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Who is notified when a smartwatch detects a fall?

First, the watch acts: it alerts the wearer and, if they do not respond, calls emergency services. On an Apple Watch it also texts the emergency contacts from Medical ID after the call. What a watch does not do on its own is tell the whole family. KinectedCare adds that: when a fall-detection-capable watch detects a fall, it notifies the CareTeam.1

Updated October 2026.

The short version

  • The wearer is alerted first and can cancel.
  • Emergency services are called if there is no response.
  • Emergency contacts get a text on an Apple Watch, after the call.
  • The CareTeam is notified by KinectedCare.
  • KinectedCare does not detect falls; the watch does.

What the watch does

  • Apple Watch: after a hard fall, it alerts the wearer, then calls emergency services if they are still and do not cancel. After the call it texts the emergency contacts from Medical ID with the location and a note that a hard fall was detected.
  • Pixel Watch: after a hard fall, it prompts the wearer and, with no response, calls emergency services after about 60 seconds, with a location if permitted. Google’s page does not describe messaging contacts, so check the watch’s settings.

What a watch does not do

A watch’s own response goes to emergency services and, at most, to a short list of preset contacts. It does not give a whole family a shared place to see the alert and coordinate.

What KinectedCare adds

The watch detects the fall and its operating system handles the emergency response. KinectedCare then notifies the whole CareTeam, so everyone knows at the same time.1 KinectedCare supports Apple Watch and Wear OS watches. Your parent can also press HELP on the phone or watch to alert everyone at once. KinectedCare does not detect falls and is not an emergency service. See will my family be notified if my parent falls?.

Make sure it works

  • Add emergency contacts to the phone. See emergency contacts and a medical ID.
  • Turn fall detection on and check it is available in your parent’s country.
  • Keep the watch charged and worn.

Questions people ask

Does the watch call my family?
The watch calls emergency services. On an Apple Watch it also texts the emergency contacts after the call. It does not alert a whole family group on its own.
Will emergency services tell me?
Not necessarily. That is why a way for the family to hear directly matters.
Who should I list as emergency contacts?
People who will answer and can act, two or three in order. Tell each of them.
Does KinectedCare call emergency services?
No. The watch handles the emergency response. KinectedCare notifies the CareTeam.
Does KinectedCare detect falls?
No. Fall detection is the watch’s own feature. When a fall-detection-capable smartwatch detects a fall, the watch’s operating system handles the emergency response, and KinectedCare notifies the CareTeam.
Does KinectedCare replace emergency services?
No. KinectedCare is not a medical device or an emergency service. If someone may be hurt, call local emergency services first.

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