Apple has expanded the range of health features available to Apple Watch and AirPods Pro users. Some of the company’s health-focused features are now available in more than 160 countries and regions. As part of the new expansion, sleep apnea notifications, hearing testing, hearing aid features and hypertension notifications have been deployed in different markets. Apple offers health features in more than 160 countries and regions.
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of marketing, announced that Apple Health features are expanding on a global scale. Sleep apnea notifications work on supported Apple Watch models. The system tracks wrist movements associated with interruptions in breathing patterns during sleep via the accelerometer. Apple Watch analyzes breathing disorder data over 30-day periods and notifies the user if regular findings indicating moderate to severe sleep apnea are detected.
According to Apple’s statement, users can view relevant data through the Health application and export it as PDF for doctor consultations. Apple states that sleep apnea notifications can be used in more than 150 countries and regions. The feature was developed for people aged 18 and over who have not previously been diagnosed with sleep apnea. In this context, the new expansion in India was offered to Apple Watch users.
One of the prominent innovations on the AirPods Pro side was the Hearing Test. This feature allows users to take a hearing test via AirPods Pro and a compatible iPhone or iPad. The test takes about five minutes and is based on sounds of different frequencies. At the end of the test, the user can see the hearing loss level, classification and recommended next steps for each ear in the Health app. Hearing Test is supported on AirPods Pro 2 and newer models.
According to Apple’s technical information, the feature requires up-to-date AirPods software, compatible iPhone or iPad, and iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and above. The feature is available for users aged 18 and over. The Hearing Aid feature in AirPods Pro is also among the expanding health features. This feature turns AirPods Pro into a hearing support device for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. Users can adjust ambient sounds according to their own hearing profiles via AirPods Pro, based on the hearing test result or existing audiogram data.
Hearing Aid works on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 models. The feature amplifies surrounding sounds through Transparency Mode, while Media Assist can apply adjustments based on hearing test results to improve audio clarity in music, videos and calls. Apple states that the Hearing Aid feature is designed for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. Another expansion on the Apple Watch side was in hypertension notifications.
This feature tracks patterns associated with chronic high blood pressure by analyzing data from the optical heart sensor. Once the feature is enabled, Apple Watch operates with 30-day evaluation periods and sends notifications to the user if it detects signs of possible hypertension. Hypertension notifications require Apple Watch Series 9 or newer or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or newer. The user must have an iPhone 11 or newer, be using up-to-date iOS and watchOS versions, and have wrist detection turned on.
Apple says that the feature can be used for people aged 22 and over, who are not pregnant and who have not previously been diagnosed with hypertension. Apple also emphasizes that hypertension notifications are not intended for medical diagnosis, treatment or disease management. On the support page, it is stated that Apple Watch does not detect a heart attack, and that users who receive hypertension notifications should contact their healthcare provider and, if necessary, monitor their blood pressure measurements with an external blood pressure device.
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