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I've Heard the New Apple Watch Measures Blood Pressure! Is This True?

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Unfortunately, an Apple Watch cannot measure blood pressure, at least not yet, but newer models can use existing sensors to determine if the wearer has chronic high blood pressure or hypertension.

To better understand how this works, we need to talk about the optical heart sensor. This one sensor is the key to determining if the wearer has chronic high blood pressure, which is known as hypertension. The way this sensor works is by shining either green or infrared light at your wrist, then measuring how much light is reflected back at the sensor. Since our blood absorbs green light, the sensor can use Apple Intelligence to detect and analyze the fluctuations in your blood volume with every single heartbeat.

So, while this method cannot measure your blood pressure, it can take note of your heart rate patterns and alert you if it detects hypertension. That's why it takes at least 30 days of data before you get an alert, although it could take even longer. As always with new tech like this, mistakes can be made, so please go see your doctor if you have any worries about your blood pressure.

The United State's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Apple to release this feature. It is important to understand that FDA approval simply means that the product has been officially reviewed and the results show that any benefits of the device/feature outweigh any risks as long as it is used as intended. The European Union has also approved this feature, and so far, over 150 countries have allowed this feature to be used by the general public.