Skip to main content

The iPhone could soon pick up a car crash detection feature that can dial 911

Apple is reportedly adding an automatic car crash detection feature to the iPhone and Apple Watch, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The feature will debut early next year, likely with iOS 16.

The report claims that Apple will work on using the sensors present in both the iPhone and Apple Watch to detect “a sudden spike in gravity,” the same way Apple’s Watch works at the moment for fall detection. There are no details on how it would be implemented, but likely a notification will pop up, and if the user does not respond to a notification in a timely manner, then the phone will automatically dial 911 or other emergency services. This is how the Apple Watch’s fall detection feature functions.

This would not be an unprecedented feature on a phone. In fact, Google’s Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and other contemporary Pixels support car crash detection and automatic emergency services dialing in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Spain, Singapore, Australia, and Japan as part of Google’s Personal Safety app.

As smartphones are the tools used most by everyone on a daily basis, phone makers have implemented features to help mitigate some of the issues they could cause. Distracted walking is a thing that’s recently happened more and more as people pay attention to their phones to navigate or text while walking around, for example, and a new feature on Android via Google’s Digital Wellbeing app prompts users to look up and pay attention to their surroundings.

On a similar note, mobile phone use accounted for 13.4% of distraction-affected car crashes in 2019, according to a National Safety Council survey. Alongside sleep tracking, headphone volume prompts, and other similar features meant to reduce the negative effects of smartphone overdependence, car crash detection would fit right in.

Editors' Recommendations

Michael Allison
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
Does the Google Pixel Watch work with an iPhone?
A person wearing the Google Pixel Watch 2.

Google threw its hat into the smartwatch ring last year when it introduced the Google Pixel Watch, and now it's back for a much-needed encore with the Pixel Watch 2 — an updated version that proves how good an idea it is to wait for the second generation of a new tech product.

The Pixel Watch 2 improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way, with better battery life, a more comfortable design, and far smoother performance. It's enough for Google to make a mark among Wear OS smartwatches and give Samsung’s Galaxy Watch lineup a run for its money in a way that other challengers like the Moto 360 and Oppo Watch never could.

Read more
It looks like the iPhone 16 will get a big design upgrade
Someone holding the Natural Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Following the release of the iPhone 15 Pro series, several early adopters reported overheating issues. Apple later confirmed that the problem was caused by a software bug in iOS 17, which affected some owners of the phones. The company quickly resolved the issue with the release of iOS 17.0.3 and never acknowledged that hardware played a role in the overheating. Fast-forward to the present, and it now looks like Apple plans to make hardware changes on the iPhone 16 that would make the 2024 handsets less likely to overheat.

According to Apple prototype collector Kosutami, Apple will make two changes to the next round of iPhones. On X, formerly Twitter, they note: "Apple is actively working on graphene thermal system of iPhone 16 Series to solve the heating problem existing before. And the battery of Pro series would change to metal shell, for the same reason."

Read more
How I use my Apple Watch and iPhone to manage my diabetes
iPhone 15 Pro showing One Drop app and kit.

It’s November, which means it’s Diabetes Awareness Month, with World Diabetes Day recently happening on November 14. According to data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study (AHMS) and Apple Women’s Health Study (AWHS), there are about 537 million adults worldwide who are currently living with diabetes, with that number potentially reaching 643 million by 2030. In the U.S. alone, about two out of five people will develop diabetes in their lifetime, and more than one in three adults have elevated glucose levels that put them in the pre-diabetes zone.

I was pre-diabetic since my college years (it runs in both sides of my family), but then my doctor officially diagnosed me with Type 2 diabetes around early 2018. However, I was told that my case was more “mild” than others and that taking some medication — while also cutting out carbs and sweets, plus daily exercise — can help me keep it under control.

Read more