A Complete Guide to Setting Up Garmin Safety Features

Diego Tobias
Jan 14
3 min read

Updated: Jan 25

Your Garmin watch is more than just a fitness tracker—it’s a powerful tool designed to keep you safe during your runs, rides, and outdoor adventures. Whether you're running solo on quiet trails or cycling in busy city streets, Garmin’s built-in safety and tracking features can provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones. However, understanding how to properly set up these features is essential to ensure they work when you need them most.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up your Garmin’s safety features and insight into why your watch might not detect a fall.

Key Safety Features on Garmin Devices

Garmin offers several safety and tracking tools designed to alert emergency contacts when something goes wrong. The most important features include:

1. Incident Detection

Automatically detects if you’ve had a hard fall or crash and sends your real-time location to your emergency contacts.

2. Assistance Alert

Allows you to manually send a help alert and your GPS location to designated emergency contacts in case of trouble.

3. LiveTrack

Shares your real-time location with friends and family so they can track your activity in real-time.

How to Set Up Garmin’s Safety Features

Step 1: Add Emergency Contacts

Open the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone.
Tap More (three horizontal lines) or Menu.
Select Safety & Tracking > Safety Contacts.
Tap Add Emergency Contact and select contacts from your phone.

Tip: Ensure your emergency contacts can receive texts and calls during your activities.

Step 2: Enable Incident Detection

On the Garmin Connect app, tap Safety & Tracking.
Select Incident Detection & Assistance.
Turn on Incident Detection for specific activities (Running, Cycling, etc.).
On your watch, go to Settings > Safety & Tracking > Incident Detection and ensure it’s enabled.

Step 3: Set Up Assistance Alerts

On the Garmin Connect app, go to Safety & Tracking.
Select Assistance and turn it on.
To trigger an alert, press and hold the top-left button on your watch until it vibrates.

Step 4: Activate LiveTrack

Open Garmin Connect.
Tap Safety & Tracking > LiveTrack.
Turn on LiveTrack and invite friends or family via email or social media.

Tip: LiveTrack requires your phone to be with you and connected via Bluetooth.

Why Your Garmin Might Not Detect a Fall

Even with Incident Detection enabled, there are times when Garmin devices might not detect a fall. Here’s why:

1. Movement Isn’t Drastic Enough

Incident Detection works by sensing sudden changes in movement. If you fall slowly or brace yourself, the watch might not recognize it as a crash.

2. Signal and GPS Issues

Poor GPS signal can impact the watch's ability to detect falls or send alerts. This can happen in tunnels, dense forests, or urban areas with tall buildings.

3. Battery Saving Settings

If your watch is in battery saver mode, certain sensors and features may be limited, including safety alerts.

4. Not Wearing the Watch Securely

A loose fit can affect how the watch senses movement, reducing the effectiveness of Incident Detection.

5. Activity Type Settings

Incident Detection may only be turned on for specific activities (like outdoor runs or rides). Check that it’s enabled for all the activities you need.

Best Practices for Staying Safe

Test Your Safety Features: Try triggering Assistance alerts in a safe setting to ensure they work.
Keep Your Device Updated: Install the latest software updates to improve detection accuracy.
Charge Your Watch: Low battery can disable certain features, so keep your watch charged.
Carry Your Phone: Features like LiveTrack and Assistance require a Bluetooth connection to your phone.