Apple Watch Emergency SOS - Cancel

[IGBG]

I had an unexpected Apple Watch SOS go off while swimming in the sea yesterday -- the watch misinterpreted a dive, registered a SOS event and proceeded to count-down to call 911.
The issue is that with wet hands the watch face is totally unresponsive and with no way to dry hands I could only resort to pushing the crown and side buttons, together, one at a time, together in sequence - to no avail, the watch tried to call regardless. Still pressing buttons till the watch face showed a temperature warning (a thermometer in red), then shut down. It has yet to wake up, 18 hours later having spend the night on the charger - no signs of life.

Fortunately for emergency service personnel, there isn't a 911 centre or any responders in this part of the Caribbean so the fact I could not cancel the SOS call had no downside, save a now dead watch.

Thoughts? Guidance?

 

[Howard2k]

Sounds like it’s toasted. Is it possible you compromised the device physically by mashing the buttons?

I’d be calling Apple.

 

[Jackbequickly]

Sounds like it will need to be replaced. It was either damaged and water intruded or it was mechanically damaged. Hope it was still under warranty.

 

[IGBG]

Sounds like it will need to be replaced. It was either damaged and water intruded or it was mechanically damaged. Hope it was still under warranty.

Thx, no, its a version 6, so no warranty left - but even if I get a new 8, if wet hands cannot shut off a SOS, will have the same issue if I dive ... no way to shut off the alert.

 

[Howard2k]

Only the Ultra should be used for diving.

 

[IGBG]

Only the Ultra should be used for diving.

Surface swimming, not scuba; dive, stride jump entry; love to have an Ultra, but not really required for this - have swum with four versions of Apple Watch with no issue - SOS feature wasn’t available then.

 

[jz0309]

I had an unexpected Apple Watch SOS go off while swimming in the sea yesterday -- the watch misinterpreted a dive, registered a SOS event and proceeded to count-down to call 911.


Thoughts? Guidance?

whatever a "dive" is, see below from Apple's website re the water resistance rating.
it sounds that you did not "lock" your screen, so whatever "dive" you did might have triggered something on the screen unbeknownst to you, so that would be my 1st recommendation that whenever you go and expose AW to water turn Lock Screen on.
Trying to interact with a touchscreen when your fingers are wet, well that's a p.i.t.a. so don't expect to get successful at that, just ain't happening.
That your watch is dead n ow,well, "dive" might have done that ...



Apple Watch Series 8 has a water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. This means that it may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, Apple Watch Series 8 should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information see support.apple.com/en-us/HT205000.

 

[IGBG]

whatever a "dive" is, see below from Apple's website re the water resistance rating.
it sounds that you did not "lock" your screen, so whatever "dive" you did might have triggered something on the screen unbeknownst to you, so that would be my 1st recommendation that whenever you go and expose AW to water turn Lock Screen on.
Trying to interact with a touchscreen when your fingers are wet, well that's a p.i.t.a. so don't expect to get successful at that, just ain't happening.
That your watch is dead n ow,well, "dive" might have done that ...



Apple Watch Series 8 has a water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. This means that it may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, Apple Watch Series 8 should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information see support.apple.com/en-us/HT205000.

I was swimming on the surface, no deeper than 1 foot, (dive was a way to enter the water, not a scuba experience) so not the water resistance issue; as for Lock Screen, when in the water the watch says, looks like you are swimming, go to activities? Of course, in the water, cannot interact with the screen with wet hands ... will Lock Screen also disable SOS? Somehow doubt it - so issue remains.

 

[matrix07]

I was swimming on the surface, no deeper than 1 foot, (dive was a way to enter the water, not a scuba experience) so not the water resistance issue; as for Lock Screen, when in the water the watch says, looks like you are swimming, go to activities? Of course, in the water, cannot interact with the screen with wet hands ... will Lock Screen also disable SOS? Somehow doubt it - so issue remains.

I believe what @jz0309 said is you didn’t initiate water lock so it’s possible that water force will push your side button to call SOS.
if you go swimming you should initiate water lock before entering water, either by manually or start open water swim.

 

[JustSomeHuman]

My 6 starts to call 911 if I even wear it in the shower. It has just started doing that recently. I’d turn the feature off, but with my age and my tendency to fall, I hesitate to disable it. I guess I’m up for a new watch. 😤