Uncover the 9 Hidden Apple Watch Health Features You May Not Know About - As Revealed by a Doctor
The Apple Watch is a powerful piece of technology, capable of doing many tasks at the tap of the screen. This smartwatch can not only do the tasks of your phone, but it can also monitor and support your health. I spoke with Dr. Lauren Cheung, a doctor at Apple, who revealed some hidden tools, how they were designed and who they can help.
1. The Vitals app
Using overnight health metrics, the Vitals app can reveal much about your health and how it changes daily. From heart rate and wrist temperature to respiratory rate and sleep duration, you can get a thorough picture of your health from just one glance at your watch. If you purchased an Apple Watch sold in the US before Jan. 18, 2024, you may also be able to measure your blood oxygen.
"When two or more of your metrics are out of range, we will notify you with information about why that might be," Cheung told me in an email. "How it works is just 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 metrics are outside your normal range, you can choose to get extra rest that day or visit your doctor if you have particular symptoms.
2. Noise notifications
You can use the Noise app on your Apple Watch to measure the sound levels in your environment. You can also enable noise notifications, so your watch can tell you when you're exposed to dangerously loud sounds.
"The world can be loud, and we believe it's important for you to be educated and empowered about how your environment, and the noise around you, can impact your hearing health over time. That way, you can take action; whether that's moving to a quieter space or popping in AirPods Pro 2 with Hearing Protection," Cheung said.
3. Ovulation estimates
"The technology is pretty remarkable," Cheung said. "We created new temperature-sensing capabilities on Apple Watch that help you understand nightly changes from your baseline temperature, which can be caused by exercise, jet lag or even illness. The unique two-sensor design improves accuracy by reducing bias from the outside environment, detecting changes as small as 0.1 degrees Celsius."
With the 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 that is because after you ovulate, there is a biphasic shift, or in other words, an increase in temperature in response to changing hormones," Cheung said. This can also help improve the Cycle Tracking app's period predictions.
4. Fall detection
Many Apple Watch users have reported the benefits of fall detection. "For those who have an active lifestyle, they can choose to enable it during workouts -- the feature is able to recognize the unique motion and impact of falls from a bike and other workout types," Cheung 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 dismiss it by tapping "I'm OK" or contact emergency services. The watch automatically calls if you've been immobile for around a minute. After, it will message your emergency contacts with your location. If you don't have cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, Fall Detection may reach emergency services via the Emergency SOS via satellite system (if available).
5. Heart health notifications
For those with Apple Watch Series 1 or later and people aged 13 and over, you can have your Apple Watch alert you if your heart rate is high or low or has an irregular rhythm. "For the most part, you don't have to do anything besides turn them on," Cheung said. "They work passively in the background as you live your day. If your heart rate is unusually high or low, you can get a notification, so you can take action. And if your heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation -- an irregular heart rhythm -- you'll receive a notification."
Cheung said atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia among adults, which can have serious side effects on your health if not treated. "For instance, it's the leading cause of stroke," she said. "And some people with AFib can have little to no symptoms, so they may not even realize they're experiencing episodes and ultimately may not seek attention."
If you get an irregular rhythm notification, you can speak with your doctor and even share a PDF that includes information about your heart health notifications and, if you take one, your electrocardiogram. Available on Apple Watch Series 4 or later and all Apple Watch Ultra models, the ECG app allows you to take a test that records the timing and strength of the electrical signals that make your heartbeat.
6. Time in daylight
Your 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 they spend in daylight.
"There are a few reasons it's important to be aware of how much time in daylight you're getting," Cheung said. "For adults, research shows that spending around 20 minutes outdoors every day has both physical and mental health benefits, including providing essential vitamin D and even boosting your mood."
Time in daylight is crucial for kids' vision health. "The International Myopia Institute recommends children spend 80-120 minutes outside each day to help lower their risk of myopia, or nearsightedness," she said.
7. State of mind
You can log your emotions and daily moods in the Mindfulness app on your Apple Watch, which can help you identify your feelings and notice patterns in your mental health. From the app, you can also take time for a Reflect or Breathe session, which can tell you more about your heart rate once complete.
"Emotional awareness and regulation is an important element of mental health and we're happy to be introducing tools and resources for our users across the world," Cheung said. "One of the tools we introduced is State of Mind, which can help tremendously in a few ways. First, the act of using it can create benefits for your mental well-being in and of itself. Second, it can help you identify important insights and trends on what might be contributing to your state of mind so you can take action. And third, it can encourage you to check in with yourself using 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 positively affect our health and, over time, allow us to build resilience.
8. Sleep apnea notifications
"Sleep apnea is a prevalent disorder where breathing momentarily stops during sleep, preventing the body from getting enough oxygen," Cheung said. "It's estimated that sleep apnea impacts more than 1 billion people worldwide and, in most cases, goes undiagnosed. If left untreated, it can have important health consequences over time, including increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiac issues."
If your Apple Watch detects elevated breathing disturbances while you sleep for over 30 days, you will receive a sleep apnea notification. From there, you can create a PDF that shows when sleep apnea may have occurred, along with three months of breathing disturbance data and more, which you can then share with your doctor to discuss the next steps.
This feature is available on the Apple Watch Series 9 or later or Apple Watch Ultra 2 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.
9. Handwashing
With Handwashing, the Apple Watch Series 4 and later can detect when you begin washing your hands and time you until you reach the recommended 20-second duration. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends this as the minimum amount of time. If you stop washing your hands before 20 seconds, your watch will encourage you to keep going. It can even remind you to wash your hands whenever you return home.
"We wanted to find a way to help our users of all ages track their time spent washing their hands, especially during a time when it was particularly important early in the pandemic, so we introduced the feature in 2020," Cheung said. "The approach uses machine learning models to determine motion which appears to be handwashing, and then uses audio to confirm the sound of running water or squishing soap on your hands."
