1-800-692-7753Review: Apple Watch Medical Alert With Fall Detection
Last Updated On: | 12 Minute Read
Updated: August 2025 | ReliaScore: 7.5 stars out of 10
Table of Contents
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- Product Overview
- Head-to-Head Comparisons: Apple Watch versus…
- Key Features
- Pricing: GPS only or GPS + Cellular?
Product Overview
As you’d expect from this company, the Apple Watch is sleek, customizable, and built with high-end hardware and software. For this review, we tested the Series 7 GPS and Series 7 GPS + Cellular models, and also considered the Series 8. The Apple Watch Ultra, introduced in September 2022, is geared toward athletes and adventurers with its rugged design, so we did not evaluate it as a medical alert option.
Unlike other watches we’ve reviewed, the Apple Watch wasn’t originally designed as a medical alert device. However, given its popularity and strong feature set, it’s worth comparing to these top dedicated medical alert smartwatches:
- Bay Alarm Medical’s SOS Smartwatch
- Medical Guardian’s MG Move smartwatch
- LifeStation’s Sidekick Smartwatch
The big question: can the Apple Watch stand in as a reliable medical alert device? Here’s what we found when we tested the Series 7 GPS and Series 7 GPS + Cellular 41mm watches.
Apple Watch versus Bay Alarm Medical’s SOS Smartwatch
How does the Apple Watch compare to Bay Alarm Medical’s SOS Smartwatch?
- Price: Bay Alarm’s SOS Smartwatch starts at $159—far less than the Apple Watch, which begins at $399 for GPS-only and $499 for GPS + Cellular. We recommend the cellular version if choosing an Apple Watch – we explain why in GPS only or GPS + Cellular.
- Hardware Dependent: The Apple Watch requires an iPhone for setup and management. The SOS Smartwatch works independently with no phone required.
- Monitoring: Bay Alarm’s watch includes 24/7 professional monitoring. Apple provides no monitoring service, meaning the Watch is “unmonitored.” While you can add a third-party app like FallCall Lite, it isn’t Apple-supported and wasn’t part of our testing.
Apple Watch versus Medical Guardian’s MG Move
How does the Apple Watch compare to Medical Guardian’s MG Move, one of the most full-featured medical alert watches on the market? The same distinctions hold when comparing to the MG Move. The same three differences that set apart the Apple Watch from the SOS Smartwatch apply to its comparison with the MG Move.
- Price: The MG Move is less expensive up front at $199.95, while the Apple Watch starts at $399 for the smaller, GPS-only version.
- Hardware dependent: As mentioned above, in order to set up any Apple Watch, you must have an iPhone, The MG Move does not require any other device to set up or use.
- Monitoring: The MG Move is monitored 24/7 by Medical Guardian whereas the Apple Watch has no monitoring service directly from Apple.
Apple Watch versus Lifestation’s Sidekick Smartwatch
How does the Apple Watch compare to Lifestation’s Sidekick Smartwatch, another full-featured medical alert watch? The same three differences that set the Apple Watch apart from the SOS Smartwatch apply to its comparison with the Lifestation Sidekick.
- Price: The Sidekick Smartwatch costs around $100—or less on Amazon—making it the most affordable of the group. Apple’s entry-level option is nearly $300 more than this.
- Hardware dependent: Sidekick Smartwatch functions without a phone. The Apple Smartwatch requires an iPhone.
- Monitoring: Sidekick Smart is backed by 24/7 monitoring from Lifestation, while the Apple Watch is an unmonitored medical alert system, which we don’t recommend.
Bottom line: Unless the user is already comfortable with Apple products, dedicated medical alert watches like the SOS, MG Move, or Sidekick offer better value, built-in monitoring, and easier setup. Apple’s price no longer stands out as the highest in the category, since some competitors, such as MedicalAlert, have raised theirs, but remember—the Watch also requires an iPhone, which adds to the overall cost. The table below compares prices, but note that the Apple Watch requires an iPhone whose price isn’t reflected in this table.
| Company | System | Startup Cost* | Monitoring | Fall Detection | First Year Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Alarm Medical | SOS Smartwatch | $159 | $34.95/mo | $10.00/mon | $578.40 |
| Medical Alert | Medical Alert System Review | $159 | $39.95/mo | $10.00/mon | $638.40 |
| Lifestation | Sidekick Smart | $99.95 | $47.90/mo | Free | $674.75 |
| Apple Watch | Series 9 GPS + Cellular | $499** | $14.99/mo | Free | $678.88 |
** - Apple Watch price is for Series 9 GPS + Cellular & third-party monitoring
Key Features: Stylish, Limitless Smartwatch
Style and Customization
Apple has long been known for sleek, customizable products, and the Watch is no exception. Users can choose the casing, band style, and color, and also can access a vast third-party accessory market – bands with magnetic clasps, for example, can help those with grip issues.
Customization extends to the digital interface as well. Users can choose from Apple’s preset watch faces, build their own, or even set personal photos. With two case sizes—41mm and 45mm—there’s flexibility in look and comfort.
The flip side? The sheer number of options can overwhelm new users. And because some changes require an iPhone, those without one will need help to configure or update the watch.
Fall Detection
Falls are a major concern for older adults – around 28% of adults age 65 and older report falling each year. It’s no surprise that fall detection is a desirable feature in a medical alert device.
Unlike most medical alert smartwatches, the Apple Watch has automatic fall detection. Varied wrist movement makes it tricky for devices to accurately determine when movement is a fall versus a daily activity, and Apple has striven mightily for several years to perfect this determination. But the challenge of limiting false alarms has not yet been overcome, and the dedicated medical alert industry has been cautious about designing watches with fall detection – it’s more reliable currently to detect falls on devices worn around the neck or waist, which is why those are common options for medical alert buttons.
This situation improves all the time, but while impressive, the technology still isn’t perfect. Our testing triggered false alarms, and Apple’s own updates have led to accidental 911 calls from activities like skiing. Other medical alert devices often avoid wrist-based fall detection for this reason, opting for neck or waist wearables instead.
Indeed, Apple’s September 2023 update to its fall detection algorithms triggered a rash of false alarms. As the New York Times noted in a recent story, “Why Apple Watch Keeps Calling 911:”
“…the latest [Apple Watch] innovation appears to send the device into overdrive: It keeps mistaking skiers, and some other fitness enthusiasts, for car-wreck victims.
Lately, emergency call centers in some ski regions have been inundated with inadvertent, automated calls, dozens or more a week. Phone operators often must put other calls, including real emergencies, on hold to clarify whether the latest siren has been prompted by a human at risk or an overzealous device.”
Robust App Selection
Unlike dedicated medical alert watches, the Apple Watch is first and foremost a full-fledged smartwatch with access to a huge app library. Out of the box, the cellular model comes with 33 preloaded apps, including:
- Activity – tracks how much you move, exercise, and stand each day
- Alarm
- Calculator
- Calendar
- Heart Rate
- Mindfulness
- Noise – an app that measures the loudness of your environment to let you know if you need ear protection
- Reminders
- Timers
- Weather
- Workout
These were just the default apps and, of course, were free. There are many more in the app store.
One important caveat: We learned in our research and testing that some apps, particularly health apps, are not available if you use the cellular Apple Watch as a standalone device. Setting up a watch as a standalone device means the watch user does not own an iPhone and will use Family Sharing to set up the watch. These apps are unavailable when the watch is in Standalone Mode:
- Irregular heart rhythm notifications
- ECG
- Cycle Tracking
- Sleep
- Blood Oxygen
- Podcasts
For more information, Verizon has a helpful article about the limitations on setting up the watch for a family member.
FindMy App
Rather than a traditional caregiver portal that most medical alert companies have, Apple has the FindMy app. All Apple Watches have GPS, which can be used to help people locate a lost device, or see where a person is at a given point in time. Families can set location-sharing preferences and even receive alerts when a loved one arrives or leaves a location. For caregivers monitoring someone with memory issues, this can be especially valuable, especially if they’re still driving.
Through FindMy – which is available on Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads, Macs, and through iCloud.com – a person can share their location with a family member for a short period of time or indefinitely. A family member can even configure the app to notify them when a loved one leaves or arrives at a location.
Apple’s precision with a device’s location can’t be beat, and it does well updating in real time.
A Word of Caution About Magnets
The Apple Watch is on the company’s list of products that contain magnets which could affect medical devices. The Federal Drug Administration recommends keeping any device that may create magnetic interference at least six inches away from implanted medical devices, particularly cardiac defibrillators, and 12 inches away while the device is charging.
If you have an implanted medical device, you want to be aware that the Apple Watch has the ability to disrupt a pacemaker, so it doesn’t take you three ER visits to figure out the cause of the problem like it did this journalist and his wife.
