UK cycling coach Stacy Torman raised concerns about the Apple Watch’s Fall Detection feature after it repeatedly flagged a fall and alerted rescue services, even when there was no danger. In comments to a major newspaper, he described the watch as constantly thinking he’s in trouble, saying his device seems to interpret casual moments as a fall during his lectures and conversations with students. “In those small, ordinary moments when I want to enjoy a moment with my class, the watch assumes I’ve fallen,” he remarked, highlighting the odd misreads that disrupt teaching and cause unnecessary alarms.
There was also a real incident where Torman did indeed stumble while attempting to catch a bus, yet the watch failed to trigger any notification. The discrepancy underscores a broader issue noted by the publication: false positives from Fall Detection can drain emergency resources when responders are dispatched for non-threatening situations. The tension between safety and needless dispatch became a focal point in the discussion surrounding wearable tech and automatic alert systems.
Apple’s stance, conveyed through a spokesperson, acknowledged that some users experience calls to rescuers when there is no danger. The company defended the feature by describing fall and accident detection as an assistive tool designed to help people who truly need support and to potentially save lives when real incidents occur. The spokesperson emphasized that the system’s purpose is to act as a safety net, even as it generates false alarms in certain circumstances.
Meanwhile, attention also turned to other wearables. Reports mention that users of Google’s Pixel Watch have attributed irregular heart rhythms to the device’s ECG sensor, which monitors cardiac activity. This parallel underscores a broader trend: wearable health sensors can offer valuable data but may also provoke concern or misinterpretation when readings are imperfect or misunderstood in everyday contexts. Observers stress the importance of calibrating expectations for these devices, recognizing their role as aids rather than definitive medical instruments. In all cases, the balance between proactive safety alerts and avoiding unnecessary disruptions remains a central topic in the rapidly evolving field of consumer health technology.