Pixel Watch 3 gains FDA approval for AI-powered ‘Loss of Pulse’ detection

The Pixel Watch 3 has officially gained FDA approval for loss of pulse detection, a first-of-its-kind feature that enables the watch to recognize when its wearer’s heart stops beating. First announced back in April 2024, his technology uses multiple factors to detect a “loss of pulse” event and is designed to automatically alert emergency services for you during these time-critical events.

The U.S. joins 14 other countries in approving this feature, with Google planning to roll it out to U.S. users by the end of March, accessible via the watch’s Safety & emergency settings.

This first-of-its-kind feature can detect when you’ve experienced a loss of pulse (your heart stops beating from an event like primary cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose or poisoning) and automatically prompt a call to emergency services for potentially life-saving care if you’re unresponsive.

On a more technical level, Google says the feature utilizes the watch’s existing heart rate sensor along with an AI algorithm to analyze physiological and motion data captured from the watch, then ties these together to recognize a loss of pulse event. To prevent false alarms, the watch will attempt to alert the user but if there’s no response and no motion is detected, the watch will automatically contact emergency services.

This new feature enhances the Pixel Watch series’ existing health capabilities, including crash detection, skin temperature monitoring, and ECG functionality. While the Pixel Watch 2 also offers many of these features, the addition of loss of pulse detection makes the Pixel Watch 3 a notable upgrade.