Apple Watch Key Specifications
| GPS | GPS + Cellular | |
| Device Costs | Starting at $399 | Starting at $499 |
| Monthly Costs | None | $9.99+ |
| Minimum Length of Contract | None | Depends on cellular provider |
| GPS Option | Included | Included |
| Automatic Fall Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Wearables | Wristwatch | Wristwatch |
| Voice Activated | Yes | Yes |
| Caregiver Tracking App | Sort of: Not a true caregiver app, FindMy can track a device | Sort of: Not a true caregiver app, FindMy can track a device |
| Range | Limited, must be connected to WiFi or within Bluetooth range of paired phone | Unlimited in U.S. |
| Battery Life | 18 hours | 14 hours |
| Waterproof | Yes | Yes |
| Available Case Colors (in order of least expensive to most) | Aluminum: Blue, Midnight, Starlight, Green, and (PRODUCT) RED. Stainless Steel: Silver, Gold, and Graphite Titanium: Space Black and Titanium | Aluminum: Blue, Midnight, Starlight, Green, and (PRODUCT) RED. Stainless Steel: Silver, Gold, and Graphite Titanium: Space Black and Titanium |
| Available Band Colors and Material | Wide variety from Apple and third parties | Wide variety from Apple and third parties |
| Band Sizing | Both a small/medium band and a medium/large band are included in the box when you buy a Watch | Both a small/medium band and a medium/large band are included in the box when you buy a Watch |
Pricing: GPS only or GPS + Cellular?
If you are considering an Apple Watch, one big question is whether to get the GPS-only model or the model with GPS and a cellular connection.
GPS only
The GPS-only watch is the less expensive Apple Watch, starting at $399. It will work as an extension of someone’s iPhone if it is within bluetooth range of the paired iPhone. That means you can make phone calls, send texts, and email from the watch.
The Apple Watch uses Bluetooth and WiFi to connect to an iPhone. This range varies depending on the circumstances, such as physical proximity for Bluetooth and whether the watch can connect to a WiFi network. Because Bluetooth requires less power, the Watch tries to connect through this method with its paired iPhone first. If that’s unavailable, then the Watch switches to WiFi to connect to the iPhone.
Bluetooth range in the Apple Watch is usually around 30 feet.
Is it possible to give someone a GPS Apple Watch if they don’t have an iPhone?
No, this is not possible. Apple does not allow people to set up GPS-only watches for family members. GPS-only watches are paired to the phone used to set them up. This means that if you want to give a GPS Apple Watch to a family member, they must have an iPhone.
GPS + Cellular
If you are going to use the Apple Watch as a medical alert device–which we do not recommend since it is an unmonitored system-we suggest purchasing the cellular version, which starts at $499.
The cellular version will always be able to connect to 911 or a family member as long as the watch user is in a location where there is cellular coverage by their provider. This version includes GPS and can also connect to WiFi networks. The main differentiator is that it will work even if it’s not near the iPhone used to set it up or a WiFi network.
For example, if Corinne fell while getting into her car, she would still be able to call a family member on her GPS + Cellular watch if WiFi didn’t extend to the parking area and she forgot her phone in her condo. She would not have the same capability on the GPS Apple Watch.
Is it possible to give someone a GPS + Cellular Apple Watch if they don’t have a cell phone or an iPhone?
Technically, yes, this is possible. There is an option to set up a watch for a family member-this is how you can set up a watch for a loved one who doesn’t have an iPhone-but that family member must have a cellular version of the watch, Series 4 or above. They will need to join someone’s family group, though there is no fee for doing this with Apple (at least at this time). For more information, see their Family Sharing article.
Giving an Apple Watch to someone without an iPhone will confuse a person that is not familiar with the interface. We see it as a realistic option only for people who are capable and have the desire to learn how to navigate a new electronic device. Even then, we don’t recommend using the Apple Watch as a medical alert device since it is an unmonitored system. You don’t want a half measure in the case of an emergency where your loved one is hurt and can’t call 911 themselves.
Cell Service Costs
Our tester currently uses Visible for cell service. Visible could only accommodate our tester if she was planning to pair the cellular watch with her iPhone, which meant that the watch would also use her phone number.
We wanted to see what the experience would be like for someone who was using the watch and maybe only had a landline or did not have an iPhone. As a result, our tester ended up at a Verizon store where cellular service cost $10 per month before taxes and fees.
If we wanted to pair the Watch to our tester’s iPhone, it would’ve been $5 per month, including taxes and fees, at Visible. The cost of cellular service-and the Watch-will vary on provider and current promotions.
Where To Buy the Apple Watch
You can buy the Apple Watch in a variety of places: online or in store through Apple, big box retailers like Best Buy and Target, and cellular carriers themselves for the GPS + Cellular version.
We recommend buying through Apple directly if you’re going with the GPS version. They have free shipping and an easy return process if you don’t like the watch. Plus, they are the experts on their devices.
