iOS 16.4 Further Optimizes iPhone 14's Crash Detection After False 911 Calls

iOS 16.4 includes additional Crash Detection optimizations for all iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, according to Apple's release notes for the software update, which is expected to be released to the public as early as next week.

Apple Crash Detection Skiing
Apple does not provide any specific details about the optimizations, but the company has been working to improve Crash Detection after emergency dispatchers in several U.S. states and Canada complained about the feature triggering an influx of false 911 calls from skiers and snowboarders throughout the winter. This is the third update with Crash Detection optimizations after iOS 16.1.2 in November and iOS 16.3.1 last month.

Crash Detection launched last year for all iPhone 14 models and the latest Apple Watch models. The feature is designed to detect a severe car crash and automatically call emergency services if a user does not respond to the device within 20 seconds, but has sometimes mistaken a skier or snowboarder falling down as a car crash, according to reports out of Colorado, Utah, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and other popular skiing areas.

It's unclear if the latest optimizations will fully resolve the issue. The skiing season is drawing to a close in the U.S. and Canada, so we will have to wait until next winter in order to know if iOS 16.4 leads to a reduction in false 911 calls.

Related Roundups: iOS 16, iPadOS 16
Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

krspkbl Avatar
11 weeks ago
Why can't those skiers snowerboards disable the call? Are they down for more than 20 seconds? Is the sound too low?

Maybe Apple should test these things for longer before releasing them to the public. They are wasting the time of the emergency services!

edit: lmao at "false 911 calls should decrease regardless as the skiing season draws to a close." jeez the quality of this place is going downhill (no pun intended)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rtkane Avatar
11 weeks ago
Contextual ads coming in 16.5.



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Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
11 weeks ago
Rumor is, you have to verify that you are not involved in wintr sports:



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Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rtkane Avatar
11 weeks ago

Why can't those skiers snowerboards disable the call? Are they down for more than 20 seconds? Is the sound too low?

Maybe Apple should test these things for longer before releasing them to the public. They are wasting the time of the emergency services!
Sometimes you don't even know. My Apple Watch has done it for fall alerts while skiing before, but with it being buried under multiple layers of clothes plus a glove, it often goes either unnoticed or you barely get the watch uncovered in time to stop the notification. Never had the crash detection go off, fortunately.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
11 weeks ago

The good thing is winter is almost over.
What about next winter? Or will Apple have fixed the problem by then? :rolleyes:
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
11 weeks ago

Why can't those skiers snowerboards disable the call? Are they down for more than 20 seconds? Is the sound too low?

Maybe Apple should test these things for longer before releasing them to the public. They are wasting the time of the emergency services!

edit: lmao at "false 911 calls should decrease regardless as the skiing season draws to a close." jeez the quality of this place is going downhill (no pun intended)
Turns out a high stakes race against time to use a touch screen with snow gloves wasn't the brilliant idea it sounded like in the board room.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)