Pixel Watch 3 gets a first-ever smartwatch feature that detects loss of pulse

The recently launched Pixel Watch 3 adopts a bevy of health-related features that have appeared on its other wearables. Some of these include irregular heart rhythm notifications, Safety Checks, and Fall Detection. But Google’s latest smartwatch is about to get a new feature that could save lives.

During today’s Made by Google event, the company revealed an opt-in feature for the Pixel Watch 3 called Loss of Pulse Detection. Google says that this feature is a first of its kind feature for smartwatches.

Just as its name suggests, this feature is capable of detecting when a user’s pulse has stopped. When that moment occurs, the LTE watch or the phone connected to the Pixel Watch 3 will send a call to emergency services requesting help.

As you can imagine, such a feature could trigger false alerts to emergency services. To limit these errors as much as possible, Google has implemented a few tricks. As the tech giant explains, the Pixel Watch 3 uses a green light to check for a user’s pulse. If signs of pulselessness are detected, this triggers a battery of other tests including infrared and red light checks, motion sensor checks for motion, and a check-in to see if you respond. If there’s no response, this leads to an audio alarm and countdown where a call is placed if you don’t stop it.

In saying so, Google explained in a disclaimer that this feature isn’t intended for users with preexisting heart conditions or people who require cardiac monitoring.

Loss of Pulse Detection is scheduled to arrive on the Pixel Watch 3 sometime in September. When it rolls out, it will be available for select markets in Europe including the UK, France, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The company says it is working with regulatory bodies to expand the feature to other countries. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the feature will trickle down to the Pixel Watch 2 or Pixel Watch, for now.