Apple Explains How Hypertension Alerts Work on Apple Watch

[MacRumors]

With watchOS 26, the Apple Watch Series 9 and later and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later support Hypertension Notifications to give Apple Watch wearers a heads up when chronic high blood pressure is detected.

Apple this week provided more insight into how the feature works. There are no new health sensors in the watch, which is why it's available for older devices. The Apple Watch analyzes data collected from the heart sensor, using a new algorithm to see if there are signs of hypertension.

Hypertension alerts require 30 days of data, and the data collection starts when Hypertension Notifications are set up with the Health app on the iPhone. If hypertension is identified within the last 30 days of heart data, you'll get a notification.

Apple says that the feature is designed for users who are 22 years or older, not pregnant, and have not been diagnosed with hypertension. Apple Watch owners who do not meet that criteria should not enable the feature.

Apple Watch users who receive a hypertension alert will be prompted to create a Blood Pressure Log and check their blood pressure using a third-party blood pressure measurement device for a 7-day period. Apple will also suggest getting in contact with a healthcare professional.

The Blood Pressure Log option will send daily alerts reminding users to perform a check in the morning and the evening, and it includes options for adding date, time, systolic, and diastolic pressure. Logging blood pressure can be done for a 7-day period to detect hypertension, or for a 4-week period to better monitor existing hypertension.

Apple warns that not all people with hypertension will receive a notification, and the feature is not meant to diagnose, treat, or aid in the management of hypertension.

Article Link: Apple Explains How Hypertension Alerts Work on Apple Watch

 

[Caviar_X]

So I’ve been diagnosed so apple is saying don’t buy it?

 

[travis64]

Sounds more like a guess

 

[macenjoyer98]

21 year olds really lost out

 

[timborama]

“For entertainment purposes only”

 

[klasma]

I predict a concerning correlation between hypertension notifications and use of iOS 26.

 

[Entilzha]

So I’ve been diagnosed so apple is saying don’t buy it?

Apple is saying that since you know you have it, this is a feature that would not be of use to you.

It’s for people who have not been diagnosed.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

There are no new health sensors in the watch, which is why it's available for older devices.

This is an extremely radical departure for Apple. Normally, features like satellite SOS and the 80% charge limit require you to buy a new device instead of continuing to use your old device, despite the old device being 100% hardware capable of implementing the new feature.

ETA: "Older devices" meaning the iWatch 9 or newer, which is only two years old.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Sounds more like a guess

It’s called statistical modeling.

 

[Octavius8]

S6 sensors are basically the same as s9, why not support it?. Oh, sure,planned obsolescence to make us buy a "new bit the same" device.
AW is lagging in functions tremendously: no NFC for simple doors, no body-battery index, etc. the experience is ok, just feels stuck in the last 5 years. This indicator of trend is a little lame to be honest.

 

[locovaca]

Apple is saying that since you know you have it, this is a feature that would not be of use to you.

It’s for people who have not been diagnosed.

“Apple warns that not all people with hypertension will receive a notification, and the feature is not meant to diagnose, treat, or aid in the management of hypertension”

It sounds like it’s not for the undiagnosed either!

 

[azhava]

“Apple warns that not all people with hypertension will receive a notification, and the feature is not meant to diagnose, treat, or aid in the management of hypertension”

It sounds like it’s not for the undiagnosed either!

That is a very standard disclaimer for things regulated by the FDA. Hardly unique, or even unusual, to see it in conjunction with this feature. If you read the FDA approval for the ECG feature, the text in their documents reads largely the same. You'll also see similar wording on the label and/or in advertising copy for about 99% of the OTC nutritional supplements you can buy.

 

[kfury77]

Not available in Japan :-(

watchOS 26 - Feature Availability

watchOS has so many features that make Apple Watch the ultimate device for a healthy life. See which ones are available in your region or language.

www.apple.com

 

[azhava]

So I’ve been diagnosed so apple is saying don’t buy it?

If you've already been diagnosed with hypertension, there's not much benefit in a watch telling you "Hey, you might have hypertension, you should probably go get that checked".

 

[Robert.Walter]

It’s called statistical modeling.

Any sufficiently advanced technology seems like magic to the unknowing.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

I predict a concerning correlation between hypertension notifications and use of iOS 26.

Haha yeah, but that is the whole point. Many people live with hypertension without realising they have it until they start to have health issues later in life. In my experience, it's not something that doctors worry too much about until you either get symptoms or you're quite old. I'd always come up as 'high' when it came to blood pressure whenever it was checked and it was always something that I was told to 'keep an eye on' but in the end, I had to ask to be put on blood pressure meds, despite having a history of conditions in my family that were likely made much worse due to hypertension.

