Summary
- The Samsung Galaxy Watch now offers sleep apnea detection in 70 countries.
- Sleep apnea can lead to serious health issues if left untreated.
- Users can activate the feature in the Samsung Health Monitor app and must wear the watch while sleeping for at least two nights in a row.
Smartwatches have gone from extensions of our smartphones, to fitness companions, to essential health-monitoring devices faster than most of us realize, and Samsung is happy to keep on piling in features that make your smartwatch a device you never remove. Not content with monitoring your blood oxygen level, heart rate, and even your body fat level, Samsung has finally rolled out one particularly important Galaxy Watch feature to the rest of the world.
Starting today, Samsung will start rolling out support for sleep apnea detection to 36 new countries, including 34 European states, Australia, and Singapore. This brings the Galaxy Watch’s sleep apnea detection to a grand total of 70 countries, finalizing a process that began with the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and US FDA clearing it for use in their respective countries.
Sleep apnea detection is a feature we hope you never need
Sleep apnea can be dangerous
Sleep apnea detection was a key highlight of the Galaxy Watch 7’s launch in July 2024, but became the worst kept secret in smartwatches when alerts for it began appearing on different Galaxy Watches using beta software before the Galaxy Watch 7’s reveal.
But it’s better that it did, as sleep apnea, while not as well known as other medical maladies, can become an extremely dangerous issue if left untreated.
Sleep apnea is a problem where sufferers stop breathing multiple times as they sleep, sometimes as often as 100 times in an hour. As you might expect, this can become incredibly disruptive to a good night’s sleep, and can lead to unexplained tiredness and snoring. But more importantly, if not known about, sleep apnea can potentially lead to type 2 diabetes, strokes, even heart attacks and high blood pressure. As a result, it’s highly important to know if you do have sleep apnea, which is why this announcement is so welcome.
Sleep apnea detection is available on the following Samsung Galaxy Watch models:
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic
- Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
If you want to use sleep apnea detection, then you’ll need to turn it on. From your compatible Galaxy Watch, head to the Samsung Health Monitor app and select Sleep apnea. From there, tap Continue until your watch confirms you’re all set up. You’ll also need to wear your watch while sleeping for at least two nights in a row. Even if it doesn’t detect anything, it’s good to have peace of mind knowing that you’re safe.
