Apple has introduced a groundbreaking new feature in watchOS 26 that could help millions of people detect early signs of hypertension. The hypertension notification feature, available on select Apple Watch models, uses the watch’s optical heart sensor to analyze blood volume changes in vessels over 30-day periods. If consistent patterns associated with hypertension are detected, users will receive an alert.
The feature is available on Apple Watch Series 11, Series 10, Series 9, Ultra 3, and Ultra 2 models, and requires an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26. Users must be 22 years or older, not pregnant, and not previously diagnosed with hypertension to activate the feature. To enable hypertension notifications, users need to open the Health App on their iPhone, navigate to the ‘Health Checklist’ under Features, and tap ‘Hypertension Notifications’.
After confirming their age and verifying if they’ve ever been diagnosed with hypertension, users can follow the onscreen prompts to complete the setup process.
New Apple Watch hypertension notifications
It’s important to note that users won’t start receiving hypertension notifications immediately after setup.
Apple requires 30 days to gather initial data before it can accurately predict whether a user might be demonstrating a pattern of hypertension. The watch analyzes data collected by the optical heart sensor over 30-day evaluation periods, starting from the day the feature is set up. Apple developed the hypertension notification feature based on extensive health research and validated it through a clinical study involving over 2,000 participants.
The study showed the feature achieved a specificity rate above 92%, minimizing false positives, and performed consistently across various age groups, genders, races, and skin tones. If a user receives a hypertension alert from their Apple Watch, Apple recommends logging blood pressure daily for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff, sharing the results with a doctor at the next appointment, and following American Heart Association guidelines for further evaluation. The addition of hypertension notifications to the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 reinforces Apple’s ongoing commitment to leveraging technology for better health management.
With the potential to alert more than 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension in its first year alone, this feature could significantly change lives worldwide.
