Changing Your Apple Watch or iPhone's Region Won't Enable ECG App Outside of United States

[Ifti]

Was going to buy this as my first Apple watch. But considering one of the main features is not useable I'll stand back and pass.

 

[riyadhboyblue]

It’s the same as FaceTime, and walkie talkie, in Dubai it’s not available on iPhones and Apple Watch. Apple somehow disables these functions. Would like to know how, as the iOS updates are the same I assume as I occasionally update in the USA. Or the updates are hardware specific. Would love to figure out a way to enable FaceTime on my Dubai iPhone X. My Apple Watch 4 also did not get ecg with the update.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Such as they don’t want to fall foul of the ASA? But don’t let common sense get in the way of your hand-wringing...
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Why do people keep saying this? NEVER, YEARS, etc. Based on zero evidence or indeed knowledge of the global medical regulatory landscape. Honestly

It’s posisble that it could take years. Each country will have a separate process to go through and I doubt Apple will be working through more than a few at a time.

 

[andysw9]

If the watch is bought from US it will work everywhere.

The only condition for the app to work is to have the watch from US and nothing else!

I’m from Europe, phone from Europe, region to Europe, watch bought from US. ECG is working fine

Same here. S4 from US, phone from UK, UK region on both, live in UK. ECG just worked after the update.

 

[darthbane2k]

Mark your words? Says someone with absolutely no knowledge of the EMA regulatory framework for similar medical monitoring devices. Oh and before you mention the B-word, looks like the mutual recognition process will be retrospectively applied for filings already in process like the Apple ECG app.

Let’s place a wager then? 6 months? A year? It won’t receive it anytime before the next major product refresh.
I couldn’t care less about regulations. In a grown adult and I feel duped. You know what? I’ll just sell the UK satch and buy a US one. Regulations couldn’t stop that could they?
Fed up with being nannied by bureaucrats

 

[steeevo]

You can't just willy nilly sell something that performs ECG functionality because you feel like it.

Why not? Bloody rules and regs

 

[mrex]

they made it clear that they wouldn't have the feature in other countries before the watch went on sale. folks had the power to not buy it if that's all they wanted it for

There are no mention in apple-store webpage in my country, that ecg won't work here. When I go to buy the watch from the apple website, it says that it has optical and electric sensor. No reference mark number to point any reference that says something different. No mention about the ecg is disabled or no mention on the whole page that it works only in usa. They haven't made it clear at all. People don't watch keynotes.

 

[tromboneaholic]

WOW! **** you Apple!

I love how the ****heads waited with releasing this information so people who bought on release day cannot return the watch.

I bet you'll need to buy a new shiny ECG enabled model if you want the feature after it's approved by your country too.

I bet people don't have to buy another watch to enable this.

If you own an Apple Watch, you might want to contact the regulatory agency in your country and ask them to speed up the red tape.

 

[KennethS]

I am an optimist and am hopeful the function will be enabled in the UK in the not too distant future. I did not upgrade to the S4 with any expectation that the feature would be enabled here this year, but do expect it to receive approval and be activated within a reasonable timeframe. I say this because the AliveCor Kardia devices are already available here, without any need for a Doctor approval. I know because I own one (purchased at the suggestion of a cardiac nurse). The Apple Watch ECG function is quite similar to the Kardia devices (without the ability to try the watch one and compare results I can't say if one is superior to the other). AliveCor managed to receive approval, so I will presume Apple will as well if they make the effort...

https://shop.gb.alivecor.com/products/kardiamobile

 

[tromboneaholic]

I love how they don't mind advertising it abroad though. In Switzerland the have it on their page without even mentioning it's not active...

Apple.ch does not advertise the ECG feature.

 

[mrex]

Apple.ch does not advertise the ECG feature.

it is neither telling everything about the watch and its apps, so you can't assume that it has no ecg app just because they didn't mentioned it. They are listing the sensors and one might thing that those sensors are for taking ecg. ecg is widely advertised feature of the watch and made a noise in press.

 

[Ennox]

In Germany, TÜV or DEKRA are responsible to approve medical devices. From what I have read, it took about 2 months to get the Kardia EKG Band approved in Germany. So it shouldn't be years away until we get the Apple Watch ECG over here.

 

[tromboneaholic]

it is neither telling everything about the watch and its apps, so you can't assume that it has no ecg app just because they didn't mentioned it. They are listing the sensors and one might thing that those sensors are for taking ecg. ecg is widely advertised feature of the watch and made a noise in press.

The poster I replied to says they were advertising it, and you say they didn't mention it.

If the press in your country didn't accurately report the truth, maybe you should have an issue with your press and not Apple.

 

[MrSpock75]

"That's not the case with the the ECG app on the Apple Watch Series 4, though, as it only functions on models purchased in the United States"

So this begs the question: can I just buy a series 4 while in the U.S. (I'm Canada based), bring it home and enjoy the feature? We used to do this with the original iPhone before Canada got them and have done so with lots of tech stuff in the past. If the unit itself is a U.S. model and I set my region to the U.S., which I have already done to get the Apple News App, will I be able to use the ECG feature? Might have to investigate this one with a trip south!

