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If you use an Apple Watch, you cannot currently detect high blood pressure directly. From September 15, 2025, high blood pressure detection will be available with the update to watchOS 26.
Detecting high blood pressure with the Apple Watch – the current status and developments
The Apple Watch is currently unable to measure blood pressure in the traditional sense. This has been confirmed on multiple occasions: the watch does not have the appropriate hardware or algorithms to determine systolic and diastolic values.
- Instead, the Apple Watch can be connected to third-party blood pressure monitors (e.g., via Bluetooth), allowing the measured values to be stored in the Health app.
- For example, the Withings BPM Connect or BPM Vision were used, which provide medically validated measurement results and synchronize with the Health app.
- There have been numerous reports and analyses that Apple has been working on its own high blood pressure detection feature for years. The idea is that the Apple Watch should not measure blood pressure accurately, but rather use optical sensors and algorithms to detect possible signs of high blood pressure and issue warnings to users accordingly.
- However, the introduction of this feature has been repeatedly delayed – for example, due to technical problems or changes in the design of the Watch Series 10.
Which Apple Watch models will be able to detect high blood pressure in the future
With its announcement on September 9, 2025, Apple unveiled new models at its keynote address, including the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3. Accompanying this was the announcement of the watchOS 26 operating system, which will bring many new features starting on September 15, 2025.
- One key health feature is high blood pressure detection. Starting with the Apple Watch Series 9 (and newer models, including Series 11), this feature will use the optical heart sensor and a 30-day algorithm to detect unusual patterns and send a warning message if anything unusual is found.
- The Ultra 3 will also have this feature and will additionally have satellite communication for emergencies.
- It is also emphasized that no exact blood pressure values are measured – the function is only intended to detect potentially high blood pressure and advise the user to consult a doctor or take a conventional measurement.
