Apple Expands Hypertension, Sleep Apnea, and Hearing Health Features to More Countries

Apple is expanding AirPods and Apple Watch health features to additional countries starting today.

Hypertension notifications from the Apple Watch are now available in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam. Hearing Test and Hearing Aid functionality has expanded to Bahrain, Costa Rica, and Paraguay, while Sleep Apnea notifications are available in Colombia.

Apple also expanded Hearing Aid functionality with automatic Conversation Boost to a long list of European countries, including the UK, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Ireland, and Denmark.

Apple introduced Hypertension notifications in watchOS 26, and the feature uses heart data collected by the Apple Watch to alert users if signs of chronic high blood pressure are detected. Hypertension notifications work after collecting 30 days of heart rate data, and the feature can be set up in the Apple Health app on the iPhone.

Hypertension alerts are available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later.

Sleep apnea detection is a feature that Apple first started rolling out with watchOS 11. It uses the accelerometer to monitor subtle wrist movements that are associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns, alerting users if breathing disturbances are detected. Sleep apnea detection also requires 30 days of data, with information available in the Breathing Disturbances section of the Health app.

Hearing Test and Hearing Aid functionality first rolled out last year, allowing the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 to be used in lieu of hearing aids for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss. The hearing test uses tones at different frequencies to detect hearing loss, and if issues are detected, users can turn on hearing assistance. The feature also includes Loud Sound Reduction to protect hearing health.

Conversation Boost has long been an AirPods Pro feature, but the auto-on option paired with Hearing Aid functionality automatically enhances sound volume when someone speaks. Hearing Aid functionality with Conversation Boost works on the AirPods Pro 2 and later, with a list of supported countries available on Apple's website.This article, "Apple Expands Hypertension, Sleep Apnea, and Hearing Health Features to More Countries" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums