watchOS 26 launched this fall, and two of the biggest Apple Watch additions are brand new health features: hypertension notifications and sleep score. Here are the details.
Hypertension notifications
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.
Note: hypertension notifications require Apple Watch Series 9, 10, or 11, or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or 3.
Sleep score
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