If you have a Apple Watch on your wrist or played with the popular smart watch Beforehand, chances are you’ll know just how much technology is packed into this little device. Even longtime Apple Watch fans may not be aware of some of its health features, and these features could help better support a wellness journey.
To learn more about the Apple Watch’s hidden health features, I reached out to Dr. Lauren Cheung, an Apple medical doctor, who explained these tools to me and why they were created for Apple device users.
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1. The Vitals app
Through day-to-day health measurements, the Vitals app can reveal a lot about your health and its daily progress. From heart rate and wrist temperature (available on Apple Watch Series 8 or later and any Apple Watch Ultra model) based on respiratory rate and sleep duration, you can get a complete picture of your health with just a glance at your watch. If you purchased an Apple Watch sold in the United States before January 18, 2024, you may also be able to measure your blood oxygen.
“When two or more of your measurements are out of range, we will notify you of the reason,” Cheung told me in an email. “How it works, right after you wake up, you might see a notification from the Vitals app. For example, maybe your heart rate and wrist temperature were high – this could be due to illness or alcohol consumption.”
With the health information provided by the Vitals app, you can make informed decisions about your body. If specific measurements are outside of your normal range, you may choose to get more rest that day or consult your doctor if you have particular symptoms.
How to configure the Vitals app
To set up your typical range, you need to wear your Apple Watch for at least seven days. Make sure your watch is not loose on your wrist; otherwise, it might not capture accurate readings.
To set up notifications, go to Settings on your Apple Watch, tap Vitals, and turn on notifications.
For sleep specifically, make sure Track Sleep with Apple Watch is set up and Sleep Focus is turned on. To do this, open your iPhone’s Health app, tap Get Started under Set up sleep, tap Next, then follow the on-screen prompts. You can also use the Sleep app on your Apple Watch and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Noise notifications
Your Apple Watch can measure the noise around you and tell you if it’s too loud.
AppleYou can use the Noise app on your Apple Watch to measure sound levels in your environment. You can also enable noise notifications so your watch can alert you when you’re exposed to dangerously loud sounds.
When asked why noise notifications were added to Apple Watch, Cheung said: “The world can be noisy, and we think it’s important that you are informed and empowered about how your environment and the noise around you can impact your hearing health over time. This way you can take action, whether it’s moving to a quieter space or installing AirPods Pro 2 with Hearing protection“.
With the AirPods Pro 2 or 3, Apple also offers a Hearing test this can give you a baseline for your hearing health and help you adjust accordingly. Or you can even use your AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid.
How to configure noise notifications
Simply go to the Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Noise, tap Noise Threshold, then choose a decibel level. Different limits are listed based on recommendations from the World Health Organization.
3. Ovulation Estimates
“The technology is quite remarkable,” Cheung said. “We created new temperature sensing features on Apple Watch that help you understand nighttime changes from your baseline temperature, which can be caused by exercise, jet lag, or even illness. The unique dual-sensor design improves accuracy by reducing bias from the external environment, detecting changes as small as 0.1 degrees Celsius.
With Apple Watch Series 8 or later and all Apple Watch Ultra models, this technology allows the Cycle Tracking app to estimate when ovulation occurs. “The reason we can do this is because after ovulation, there is a biphasic change, or in other words, an increase in temperature in response to hormonal changes,” Cheung said. This can also help improve the Cycle Tracking app’s period predictions.
How to set up ovulation estimates
First, set up cycle tracking with fertility forecasts enabled and no current cycle factors saved. To do this, open the Health app on your iPhone or iPad, tap Browse on iPhone or open the sidebar on iPad, tap Cycle Tracking, tap Get Started, and follow the on-screen instructions.
You should also make sure that you set up Track Sleep with your Apple Watch and have Sleep Focus enabled for at least 4 hours per night for five nights. To set up sleep, follow the instructions in the Sleep app on your Apple Watch.
4. Fall detection
If you’ve fallen and need help, your Apple Watch can help you contact emergency services.
Apple/Screenshot by CNETMany Apple Watch users have reported the benefits of fall detectionCheung said. “For those with an active lifestyle, they can choose to activate it during workouts: the feature is able to recognize the unique movement and impact of bike drops and other types of training,” she said.
If your watch detects a hard fall, it will sound an alarm, display an alert, and tap you on the wrist. With the alert, you can either ignore it by pressing “I’m fine” or contact emergency services. The watch calls automatically if you have been still for about a minute. Then it will send a message to your emergency contacts with your location. If you do not have cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, Fall Detection can reach emergency services via Emergency SOS via satellite system (if available).
Note that Apple Watch cannot detect all falls and may mistake a high-impact activity for a fall.
How to configure fall detection
To enable it, on your iPhone, open the Watch app, tap My Watch, tap Emergency SOS, and turn fall detection on or off. If enabled, you can choose whether you want it to always be on or only during workouts. It works for Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 4 or later, and Apple Watch Ultra or later, and if you entered your age when setting up your Apple Watch or in the Health app, the fall detection feature automatically turns on if you’re 55 or older.
5. Heart health notifications
For Apple Watch Series 1 or later users and people ages 13 and older, your Apple Watch can alert you if your heart rate is high, low, or irregular. “For the most part, you don’t have to do anything other than turn them on,” Cheung said. “They work passively in the background while you go about your day. If your heart rate is unusually high or low, you may receive a notification so you can take action. And if your heart rate shows signs of atrial fibrillation – an irregular heartbeat – you will receive a notification.”