I did exactly that. I bought my series 4 in the USA and now I just need to find a way to somehow use ECG here in Germany. My settings are anyhow all set to USA, even I am living in Germany.

I tried to use my "USA VPN Wireless" which I do use to stream "HULU" on my AppleTV, but looks like that is still not enough. I guess I have to temporarily switch to my "US AppleID" on the iPhone and re-pair my watch with the US AppleID. I guess that is the only way.

I do really wonder if even a US citizen can only use ECG when actually being in USA territory?
So can you as US citizen perform an ECG during your vacations in Europe or anywhere outside of US ????

 

[GadgetBen]

Same here. S4 from US, phone from UK, UK region on both, live in UK. ECG just worked after the update.

This is really interesting (don't get me wrong as I'm pleased its working for you), from a legal standpoint surely Apple is in breach of UK regulations because technically you are using a health device in the UK that has no regulatory approval in UK?

 

[andysw9]

This is really interesting (don't get me wrong as I'm pleased its working for you), from a legal standpoint surely Apple is in breach of UK regulations because technically you are using a health device in the UK that has no regulatory approval in UK?

I don’t think so - there are plenty of things - electronics and otherwise, eg over the counter medication - that can be legally purchased in other countries and imported / used here. The device itself is not illegal. Selling it in the UK would be.

 

[darthbane2k]

The value of US Apple watches are sure to shoot up on eBay now lol

 

[Blaster79]

I read somewhere that while ECG app is not available outside US, Apple would have activated the electrical sensor on the digital crown to improve heartbeat reading. Try to open heartbeat app, and keep your finger on the crown... it seems that the reading start refreshing much quickly and it's more accurate!! If you remove the finger, the beat refreshes as before the update..

 

[iSayuSay]

Same $*** with Apple TV. Siri works if you only use Apple ID from US. Unlike medical argument, there's no reason for Siri for Apple TV to not working outside the US, but NOOOO

Apple is all about US of A, despite people abroad paying hefty premium for their products. How is Apple Pay again? It's been 4 years since the initial launch, and can you count how many countries in the world that can enjoy the feature, despite the iPhone is NFC capable, but unable to do anything because the infrastructure isn't there?

 

[kstotlani]

You mean Apple uses different hardware?
Setting the region and using an US iTunes account didn't work
Tim Cook: The world's not growing together anymore, very sad! Bad triump

Yes Apple Watch hardware is different in different countries but only for cellular version. The GPS version is the same.

https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT204507

On one of the threads someone mentioned that apple tracks serial numbers of the country of origin which seems logical but this type of implementation is far fetched. I feel they should have been clear with the implementation to their customers. There are many US residents who bought their watch in other countries because they wanted it on launch date and now it doesn’t have ECG. I bought mine in US.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Same $*** with Apple TV. Siri works if you only use Apple ID from US. Unlike medical argument, there's no reason for Siri for Apple TV to not working outside the US, but NOOOO

Apple is all about US of A, despite people abroad paying hefty premium for their products. How is Apple Pay again? It's been 4 years since the initial launch, and can you count how many countries in the world that can enjoy the feature, despite the iPhone is NFC capable, but unable to do anything because the infrastructure isn't there?

Siri does work in the Apple TV in the UK....

They are better than all the other tech companies at getting features out to other countries. At least in the UK. I would love the ECG to be available in the UK but getting regulatory approval is no easy feat.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Siri does work in the Apple TV in the UK....

I think people forget it's not just language differences, but also regional differences. Siri on Apple TV has been trained to learn the names of actors, TV shows, and Movies. Even in english, I know the movie "Airplane" was changed to "Flying High" in some other countries, and it was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the US but "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in the UK." Apple has a lot more work to do when localizing Apple TV's Siri from one region to another than most people realize.

 

[Tomzik87]

Hey,

I just spoke to Apple consultant and I've recieved info that ECG will work on every apple watch connected to US AppleID. It doesn't matter where you bought your watch or what region is set. Apple ID account must be in US. I cannot chack that cause I forgot my charger and can't update software

 

[Winni]

You guys in the EU can thank your heavy handed regulators for not having the ECG feature yet, and for it likely taking YEARS before it will even be approved.

Sure, we have "heavy-handed regulators" in the EU. You do not actually believe that getting an FDA approval in the US is a walk in the park, do you?

And you know what? It shouldn't be easy to get these approvals. After all, lives actually depend on these things. If you fail to see the point in heavy-handed medical/pharmaceutical regulations, refresh your memory about the CONTERGAN scandal. Then you will immediately know why these regulations cannot be tough enough.

 

[Carlos51]

Hi guys,
I want to happily report that the EKG feature works in Argentina. I am attaching my EKG as evidence.
I live in Argentina and my Apple ID account is also from Argentina so no tricks applied to make the EKG app work. No jailbreaking either.

Carlos