Samsung’s updated Sleep Apnea feature is now available on Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch, adding information about the severity of breathing disruptions to its sleep apnea risk checks. Users need two nights of valid sleep recordings collected within 10 days, with the feature accessed through the Samsung Health Monitor app.
The U.S. introduction covers both Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch, according to Samsung’s separate American announcement today. For watch owners, compatibility currently starts with Galaxy Watch 9 using Wear OS 7.0 or later. Galaxy Watch 7/8 support is planned through later software updates, so the current availability does not extend across all three watch generations.
The update uses a revised algorithm to examine measurements taken while users sleep and provide more detail about detected breathing disruptions. Its predecessor assessed sleep apnea risk without the new indication of disruption level. Samsung says the additional information could help users understand their condition and discuss it with healthcare professionals.
The feature targets people aged 18 or older and checks for indications of sleep apnea that is moderate to severe. It is designed for use when needed, rather than requiring an uninterrupted nightly monitoring routine, although two valid nights remain necessary within the 10-day window. The software works with a compatible Samsung Galaxy phone and wearable as an over-the-counter medical application.
People already diagnosed with sleep apnea are outside the feature’s intended user group. Samsung also says users should continue to rely on qualified clinicians for conventional diagnosis and treatment rather than substituting the feature for that care.
The updated feature received FDA clearance in July and approval from Korea’s MFDS in October. Samsung’s original version received FDA De Novo authorization in February 2024 for detecting indications of moderate to severe sleep apnea on a wearable. Samsung says it plans to bring the feature to more people worldwide.
The addition follows a separate Samsung Health change announced in October that reduced the data needed to begin Sleep Coaching to three recorded days within two weeks, down from seven within a month. That earlier update also introduced weekly recommendations that Samsung said would adjust as users’ sleep habits changed.
