Google will end free LTE access for Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 safety features
Owners will need a paid mobile plan for those features to work over cellular after the cutoff period ends.
Google is ending free LTE access to Safety Signal on the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3, which matters because those watches’ emergency features will soon need a paid mobile plan to work over cellular. The change takes effect after December 12, and Google says existing users will get notified by email and in-app alerts. During a 30-day transition window after that email goes out, the features will keep working without a plan, but only until the cutoff. Afterward, Emergency SOS, Fall Detection, and Safety Check will still function on those watches when they are on Wi‑Fi or connected to a phone over Bluetooth.
Why it matters
For Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 users, emergency tools that used to work over free LTE access will no longer do so once the transition period ends. Google says the features will still work on Wi‑Fi or through a phone over Bluetooth, but cellular access will now depend on a paid plan. Current users are due to get email and in-app notice before the change takes full effect.
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Sources
- The Verge