watchOS 26 launched recently, and many users are still discovering everything new with the latest Apple Watch update. Two of the biggest additions are new health features available for recent Watch models: hypertension notifications and sleep score.
Hypertension notifications
Available on: Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and 3
Apple says that hypertension impacts approximately 1.3 billion adults globally, yet it’s frequently undiagnosed. By remaining undetected, hypertension can lead to severe health threats like heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
That’s why the new hypertension notifications in watchOS 26 could prove one of the Apple Watch’s most important features of all time.
Here’s how the feature works, per Apple:
Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. The algorithm works passively in the background reviewing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension.
Apple’s hope is that by identifying possible hypertension early, Watch users can make potentially lifesaving behavioral changes or get treatment that will reduce the risk of more serious health events.
To ensure you’ve enabled hypertension alerts in watchOS 26, go to the Health app, tap your profile icon in the top-right corner, then tap Health Checklist followed by Hypertension Notifications.
Sleep score
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