NEW YORK: Apple has been officially cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its much-awaited Hypertension Notification feature.
The feature, designed to help detect early warning signs of high blood pressure, will begin rolling out next week in over 150 countries and regions, including the United States.
With the use of an optical sensor and machine learning, Apple Watch will monitor people’s blood pressure over time. When they are likely to experience hypertension, users will be notified to visit a physician, offering an early alert system that could save lives.
Initially released with Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3, the feature can also be found on certain legacy models. It will also come to:
Apple Watch Series 9 and later
Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later
The feature will be rolled out via the forthcoming watchOS 26 update.
Though first announced earlier this year, the feature was seeded with its launch being held off until FDA approval, designated by an asterisk upon release. With the regulatory green light now in hand, the rollout will coincide with the release of Apple’s new smartwatch line.
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Apple’s recent move is indicative of its continued commitment to digital health technology. With hypertension being one of the leading global health risks, this new feature could prompt early detection and preventive health checks, enabling users to act early on their health.
