Apple has expanded the capabilities of its watchOS 26 with a new feature aimed at detecting hypertension. This functionality is available not only on the latest models like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11, but also on several previous generations.
Hypertension notifications can be activated on the Apple Watch Series 10, Series 9, and Ultra 2. To utilize this feature, users must own an iPhone 11 or newer, equipped with iOS 26. Additional prerequisites include enabling Wrist Detection and confirming that the user is at least 22 years old, not pregnant, and has no prior hypertension diagnosis.
Setting up the hypertension detection involves several steps within the Health app on the iPhone, including age confirmation and a review of health history. Users should note that the Apple Watch requires approximately 30 days to analyze data gathered by its optical heart sensor before it can issue notifications regarding hypertension patterns.