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To stop accidental Emergency SOS calls caused by holding the Apple Watch side button, turn off Hold Side Button on the watch or Hold Side Button to Dial in the iPhone’s Watch app. This disables automatic side-button dialing—not Emergency SOS altogether. You can still make a manual emergency call, while Fall Detection and Crash Detection have separate controls.
Apple Watch uses “Emergency SOS” to describe several related functions, including manual calls, automatic side-button calls, fall- and crash-triggered calls, emergency-contact alerts, Medical ID, and location sharing. Configure each one separately.
Stop the side button from automatically calling emergency services
Choose either method. The setting is synchronized between the paired Apple Watch and iPhone, although the wording can vary slightly by watchOS version.
On Apple Watch
- Open Settings.
- Tap SOS.
- Tap Hold Side Button.
- Turn off Hold Side Button.
On the paired iPhone
- Open the Watch app.
- Tap My Watch.
- Tap Emergency SOS.
- Turn off Hold Side Button to Dial.
Afterward, holding the side button will no longer start the automatic Emergency SOS countdown. The manual option remains available: press and hold the side button until the emergency screen appears, then drag Emergency Call.
#1 Best Overall
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416RQ0rtsUL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
This change does not automatically turn off Fall Detection or Crash Detection. Those features must be changed independently.
Apple’s Emergency SOS guide documents the current behavior and menu controls.
Turn off automatic calling after a fall
To disable Fall Detection from the iPhone:
- Open the Watch app.
- Tap My Watch.
- Tap Emergency SOS.
- Turn off Fall Detection.
On the watch, open Settings → SOS → Fall Detection, then turn it off.
On supported watches, Fall Detection may offer Always on or Only on during workouts. The second option limits detection to workout sessions instead of disabling it completely.
When Fall Detection is active, Apple Watch may detect a hard fall and ask whether you need help. If you remain immobile for about a minute, it can begin a 30-second countdown. If you do not cancel, the watch attempts to contact emergency services and may notify your emergency contacts afterward.
Fall Detection cannot identify every fall and high-impact activity can sometimes create a false alert. Automatic calling requires Wrist Detection to be enabled. Apple lists Fall Detection for Apple Watch Series 4 or later and Apple Watch SE or later, subject to software, age, and regional limitations. Apple says the feature is for people aged 18 and older; for some people aged 55 and over, it may be enabled automatically according to the age recorded in Medical ID or the Health profile. See Apple’s Fall Detection support page for current qualifications.
Rank #2
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31caPPnRysL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Turn off Crash Detection calls
On iPhone, open Settings → Emergency SOS, then turn off Call After Severe Crash.
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- Open Watch and tap My Watch.
- Tap Emergency SOS.
- Turn off Call After Severe Crash.
On some watchOS releases, the watch-side path is Settings → SOS → Crash Detection → Call After Severe Crash.
On a supported device, Apple Watch can detect a severe car crash, display an alert, and begin a 30-second countdown if you do not respond or cancel. It can then attempt to call emergency services. Crash Detection is not available on every Apple Watch. Apple documents support for Apple Watch Series 8 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation or later), and Apple Watch Ultra or later, with compatible software and regional availability. It cannot detect every crash and may occasionally produce a false alert. Refer to Apple’s Crash Detection documentation for the current model list.
Customize emergency contacts and Medical ID
Emergency contacts and Medical ID are managed primarily in the iPhone’s Health app, not through the main Emergency SOS switch.
- Open Health.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Medical ID.
- Tap Edit next to Emergency Contacts.
- Add, remove, or reorder contacts, then tap Done.
Emergency services cannot be added as an emergency contact. After an emergency call, Apple Watch may send your contacts a message with your location and information about the event, provided the required messaging, network, and regional conditions are met and you do not cancel the message.
In Health → profile picture → Medical ID, you can also update your name, age, medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type, organ-donor status, and emergency contacts. Where available, Share During Emergency Call controls whether Medical ID information is shared with emergency services. Medical ID can also be made accessible from the watch’s emergency screen. See Apple’s Medical ID guide.
Rank #3
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31YiTby0pOL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
What happens after an Emergency SOS call?
If the call connects, emergency services may receive your location and relevant Medical ID information according to your settings and local availability. Apple Watch may also notify your emergency contacts and continue sharing your location for a period of time. The watch can remind you that location sharing is active and may offer an option to stop it.
