in the United States. This makes one of the best smartwatches you can buy even better.
To use this feature, you’ll need to opt-in. Google has explicit instructions on how to do this on its Loss of Pulse Detection support page. Essentially, you need to update the Personal Safety app on your watch and then turn the feature on in the Google Pixel Watch app on your connected smartphone. That’s it!
According to Google, a person with a loss of pulse could be going through any number of situations, such as “cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose, or poisoning.” If your watch detects a loss in pulse, it will go through a series of steps:
- Step 1: Your watch will vibrate to see if you need help. If you are fine and this is a false positive, any movement will cancel the alert.
- Step 2: If your watch doesn’t sense any movement or a pulse after about 15 seconds, it will send out a loud alert noise. If this is also a false positive, you can hit the red “X” on the watch’s display to cancel the alert.
- Step 3: If your watch still isn’t sensing a pulse and about 30 seconds have gone by, it will attempt to alert emergency services. An automated message will give the emergency responder your location and tell them that your pulse has not been detected for some time.
Honestly, this feature could be the difference between life or death. When your pulse stops, there is a very limited window in which your life can be saved, and every second counts. With a Pixel Watch 3 on your wrist, you can give yourself the chance to get emergency treatment faster than without it.