You can also more easily add AppleCare+, which is their warranty program when you order directly through Apple. The Watch comes with a free 1-year limited hardware warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary support. AppleCare+ is $79 for two years, or $3.99/mo ($94 total for 24 months), and covers up to two incidents of damage every year. Users do have to pay a $69 fee each time there’s damage, but they have 24/7 access to customer support.
Apple offers discounts to students, teachers and educational staff. They also offer discounts for current and Veteran members of the US Military, National Guard and Reserve, and immediate family members who reside in the same household are also eligible.
Smartwatch Total Cost, First Year of Ownership
| Company | Hardware | Shipping | Monthly Monitoring3 | Total Cost (1st Year) |
| Bay Alarm Medical | $159 | $12.00 | $29.95 | $530.40 |
| Apple Watch1 | $399 | Free | $14.99 | $578.88 |
| LifeStation (via Amazon) | $50.55 | Free | $44.95 | $545 |
| LifeStation (Direct Purchase) | $100 | $12.50 | $43.95 | $639.90 |
| Medical Guardian2 | $199.95 | $12.50 | $42.95 | $787.73 |
1 – Costs are for an Apple Watch Series 7 with Aluminum Case and Fall Call Lite app for monthly monitoring. Does not include iPhone or monthly cellular fees.
2 – Costs include Chat and Reminder add-on apps.
3 – All prices are based on month-to-month contracts.
Our Testing Experience
The Buying Experience
We bought our Apple Watches through two different avenues, online and in a Verizon store.
We purchased the GPS through Apple.com, and it arrived two days later as promised. If we wanted it sooner, we could’ve run to the closest Apple Store, since Apple shows their in-store inventory online, but decided it was better for our schedule to order online. Apple unsurprisingly gets an A+ for the online ordering experience. We also talked with a helpful, easygoing customer service rep on the phone before purchasing and had a good experience with her, too.
Contrast this with the messy Verizon experience.
For the GPS + Cellular Watch, we tried to purchase it online through the Verizon website. That turned out to be more complicated than expected.
We first tried to order the Watch without any human interaction. Because our tester did not have an active Verizon account, she had to start a live chat, where Verizon sent her a link to a secure form to fill out personal information so they could run a soft credit check. Once approved, the Verizon chat rep shared the details of the plans and sent another link to her requesting payment for the device/plan. However, the link only asked for credit card information. It did not show the total or a review of the order.
The rep attempted to troubleshoot the page without success. Only after the rep temporarily closed the order did the page asking for credit card information show a recap. However, by then it was too late. The rep ended up sending a flurry of emails with different PDFs: a customer agreement, device payment agreement, gift receipt and receipt. The link to the order would expire in 24 hours if no payment was made.
This online ordeal took more than an hour and was complicated and overwhelming. Because it did not look like the full address was included on the order, our tester decided it would be prudent to visit a Verizon store to pick up the Watch.
Luckily, the in-store staff was able to pull up the registration work done online, so our tester was out the door in 15 minutes. However, she did get conflicting information from the rep about what was and wasn’t possible with a standalone cellular Apple Watch, reinforcing the lesson that it is best to get information about Apple products directly from Apple.
Unboxing & Setup
Everything looks polished and attractive, which is what Apple is known for. It was difficult to open the box that held the watch and watch band but easy enough getting everything else out. The simple instructions in the box direct you to complete the setup on your iPhone. Then, the phone guides you through each step. This is easy enough for someone tech-savvy but might be a frustrating experience for those who aren’t as comfortable with technology.
For the cellular version, the Verizon in-store rep told our tester to make sure she was connected to WiFi when setting up the Watch. The Watch successfully paired, and then we were required to set up an Apple ID for the family member. This is easy to do through the iPhone if you have access to an email address for the family member.
Signing the Watch into the family member’s Apple account took more than the ”few minutes” that Apple said it would. We believe the Watch got stuck. After more than an hour, we decided to unpair the watch and start over again. This time, the process took less than a minute. Then, because we were setting up a Watch from scratch, the display walked us through the following settings and more:
- Watch passcode
- Cellular setup
- Location sharing
- Using Siri
- Analytics sharing with Apple
- iCloud messages
- Permission for the iPhone user to see your the Watch user’s health data
When setting up a Watch for a family member, you use the watch to change or add new watch faces.
Our tester was able to turn on the Fall Detection feature on the GPS + Cellular Watch app using the iPhone after some fumbling around. When she set up the GPS-only Watch on her phone, it prompted her to turn it on. One thing to note: If you enter your age when you set up the Watch, or in the Health app, and you’re 55 or older, fall detection turns on automatically.
