Apple has announced the expansion of sleep apnea notifications and hearing test features to India.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person’s breathing momentarily stops during sleep, preventing the body from getting enough oxygen. If left untreated, it can lead to health consequences over time, including increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiac issues.
Apple Watch helps its users detect signs of sleep apnea. It’s done with the help of an Apple Watch metric called Breathing Disturbances, which uses the smartwatch’s accelerometer to detect small movements at the wrist associated with interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep.
Apple Watch analyzes breathing disturbance data every 30 days and notifies users if it detects consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, so they can consult their doctor about next steps and treatment.
Apple says Breathing Disturbances can also be used to assess restfulness of sleep, and notes that the metric can be influenced by alcohol, medications, sleep position, and more. Users can view their Breathing Disturbances data in the Health app.
Apple’s sleep apnea notifications are supported by Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Watch Ultra 2, and Watch Ultra 3.
Apple’s hearing test feature requires AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3, updated to the latest firmware, and paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later.
Apple claims its hearing test is clinical-grade and based on the standard clinical approach, pure-tone audiometry, which users can take with their AirPods Pro at home.
The test takes about five minutes and uses acoustic science. And once the user completes a test, they are provided a summary of results, including an audiogram, a number representing hearing loss in each ear, a classification, and recommendations. Apple claims that all results are securely and privately stored in the Health app.
In addition to expanding sleep apnea notifications and hearing test features to India, Apple also introduced Hearing Aid in Italy and Hypertension Notifications in Taiwan.