Google to End Plan-Free Mobile Connectivity on Pixel Watch 2 and 3 on December 12

Google will discontinue the Safety Signal feature on December 12, 2026. The change applies to the LTE versions of the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 smartwatches. The feature allowed Google Health Premium subscribers to connect to a mobile network in emergencies without purchasing a separate mobile plan.

Safety Signal was first introduced on the Pixel Watch 2 and was later made available for the Pixel Watch 3. When the watch was not connected to a phone via Bluetooth and did not have an active carrier plan, the service provided a backup mobile connection. The feature was initially included with Fitbit Premium and later with Google Health Premium. This made it possible to use the watch’s compatible safety features even when the phone was not nearby.

Google will notify current users in advance by email and through an in-app notification. A 30-day transition period will begin on the date the email is sent. Safety Signal will continue to work during this period. Once the transition period ends, the LTE connection that does not require a separate plan will be shut down, and access to the service will end completely after December 12.

Although Safety Signal will be discontinued, the safety features that work with it will not be removed from the watches. Safety Check, Emergency Sharing, Emergency SOS, and Fall Detection will continue to work. Emergency SOS allows users to quickly call emergency services. Fall Detection detects a hard fall and alerts others if the user is unable to contact them personally.

The change will affect only the LTE versions of the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3. After December 12, an active mobile plan will be required to use emergency features over a mobile network without a phone. Without a plan, those features will work only when the watch is connected to Wi-Fi or to a smartphone via Bluetooth.