On something as sophisticated as the Apple Watch, it’s easy to forget to set up everything you need. Sometimes, you only remember when opening an app for the first time, which means set up time could take days if you wanted to be thorough and open all apps and use the watch like anyone would to make sure you understand its capabilities and have everything set up properly.
For instance, to receive a notification when your loved one falls, you must designate yourself as an emergency contact on the watch (with your loved one’s permission, of course). To do so, you have to navigate to Settings>Health>Medical ID and add yourself as an Emergency Contact.
You also have the option to share the Watch user’s Medical ID information with the Share During Emergency Call option. This shares information like primary language, allergies and reactions, medications and medical conditions with first responders to aid in their response. Apple says the wearer’s photo is not shared with the Medical ID info.
Although helpful, it does not replace a live agent. Talking with an emergency operator in the case of an emergency is still safer and better. This is something offered by other smartwatches from Bay Alarm Medical, Medical Guardian and Lifestation.
Testing & Use
Fall Detection: While the Apple Watch has fall detection, we could not trigger a fall detection alert no matter how hard we tried-and we even had a real fall during testing.
Our team has researched tips to simulate falls and specifically with the Apple Watch, we found only a professional could trigger it with a Series 4 Apple Watch. We also discovered a tech journalist whose watch alerted her about a fall when she was in a cycling accident wearing her Series 7.
Our tester actually had an accidental slip on wooden stairs while wearing socks and was unable to catch the hand railing in time to stop her fall. As a result, she bruised her tailbone. Even this did not register as a fall with the Apple Watch.
This is one reason why the medical alert industry hasn’t embraced automatic fall detection on watches. There are either too many false falls detected or none at all since this technology problem has not been solved.
Normal wrist movements are hard to distinguish from falls. It’s easier to more accurately detect falls on devices worn around the neck or waist, which is why those are common locations to wear fall detection medical alert devices.
Emergency Alerts: A Watch user can press and hold the side button and press Emergency SOS to call 911. If you have Emergency Contacts designated, they will get an emergency notification 10 seconds after the call with 911 ends.
This worked as promised in our test. We received a text within that time frame that indicated our family member had called emergency services. The text also included a map link to the family member’s location with GPS coordinates.
The text alert is sent to an emergency contact when a Watch user uses Emergency SOS to call 911.
Location Sharing: We’ve historically found the location-sharing feature from Apple to be reliable, and the Apple Watches were no exception. You can set up the Watch to share the wearer’s location and the receiver can share theirs as well, or it can only share locations one-way.
This feature is handy for everyday things, like setting up an alert when someone leaves their house to visit you so you know they’re on their way. It’s also helpful for receiving an alert if someone is not at an address where they should be. Unlike other medical alert devices we’ve reviewed, the updates are nearly instant and the location is fairly accurate the majority of the time.
Battery Life & Charging
Apple’s watches can easily last all day, and we did not run into any problems with battery life. The Watch comes with a charging station that is magnetic, so all you do is set the watch on the circle to recharge. It has a USB-C cable that can plug into a computer or a power adapter.
Other: The Apple Watch is water-resistant to 50 meters —so showers, rain or swimming in a pool are not issues. There is even a feature that ejects water from the watch speaker.
Easy But Inconvenient Return to Verizon Store
Returning the device was easy but inconvenient. Before going to the store, we had to unpair the watch. However, that alone does not cancel the cellular service.
The person at the Verizon store took the device without issues, but we did have to wait 15 minutes to talk to someone. When you contrast that to sticking a shipping label on a box and dropping it off, waiting felt like a long time even though it wasn’t.
Since we paid $41.21 in taxes for the device initially and there is a $50 restocking fee, we had to pay $8.75 to return the device. We are still waiting on the final bill more than one month later, which we expect to be the $35 activation fee and however much the prorated service is for time we spent testing.
The Bottom Line
Though Apple has a long history of making quality tech products featuring user-friendly design, the Apple Watch is an expensive, complicated and problematic choice as a medical alert system.
The Apple Watch gets high marks for its style and flair, but in the medical alert device niche, we cannot recommend it because it is an unmonitored system.
It will only work for high-tech users who are comfortable and familiar with the Apple software and ecosystem. Even if someone has an iPhone, if the person cannot remember how to call someone or 911 on their watch for help, it is not the perfect solution it appears to be on the surface.
If you are set on buying the Apple Watch, then we suggest the GPS + Cellular model, since it has access to a cellular network and can be used to call for help even when it is out of range of an iPhone.
If you are searching for a solution for an older relative or someone who doesn’t care to learn how to navigate a new device, a simpler smartwatch designed specifically for the medical alert space, such as the SOS Smartwatch or MG Move, is likely a better option.
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