These behaviors are not universal. They depend on your country or region, cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity, Location Services, messaging support, Medical ID settings, and whether you cancel the post-call message. Satellite Emergency SOS is also restricted by model, region, software, and line-of-sight conditions; it is not available on every Apple Watch. Check Apple’s current regional documentation before relying on satellite features.
Cancel an accidental SOS countdown
If the countdown has not finished
Release the side button before the countdown ends, then follow any on-screen cancellation prompt. If you triggered Fall Detection or Crash Detection, tap the option indicating that you are safe or that help is not needed.
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If the call has already connected
Do not immediately hang up. Stay on the line, wait for a responder, and explain clearly that the call was accidental and that you do not need emergency assistance. Depending on your region and software, Apple Watch may then ask whether to notify emergency contacts; cancel that message if the option is offered.
Apple’s consumer guidance covers accidental-call recovery in more detail at support.apple.com/en-gb/108374.
Connectivity and model limitations
For a standard emergency call, Apple Watch generally needs one of the following:
Rank #4
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Gq8SToFJL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
- Its own cellular connection;
- A nearby paired iPhone with cellular service; or
- Supported Wi-Fi calling with an internet connection.
A GPS-only Apple Watch is not automatically incapable of making an emergency call, but it generally depends on the paired iPhone or an appropriate Wi-Fi-calling setup. International emergency calling, emergency-contact messages, location sharing, and satellite services have separate country and network requirements.
Why an Emergency SOS setting may appear not to work
You changed the wrong control
Turning off Hold Side Button to Dial only stops automatic dialing from the side-button hold. Check Fall Detection and Call After Severe Crash separately if automatic calls are still occurring.
The option is missing
The feature may not be supported by your watch, may be unavailable in your region, or may use different wording in your watchOS release. Also check that you are looking in the Watch app’s My Watch → Emergency SOS section rather than only in the iPhone’s general Settings → Emergency SOS page.
Fall Detection does not call automatically
Check that Fall Detection and Wrist Detection are enabled, the watch is being worn properly, and the watch or nearby iPhone has a supported connection. The incident must also meet the watch’s detection criteria; Fall Detection is not guaranteed to identify every fall.
Emergency contacts were not notified
Check that contacts are listed in Medical ID and that messaging and Location Services are available. Notifications can also fail because of regional limitations, an unsuitable network connection, Messages configuration, or cancellation of the post-call message.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe warning sound is still audible
Silent Mode does not necessarily silence the warning sound from the side-button SOS countdown. If avoiding that sound is important, turn off automatic side-button dialing and use the manual Emergency Call slider when needed.
Best Value
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41s72HIk5TL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Which settings should remain on?
| Your priority | Suggested configuration |
|---|---|
| Prevent accidental side-button calls | Turn off Hold Side Button to Dial; consider leaving Fall Detection and Crash Detection enabled. |
| Maximum emergency protection | Leave side-button dialing, Fall Detection, and Crash Detection enabled where supported; keep Wrist Detection on and complete Medical ID and emergency contacts. |
| No automatic emergency calls | Turn off Hold Side Button to Dial, Fall Detection, and Call After Severe Crash separately. |
| Privacy-first setup | Review emergency contacts, Medical ID sharing, Location Services, and post-call location sharing as well as the automatic-call controls. |
Disabling automatic features can reduce accidental calls and unwanted location sharing, but it also removes safeguards that may help when you cannot respond. For most users concerned only about button presses, disabling Hold Side Button to Dial is the narrowest change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable Emergency SOS completely on Apple Watch?
Apple does not provide one universal master switch for every SOS-related feature. You can disable automatic side-button dialing, Fall Detection, and Crash Detection separately, while manual emergency calling remains available through the Emergency Call slider.
Does turning off Hold Side Button to Dial disable Fall Detection?
No. Fall Detection has its own setting in the Watch app’s Emergency SOS section or under Settings → SOS on the watch.
Can Apple Watch call emergency services without an iPhone?
A cellular Apple Watch may call using its own connection. A GPS-only watch generally needs a nearby iPhone or supported Wi-Fi calling. Availability varies by region and network.
Can I turn off Crash Detection without turning off manual Emergency SOS?
Yes. Turn off Call After Severe Crash while manual Emergency SOS remains available.
Will Silent Mode stop the Emergency SOS countdown sound?
Not necessarily. Apple says the warning sound from the side-button countdown can play even when the watch is in Silent Mode.
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