Update Includes New Apple WatchFeature

After receiving several complaints that the Apple Watch is incapable of making an emergency call, Apple developers buckled down to work to come up with plausible ideas for the forthcoming update. With the Apple Watch being the only device that users physically wear on their body, it seemed only logical that it include a quick and easy component that would notify the necessary parties should a user find him- or herself in dangerous circumstances.

When the Apple Watch undergoes a major software upgrade (otherwise known as WatchOS 3) this fall, it will incorporate this new safety feature: SOS.

How it works is simple: If a user is in a critical situation—say, they encounter a threatening individual while walking down the street late at night or get hurt at home and cannot reach their phone—they can contact help by pressing a button on the side of their watch. That will trigger emergency measures:

1. It will contact local emergency services based on their current location. Thanks to its GPS-tracking device, the watch will determine which services will best assist you: If you're in the U.S., it will call 911; if you're international, it will determine the contact information accordingly.
2. It will notify your emergency contacts as soon as the call is complete. Because Apple developers wanted this information to be as up-to-date and accurate as possible, you'll need to indicate who among your contacts should be notified in case of emergency after downloading the update.
3. It will display all your medical information on the watch screen. Your age, allergies, existing medical conditions, and more will all appear directly on the screen — immediately answering any questions emergency medical technicians might have.

The functionality is similar to Life Alert, but with a more modern presentation. But there is still going to be one thing that could make the update less useful: For SOS to work, user's watch must either be connected to a Wi-Fi network or paired with Bluetooth on their iPhone.

Though Apple does not have an exact WatchOS 3 release date yet (and, subsequently, no release date for SOS), users can expect it to debut sometime this fall.