I was speaking to a family member just a couple of days ago who didn't even know whether she had high blood pressure or not but did suffer from migraines. She's exactly the kind of person that this feature might help out and prompt to seek medical advice (she does wear an Apple Watch although I'm not sure if it's new enough).

I'm still really hoping for the rumoured dedicated blood pressure sensors in a future Apple Watch. As soon as a watch with that comes out, I'll be buying four of them to replace the ones my wife and I currently use (day+night watches). But for now, we'll stick with our series 9s.

 

[Entilzha]

“Apple warns that not all people with hypertension will receive a notification, and the feature is not meant to diagnose, treat, or aid in the management of hypertension”

It sounds like it’s not for the undiagnosed either!

Standard boilerplate. They’re covering themselves because some asshat might sue Apple and say “BuT i dIdNt gET a NoTiFiCaTiOn!1!1!11!” If their AW fails to alert them. It isn’t foolproof.

There’s no replacement for an actual doctor’s diagnosis.

 

[macduke]

Apple is saying that since you know you have it, this is a feature that would not be of use to you.

It’s for people who have not been diagnosed.

But I call bullcrap on that because a lot of us who have been diagnosed are managing it. I would love to know if it suddenly detects that my blood pressure is out of whack so I can talk to my doctor about adjusting my prescription. I get a yearly physical examination which covers that, but that one measurement is not always indicative of everyday activity. For that reason I bypassed the question and said I was undiagnosed so hopefully it will let me know if there are issues.

I used to take three measurements at a time about once per month with my Qardio Arm monitor, but at some point in the past year I had to log back in to the app and it wouldn't connect. Their website is a weird ghost town now with the store and support pages being completely busted and no message as to what's going on anywhere that I can find.

 

[Xade]

If you've already been diagnosed with hypertension, there's not much benefit in a watch telling you "Hey, you might have hypertension, you should probably go get that checked".

So my Apple Watch Ultra One is saying "hey, no need to buy a new Apple Watch Ultra!'

 

[BugeyeSTI]

But I call bullcrap on that because a lot of us who have been diagnosed are managing it. I would love to know if it suddenly detects that my blood pressure is out of whack so I can talk to my doctor about adjusting my prescription. I get a yearly physical examination which covers that, but that one measurement is not always indicative of everyday activity. For that reason I bypassed the question and said I was undiagnosed so hopefully it will let me know if there are issues.

I used to take three measurements at a time about once per month with my Qardio Arm monitor, but at some point in the past year I had to log back in to the app and it wouldn't connect. Their website is a weird ghost town now with the store and support pages being completely busted and no message as to what's going on anywhere that I can find.

I have been diagnosed with hypertension and I take my blood pressure once or twice a day with a cuff to make sure my medication is doing its job... This feature is nice but basic in nature..

 

[arc of the universe]

Not available in Japan :-(

watchOS 26 - Feature Availability

watchOS has so many features that make Apple Watch the ultimate device for a healthy life. See which ones are available in your region or language.

www.apple.com

as is Afib History (not available in japan).
it is very likely that now with this additional feature that is available on the Watch, the health ministry will likely take another look at if it is time to approve this. i look forward to both of these features being available in japan probably around early spring 2026.

 

[Marx55]

I guess that this is better than nothing, but certainly no what we were all expecting from the richest company in the World. Next: glucose detection. Will it be similar?

 

[LightProtector]

21 year olds really lost out

I’m 21 and diagnosed with it lol. Ig not really helpful in my case.

 

[Digitalweddings]

Apple warns that not all people with hypertension will receive a notification, and the feature is not meant to diagnose, treat, or aid in the management of hypertension.

So basicly useless, same as the sleep apnea and body temperature “detection”. Smoke and mirrors marketing. Reminds me of the emojis every year. We need real ground breaking innovation and accurate health sensors, and one would like to think that Aplle would lead in this field, but they are not. It will surely come one day. My older Apple watch is the only Apple product that I have no intention to upgrade anytime soon.

 

[azhava]

Apple warns that not all people with hypertension will receive a notification, and the feature is not meant to diagnose, treat, or aid in the management of hypertension.

So basicly useless, same as the sleep apnea and body temperature “detection”. Smoke and mirrors marketing. Reminds me of the emojis every year. We need real ground breaking innovation and accurate health sensors, and one would like to think that Aplle would lead in this field, but they are not. It will surely come one day. My older Apple watch is the only Apple product that I have no intention to upgrade anytime soon.

It's not that simple. Tech companies can innovate all they want, but they are still completely at the mercy of the FDA (and the national health organizations in other countries) regarding the sensors/devices they can incorporate and the claims they can make about them. It goes a lot deeper than 'make innovative sensor, release to public', there are miles of governmental red tape they have to wade through. Not to even mention lawsuits from patent trolls who want to cash in on their innovations.