Apple Watch SOS takes the spotlight: Apple’s new rescue video

Apple has released a new Apple Watch safety video on its online channels. It centers on a mountain biker named Phil and shows how features like Emergency SOS and Fall Detection can help after a crash, especially when someone can’t reach an iPhone.

Apple says Fall Detection , available on Apple Watch Series 4 and later, uses the accelerometer and gyroscope to recognize a hard fall. If you don’t respond and stay still for about a minute , the watch can call emergency services and share your location with your emergency contacts.

The video also leans into a message Apple has been repeating for a while: you’re buying more than a fitness device. The company has highlighted rescue stories going back to Bob Burdett in 2019 , along with reported incidents in 2024 and 2025 involving a cyclist, a swimmer, and a skier. Newer Apple Watch models also include Crash Detection , and Apple says the Apple Watch Ultra 3 adds Emergency SOS via satellite .

If safety matters to you as much as health features like atrial fibrillation (AFib) notifications, sleep apnea alerts, and hypertension monitoring , that’s part of the equation. False alarms can still happen during skiing, snowboarding, or even on roller coasters . And you still need to keep the watch charged and, with non-cellular Apple Watch models, have an iPhone nearby .

You can watch the new clip now on Apple’s online channels.