Starting on October 8, Apple Watch users in Canada can now receive hypertension notifications, expanding a feature already available in more than 150 countries worldwide.
Canadian users with an Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or an Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, can enable Hypertension notifications in the Health app. The Apple Watch SE lineup, including the Apple Watch SE 3, cannot detect hypertension.
Apple has rolled out the feature to more than 150 countries so far, with Canada being the newest addition at the time of publication.
Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. Apple highlights that while the condition affects 1.3 billion adults globally, it's often under-detected as it frequently has no symptoms.
Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to track how blood vessels respond to each heartbeat. The feature runs in the background, reviewing 30 days of data to detect consistent signs of high blood pressure.
If elevated readings persist, wearers receive alerts about potential hypertension. The notifications aim to help people take early action, whether by adjusting habits or seeking treatment to lower long-term health risks.
How to enable hypertension monitoring on Apple Watch
Hypertension alerts aren't enabled by default. You'll have to opt in, which you can do by following the steps below.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone
- Tap My Watch, then Passcode
- Scroll down and check that Wrist Detection is turned on
- Then switch to the Health app on your iPhone
- Tap the profile icon at top right
- Choose Features, then Health Checklist
- Tap Hypertension Notifications
The feature is limited to adults who are at least 22 years of age and haven't been previously diagnosed with hypertension.
Pregnant women should turn off hypertension monitoring during pregnancy. Apple says that the Apple Watch cannot detect hypertension during pregnancy, nor can it detect pre-eclampsia.
This isn't blood pressure monitoring
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: hypertension monitoring is not the same as having your blood pressure taken.
The hypertension feature looks for physical changes in the veins and arteries. And it does this by monitoring these changes over an extended period.
Like Sleep Apnea detection, hypertension monitoring is trend monitoring, not an active diagnostic. If you receive a hypertension warning, it's worth a checkup with your doctor, but shouldn't be taken as an official diagnosis.
