Apple Watch sleep apnea detection gets FDA clearance

Apple’s new sleep apnea detection feature has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration — and Watch Series 9 or Watch Ultra 2 owners can use it starting today.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes people to suddenly stop breathing during sleep. The new feature, which is rolling out as part of the watchOS 11 update, will use the Apple Watch’s accelerometer to detect small wrist movements linked with breathing disturbances during sleep. Apple will then use this information to alert users of possible moderate to severe sleep apnea.

You can find and track the new “breathing disturbances” metric in the Health app, where you can also download data to share it with a doctor. Apple says its sleep apnea notification algorithm was developed with “advanced machine learning and an extensive data set of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests.”

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch also got FDA authorization for its sleep apnea feature earlier this year. Apple will also roll out sleep apnea detection to the forthcoming Watch Series 10 and plans on making the feature available in over 150 countries and regions.