Apple has made security a major priority for the iPhone 13, but it seems that the company wants to extend its reach to safety as well. A new report claimsApple is eyeing the possibility of adding car crash detection to some of its devices.
Per the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s new safety feature would be called, appropriately enough, “crash detection” and it would work on both the iPhone and the Apple Watch. The feature would be able to detect an auto accident and automatically dial 911. Presumably, this feature would tap into the accelerometer already built into most Apple devices to detect the sudden stops that come in car crashes.
Of course, Apple isn’t the first company to try its hand at such as feature, as Google introduced its Personal Safety app with the launch of its Pixel 3. The Personal Safety app can detect car crashes and quickly seek emergency services on a user’s behalf. It can even begin recording in any emergency situation so as to better document the events that transpire. GM’s OnStar Guardian app, meanwhile, has also recently added a feature that detects crashes.
While it may not be a trailblazer in this area, the Journal report suggests Apple's been at work on this for the past few years. Reportedly, Apple has been collecting anonymous data from iPhones and Apple Watches in an attempt to improve its detection algorithm. To date, the journal reports that Apple has revealed more than 10 million crashes and more than 50,000 calls to 911.
Crash detection wouldn’t be the only emergency feature to come to modern Apple devices, though, as fall-detection has been built into the company’s wrist gear since the Apple Watch 4. This helpful service can alert emergency services and family members in the event that a person doesn’t respond to a sudden fall within a certain timeframe.
So long as Apple is able to get the algorithm precise, its crash detection feature could make its debut on multiple devices at some point in 2022, potentially on the iPhone 14.
Read next: Google's Car Crash Detection could also come to non-Pixel phones — here's what we know
