Apple unveiled three new Apple Watch models during the iPhone 17 event on Tuesday, including the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3. Along with the new hardware, the company also announced two new health features: hypertension notifications and Sleep Score. While the latter is already available to Apple Watch users, Apple said during the event that hypertension notifications will roll out only after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators approve the new health feature. Per 9to5Mac and Bloomberg, Apple has received clearance from the FDA already, confirming the feature will roll out to supported devices next week.
Hypertension notifications will be available via the watchOS 26 update; you won’t need new hardware for it to work. Apple’s press release indicates that older Apple Watch versions will also get the feature. In addition to the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 will support hypertension notifications. Apple also said it will roll out the feature to Apple Watch users in over 150 countries.
How hypertension notifications work on the Apple Watch
Apple said during the iPhone 17 event that hypertension, or high blood pressure, impacts about 1.3 billion adults worldwide, with the American Heart Association labeling it as a silent killer because it doesn’t always come with symptoms. High blood pressure is a risk factor for life-threatening conditions, including heart attack and stroke. Notably, the Apple Watch will not give users blood pressure readings in real time. Instead, Apple’s new algorithm works in the background, analyzing how your blood vessels respond to heartbeats. The algorithm reviews data over 30-day periods and then issues notifications if it finds patterns related to high blood pressure.
The algorithm gathers data from the Apple Watch’s optical heart sensor. Apple said on stage that it developed the new tool using advanced machine learning and a series of studies involving over 100,000 participants. The FDA approval is a key development, as it signals that the Apple Watch can indeed be used for monitoring blood pressure. It’s vital to note that the hypertension notification feature won’t detect all instances of hypertension. Even so, an early high blood pressure warning could significantly improve one’s well-being, since they can seek guidance and treatment from a doctor immediately.