The U.S. regulator has given a green light to a new blood pressure notification feature that runs on your apple watch. It uses the device's optical heart sensor and a 30‑day background review to spot patterns that may suggest high blood pressure.
This capability ships with watchOS 26 on September 15 and comes preloaded on Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3. Owners of Series 9, later models, and Ultra 2 will get it via a software update, so you may not need to buy a new device this year.
The feature is not a diagnosis. Instead, it nudges you to check a standard cuff and talk with your clinician if flagged. You can export a concise PDF from the Health app to share readings and trends with your care team.
Key Takeaways
- The feature uses optical sensing plus a 30‑day review to detect possible high blood pressure.
- It arrives with watchOS 26 on Sept. 15 and is preloaded on select new models.
- Flags are early warnings, not medical diagnoses; confirm with a cuff and a clinician.
- Data can be exported as a PDF for easier doctor conversations.
- The goal is to help people with undiagnosed risk find care sooner.
What’s new: FDA clears Apple’s hypertension alerts as watchOS 26 arrives next week
Next week’s update, watchOS 26, officially includes the background blood-pressure notification that the company confirmed was cleared fda in an email to media.
The capability ships on Sept. 15 and comes preloaded on the latest watch series, Series 11 and Ultra 3. If you own a compatible apple watch like Series 9 or other series later models, you’ll get the feature via a software update the same week.
Rollout spans more than 150 countries and regions, including the U.S., the EU, Hong Kong and New Zealand. That wide coverage means the feature follows you when you travel, not just at home.
Timing matters: the system needs time to gather background metrics, so expect an initial setup and a 30-day review before notifications begin. The company frames this as a low-effort health safety net that adds no extra daily tasks for people.
How the Apple Watch flags high blood pressure without a cuff
Your wrist can pick up subtle changes in vessel response, letting the device spot patterns tied to high blood pressure over time.
Optical heart sensor data and a 30‑day algorithmic analysis
The built‑in sensor measures how blood vessels react to each heartbeat. It collects small optical readings on your wrist and compiles that data silently over a 30‑day period.
An algorithm then reviews those signals in the background. That time window helps the system favor trends over single readings, which makes detection more reliable.
Machine learning training and clinical validation
The feature was trained with machine learning on studies of more than 100,000 people. Researchers then validated performance in a 2,000‑participant clinical trial to support accuracy.
Alerts aren’t diagnoses: confirm with a cuff and your doctor
If the system finds signs that match patterns of high blood pressure, you’ll get a notification on your wrist. The app urges you to confirm results with a standard cuff over several days.
You can log readings and export a PDF from the Health app to share with your clinician, so you and your doctor can review trends together.
Availability: Apple Watch hypertension alerts cleared by FDA for new and old watches
Delivery begins next week with a coordinated global rollout, so you can expect the update to arrive across many regions at once.
Supported models
The capability is preinstalled on apple watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 out of the box.
If you already own a compatible device, apple watch Series 9 and later, plus Apple Watch Ultra 2, will receive the same features via watchOS 26.
Rollout timeline and regions
The software update lands on September 15. The company confirmed the timeline to media and set a clear start date so you can plan your update this week.
Coverage spans more than 150 countries, including the U.S., the EU, Hong Kong and New Zealand. That broad distribution means you won’t wait for a staggered release by country.
Why this matters: detecting undiagnosed hypertension and your health
Catching high blood pressure early can change long-term outcomes for your heart and stroke risk. This feature aims to spot trends that often go unnoticed in single clinic checks.
Apple estimates it could notify million people within first year about possible undiagnosed hypertension. That projection shows the scale: many cases go undetected because high blood can be silent.
Apple expects to notify over 1 million people within the first year
Passive, continuous tracking can surface patterns that a one-off reading misses. If you get a nudge, the idea is to confirm with a cuff and your clinician so you can act early.
How it stacks up: Apple Watch vs other wearables, plus Sleep Score
Competing brands like Oura, Google, and Samsung are adding similar health tools, but this rollout focuses on blood pressure trends tied to cardiovascular risk.
Sleep Score (0–100) is another new metric that helps you see how rest may affect your blood pressure. Together, sleep insights and passive trend detection give you clearer context to discuss treatment with your doctor, whether you’re at home or traveling between countries.
What you can do now: prepare your watch, interpret alerts, and share data with your doctor
Get your device ready now: install the update and wear it regularly so the sensor can gather data.
Let the system run its 30‑day review. If you see hypertension alerts or other signs, don’t panic — they prompt you to confirm with a standard blood pressure cuff.
Measure at home for about seven days, log readings in the Health app, and export the PDF. Bring that report to your doctor so you can discuss whether patterns point to chronic high blood or need treatment.
Owners of apple watch ultra models (Ultra 2 and Ultra 3) and Series 11 will have the feature ready out of the box; Series 9 and later get it with watchOS 26. Use alerts as a nudge to confirm, document, and consult your clinician.