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Apple unveiled a new health feature of its smartwatches. Most recent Apple Watch products, such as the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, and Ultra models, will shortly support hypertension notifications, which is a tool to identify chronic high blood pressure signs. The first feature to be distinguished with the Series 11 and the Ultra 3 will be extended to older models through the watchOS 26 update and be able to do more advanced health monitoring.
The purpose of the hypertension alerts is to provide users with management of an ailment which impacts more than 1.3 billion individuals worldwide. The feature is used to monitor blood vessel responses in a 30-day period by the analysis of the data of heart sensors. It alerts users whether there are patterns that indicate high blood pressure, and therefore a doctor should be consulted. The update, which will be launched on September 15, 2025, is pending approval by the FDA but will likely be launched in the near future in more than 150 countries.
The feature relies on the optical heart sensor of the Apple Watch to track the behaviour of blood vessels. The data is processed within a 30-day period using an algorithm that runs passively in the background. In case it notices a steady pattern of hypertension, users are alerted. Apple emphasises that this should not replace a blood pressure cuff but is just a method to take an early measure. The system has been developed based on the data of 100,000 participants and tested in a clinical study of 2,000 people.
Notifications of hypertension would enable millions of people to pick up an illness that is usually undetected because of its symptom-free nature. Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3 will have the feature. The older versions, such as the Apple Watch SE 3, do not have all the sensors and chipsets needed. WatchOS 26 also introduces 5G support and a new sleep score feature to existing models, expanding the health and connectivity features of these devices.
The hypertension feature on Apple devices is expected to be cleared by the FDA in September 2025, and the product will be available in such areas as the U.S. and EU. It is not yet available to the company, but the watchOS 26 release on September 15 will provide the groundwork. There is a smooth integration to be expected for the users whose information is displayed by the watch, advising them on what could be lifesaving measures, such as lifestyle changes or doctor visits, as the results reveal.