Cheung said atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia in adults, which can have serious health side effects if left untreated. “For example, it’s the leading cause of stroke,” she said. “And some people with atrial fibrillation may have few or no symptoms, so they may not even realize they are experiencing episodes and ultimately may not seek attention.”
If you receive an irregular rhythm notification, you can speak with your doctor and even share a PDF with information about your heart health notifications and, if you take one, your EKG. Available on Apple Watch Series 4 or later and all Apple Watch Ultra models, the ECG app lets you take a test that records the timing and strength of the electrical signals that make your heart beat.
How to set up heart health notifications
To set up heart rate notifications, go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Heart, tap High Heart Rate and choose Beats Per Minute, tap Low Heart Rate and choose a BPM. For irregular rhythm notifications, open the Health app on your iPhone, tap Browse, tap Heart, tap Irregular Rhythm Notifications, and turn them on.
6. Time in broad daylight
Spending time outside in daylight is important for your physical and mental health.
AppleYour Apple Watch’s ambient light sensor can automatically estimate your time in daylight. If you manage a family member’s Apple Watch, you can also see how much time it spends in daylight.
“There are several reasons why it’s important to know how much time you spend in daylight,” Cheung said. “For adults, research shows that spending about 20 minutes outside each day has physical and mental health benefits, including providing essential vitamin D and even improving your mood.”
Time spent in daylight is crucial for children’s visual health. “The International Myopia Institute recommends that children spend 80 to 120 minutes outside each day to reduce their risk of nearsightedness or nearsightedness,” she said.
How to set the time in broad daylight
Start by making sure Motion Calibration and Distance is enabled. You can do this in the iPhone Settings app. Tap Privacy & Security, tap Location Services, turn on Location Services, tap System Services, and make sure Motion Calibration & Distance is enabled.
To view your time in daylight, go to the Health app on your iPhone, tap Browse, tap Other data, then tap Daylight Time.
7. Mindset
You can record your daily emotions and mood in the Mindfulness app on your Apple Watch, which can help you identify your feelings and notice mental health trends. From the app, you can also take time to participate in a thinking or breathing session, which can tell you more about your heart rate once completed.
“Emotional awareness and regulation is an important part of mental health and we are happy to introduce tools and resources to our users around the world,” Cheung said. “One of the tools we’ve introduced is State of Mind, which can be a big help in several ways. Firstly, using it can in itself benefit your mental wellbeing. Secondly, it can help you identify important insights and trends about what might be contributing to your state of mind so you can take action. And thirdly, it can encourage you to check in on yourself with depression or anxiety assessments in the Health app.”
Cheung added that taking the time to identify our feelings can help us control how we respond to our moods and emotions. This can have a positive effect on our health and, over time, build our resilience.
How to Set Up Mindset
In the Mindfulness app on your Apple Watch, tap Mindfulness, then tap Get Started if this is your first time using it. From there, you can record how you feel in the moment or how you feel overall that day. To view your history and trends over time, open the Health app on your iPhone, tap Browse, tap Mental Wellbeing, tap Mindset, and tap Show in Charts. From there, you can also see the connection between your state of mind and your sleep, exercise, time spent in daylight, and mindfulness minutes.
8. Sleep apnea notifications
Your Apple Watch can tell you if it detects potential sleep apnea, a disorder that can be fatal if not properly treated.
Apple“Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which breathing stops momentarily during sleep, preventing the body from getting enough oxygen,” Cheung said. “Sleep apnea is estimated to affect more than a billion people worldwide and, in most cases, goes undiagnosed. If left untreated, it can have significant health consequences over time, including an increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and heart problems.”
If your Apple Watch detects elevated breathing problems while you sleep for more than 30 days, you will receive a sleep apnea notification. From there, you can create a PDF showing when sleep apnea may have occurred, along with three months and more of breathing disorder data, which you can then share with your doctor to discuss next steps.
This feature is available on Apple Watch Series 9 or later or Apple Watch Ultra2 or later. Just make sure you have the latest version of WatchOS and iOS. Note that this feature is intended for people aged 18 or older who have not already been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
How to set up sleep apnea notifications
Make sure sleep mode is configured. On your iPhone, open the Health app, tap Get Started under Set Up Sleep, tap Next, and follow the on-screen steps. Then, wear your Apple Watch to bed for at least 10 nights out of 30 days.
To turn on sleep apnea notifications, open the Health app on your iPhone, tap Browse, tap Respiratory, tap Set up under Sleep apnea notifications, tap Next, then follow the on-screen instructions. Under Respiratory, you can also view your sleep apnea notifications and breathing disorders.
9. Hand washing
With hand washing, Apple Watch Series 4 and later can detect when you start washing your hands and time you until you reach the recommended 20 seconds. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends this minimum duration. If you stop washing your hands before 20 seconds, your watch will encourage you to continue. It can even remind you to wash your hands every time you get home.
“We wanted to find a way to help our users of all ages track time spent washing their hands, especially at a time when this was particularly important at the start of the pandemic, so we introduced this feature in 2020,” Cheung said. “The approach uses machine learning models to determine what movement appears to be hand washing, then uses audio to confirm the sound of running water or soap being squished on your hands.”
How to implement hand washing
On your Apple Watch, open Settings, tap Handwashing, and turn on the handwashing timer. You can do the same on a managed Apple Watch and set handwashing reminders.