Apple Watch is about to get a major safety upgrade. With the forthcoming update (watchOS 26.2), the watch will start delivering enhanced emergency alerts — including warnings for floods, earthquakes, extreme weather and other natural disasters. Instead of just seeing basic notification text, users will now get more detailed alerts that can include maps of impacted areas and actionable safety instructions.
This change matters especially when your phone is tucked away or silent: the watch becomes a second alert channel on your wrist, increasing the chance you’ll notice a warning in time. For people living in regions prone to disasters, that extra immediacy could make a big difference.
Apple is building on existing alert infrastructure: Apple Watch already supports standard government and public-safety notifications in supported regions. This upgrade simply enhances the format and adds richer context so you can see where the threat is and what to do about it.
At launch, the feature is rolling out in the United States — but if it proves useful, it’s likely Apple will expand support to more countries. Combined with other safety and health tools already present on Apple Watch (like fall detection, crash-detection, and SOS), this update strengthens the watch’s role as not just a gadget, but a personal safety device.
