Apple Watch sleep apnea detection gets FDA clearance

Apple’s caller sleep apnea detection diagnostic has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration — and Watch Series 9 oregon Watch Ultra 2 owners tin usage it starting today.

Sleep apnea is simply a upset that causes radical to abruptly halt breathing during sleep. The caller feature, which is rolling retired arsenic portion of the watchOS 11 update, volition usage the Apple Watch’s accelerometer to observe tiny wrist movements linked with breathing disturbances during sleep. Apple volition past usage this accusation to alert users of imaginable mean to terrible slumber apnea.

You tin find and way the caller “breathing disturbances” metric successful the Health app, wherever you tin besides download information to stock it with a doctor. Apple says its slumber apnea notification algorithm was developed with “advanced instrumentality learning and an extended information acceptable of clinical-grade slumber apnea tests.”

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch also got FDA authorization for its slumber apnea diagnostic earlier this year. Apple volition besides rotation retired slumber apnea detection to the forthcoming Watch Series 10 and plans connected making the diagnostic disposable successful implicit 150 countries and regions.