Google Gets FDA Clearance For Loss-of-Pulse Feature For Pixel Watch 3
Written by djfrosty on February 28, 2025
Source: Google / Pixel Watch 3
We truly appreciate it when a wearable has a function that could improve or save our lives. Case in point, Google’s Pixel Watch 3 has finally gotten FDA clearance for a first-of-its-kind loss-of-pulse feature.
Earlier this week, the FDA gave Google the green light to roll out the new loss-of-pulse feature on the Pixel Watch 3. As of Fall 2024, the feature is already available in the EU.
According to Google, the opt-in feature can “detect loss of pulse and prompt a call to emergency services to provide care if you are unresponsive,” turning your or your loved one’s Pixel Watch 3 into a potential lifesaving device.
Google says the feature will begin rolling out in the coming weeks.
Per the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation website, out-of-hospital-cardiac arrests account for nearly 356,000 deaths each year in the U.S., the rollout of the loss-of-pulse feature onto wearables could significantly reduce that number.
- Loss of Pulse Detection is the latest addition to potentially lifesaving tools from Google. Here is how it all came together:
- Powered by a multi-check, AI-based algorithm and the multipath heart rate sensor in Pixel Watch 3, the feature can identify a potential loss of pulse and prompt a call to emergency services if the user is unresponsive.
- Google rigorously tested the algorithm over hundreds of thousands of hours of data to strike the right balance between sensitivity to an event and reducing the number of potential false notifications to emergency services.
- They also collaborated with a diverse range of experts, from cardiologists and global resuscitation authorities to frontline EMS professionals, including dispatchers and paramedics, to ensure effectiveness and real-world applicability.
The Pixel Watch 3 is now available for $349.99 and comes in four color options. You can purchase one here.