Apple has officially received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new hypertension alert feature on the Apple Watch. The update, arriving with watchOS 26 in mid-September, will allow millions of users worldwide to receive early warnings about potential high blood pressure.
The new system does not replace a traditional blood pressure cuff. Instead, it uses the Apple Watch’s optical heart sensor to monitor blood vessel activity and analyze patterns over a 30-day period. If signs of elevated blood pressure are detected consistently, the watch will notify the user, encouraging them to seek medical advice.
The feature will be available on newer Apple Watch models, including Series 9 and above, along with Ultra 2 and later versions. It will launch in more than 150 countries and regions, making it one of Apple’s broadest health feature rollouts to date.
While the alerts offer valuable early detection, Apple stresses that the tool is not meant to serve as a diagnostic device. False positives and missed cases are possible, and users are encouraged to confirm any alerts with traditional blood pressure monitoring methods.
This development marks another major step in Apple’s expansion into digital health technology. Following earlier innovations such as ECG monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, and irregular rhythm notifications, the hypertension alert highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to using wearables for preventive health care.
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