Apple confirms Apple Watch ECG function to roll out in Canada

Apple on Friday confirmed plans to activate Apple Watch Series 4's ECG feature for users in Canada after receiving approval from the country's regulatory body, though the company failed to disclose a specific timeline for launch.

The ECG app's upcoming arrival in the Great White North was confirmed by Apple in a statement issued to The Canadian Press.

An Apple spokeswoman said the company is working to bring Apple Watch Series 4 heart health functionality to Canada "as quickly as possible," but failed to detail when, exactly, that would occur.

Confirmation arrives three days after Health Canada granted Apple a pair of licenses for ECG-related Apple Watch functions.

Specifically, the company was issued license numbers 102864 and 102866 relating to an "ECG App" and "Irregular Rhythm Notification Feature," respectively. While the ECG app is restricted to Series 4 hardware, irregular heart rhythm notifications can be obtained from data gathered by the optical heart rate sensor available on older Watch models. The features have been available in other regions for months.

A Health Canada representative confirmed it issued two licenses to Apple and directed further questions to the company, the report said.

Previous reports claimed Apple has been working to secure regulatory approval in Canada since at least September, though Health Canada in December said it had "not received an application for Apple Watch Series 4."

Apple's ECG app launched in the U.S. in December, more than two months after Apple Watch Series 4 went on sale. Access to the function was later extended to Europe and Hong Kong with the release of watchOS 5.2 in March.