Google's Pixel Watch 5 Adds Feature to Detect Breathing Emergencies

Google unveiled the Pixel Watch 5 on Wednesday alongside its new Pixel 11 phones, and the watch's marquee feature is something no competitor currently offers: an on-device system that can detect a breathing emergency and call for help, according to Wired.

The feature, called Breathing Emergency Detection, is designed to catch drops in blood oxygen caused by drug overdoses, accidents, severe pneumonia, or choking, Wired reported. Francis Hoe, a product manager on Google's Pixel Watch team, told Wired the watch combines readings from a light-based heart sensor, an accelerometer, and a barometer, then runs an on-device AI algorithm to spot a sustained drop in oxygen saturation. When it does, Hoe said, the watch calls emergency services and shares the wearer's location automatically.

The feature builds on Loss of Pulse Detection, which Google introduced on the Pixel Watch 3, according to Wired. Google has not gotten Food and Drug Administration clearance for Breathing Emergency Detection, so it won't launch in the United States for now, Wired reported. Google told Wired the feature will start in select European Union markets while the company works with regulators to expand it elsewhere. Google also said the feature isn't meant for people with existing respiratory conditions and isn't intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition, according to Wired.

Older Watches Get New Health Tools

The breathing feature isn't limited to the newest hardware. Google is bringing it to the Pixel Watch 4 as well, Wired reported. Two additional tools, tracking blood pressure and insulin resistance trends over time, are coming to the Google Health app this fall for anyone with a Fitbit Ace, Pixel Watch 3, Watch 4, or Watch 5, according to Wired.

Google is grouping these tools under a new label, Health Guardian, which also covers existing features like irregular heart rhythm alerts, high and low heart rate notifications, and Loss of Pulse Detection, Wired reported. Many of the features will generate monthly health reports based on continuous monitoring, with an AI-powered coach or an option to share the data with a doctor, according to Wired.

Sandeep Waraich, senior director of wearables at Google, told Wired the company's early focus on heart rate accuracy is now paying off because the sensor data underpins the newer detection tools.

Doctors Urge Caution on Blood Pressure Claims

Medical groups are drawing a line between what these devices can flag and what they can diagnose. Daniel Jones, former president of the American Heart Association, told Wired that the group does not recommend any wrist-worn device for monitoring blood pressure, and that arm cuffs remain the standard for diagnosis and treatment decisions. Wired reported that the American Heart Association has said cuffless devices show promise as a complement to standard measurement.

Barbara Eichorst, vice president of health care programs at the American Diabetes Association, told Wired that consumer wearables are not a substitute for established blood pressure tools and that no guidelines exist for using them to track insulin resistance. She told Wired that monitoring can still be useful when the data meaningfully supports diabetes management, adding that the key question is whether the information is clinically meaningful and understandable, not simply whether more data exists.

Apple added blood pressure alerts to some Apple Watch models last year, and Samsung offers blood pressure tracking on its smartwatches that requires monthly calibration with a cuff, according to Wired.