Apple Watch Cellular: Emergency call - how it works

If you have an accident, you can use the Apple Watch Cellular to make an emergency call to get help. Thanks to the integrated cellular chip, this is possible with the Cellular models even without an iPhone. How exactly you make an emergency call, we show you here.

How to place an emergency call on the Apple Watch Cellular

If you use an Apple Watch Cellular with an integrated cellular chip, placing an emergency call is possible even if your iPhone is not nearby. However, for this to work, it is necessary that the Apple Watch Cellular is connected to a known Wi-Fi network and the "Wi-Fi calls" feature is enabled.

1. To make an emergency call with the Apple Watch Cellular, press and hold the smartwatch's side button until the "Emergency SOS" slider is displayed.
2. Now either move the slider or continue to hold the side button until the countdown begins.
3. Once the countdown is over, the Apple Watch will establish a phone connection with emergency responders and also send a text message to your emergency contacts.
4. If you have an Apple Watch Series 5 with Cellular, the watch can also make international emergency calls.

Apple Watch Cellular: How to set emergency contacts

In order for the Apple Watch Cellular to transmit your location data to your friends or family in the event of an emergency call, it is necessary that you set them as emergency contacts beforehand. To do this, open the Settings app on your iPhone, navigate to "Health" > "Emergency Passport" > "Edit" > "Emergency Contacts" and tap "Add" to select a contact.