The new features are aimed at helping users detect potential health conditions from the comfort of their homes. (Image for representation: Apple)
Apple on Thursday, May 21, rolled out two major health-focused features in India. The tech giant is bringing sleep apnea notifications to the Apple Watch and a clinically validated Hearing Test feature to AirPods Pro 3 users.
The new features are aimed at helping users detect potential health conditions from the comfort of their homes, further expanding Apple’s push into preventive healthcare and wellness technologies.
“At Apple, we believe technology should empower people to take control of their health, and that starts with giving users tools to detect conditions they may not even know they have,” — said Sumbul Desai.
The sleep apnea notification feature introduces a new metric called Breathing Disturbances on Apple Watch. Using the device’s accelerometer, the feature checks for subtle wrist movements linked to interruptions in normal breathing patterns during sleep.
Sleep apnea alerts
Apple said the watch analyses breathing disturbance data every 30 days and alerts users if consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea are detected. Users can then consult medical professionals for diagnosis or treatment.
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, often without the person realising it. According to Apple, the condition affects more than one billion people worldwide and usually remains undiagnosed. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea has been linked to hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
The company said users will also be able to export a PDF report containing breathing disturbance data from the previous three months, helping them have more informed discussions with healthcare providers. Additional educational resources related to sleep apnea are available within the Health app.
Apple shared that the sleep apnea notification algorithm was developed using machine learning and clinical-grade sleep apnea data, and later validated in a large-scale clinical study. According to the company, every participant identified by the algorithm during validation had at least mild sleep apnea.
Separately, Apple has also introduced a Hearing Test feature for AirPods Pro users in India. The feature is based on pure-tone audiometry, a standard clinical method used to assess hearing ability.
Users can complete the test in around five minutes using compatible AirPods Pro devices paired with an iPhone or iPad running the latest software. After the test, users receive a summary showing hearing levels in each ear, classifications, and recommendations. Results, including an audiogram, are stored securely in the Health app and can be shared with doctors if needed.
Apple said the Hearing Test feature was built using insights from the Apple Hearing Study and large-scale real-world data.
The sleep apnea notification feature is available in over 150 countries and regions for users aged 18 and older without a prior diagnosis of sleep apnea. The Hearing Test feature is supported on AirPods Pro 2 and later models paired with devices running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and above.
