Apple Watch can now give high blood pressure alert: Here’s how

Apple Watch can now alert you to potential high blood pressure. Here’s how to enable hypertension alerts and which models support it.

Apple has rolled out hypertension alerts for the Apple Watch, allowing users to monitor potential high blood pressure risks from their wrist. The feature is available on compatible devices running watchOS 26, alongside an iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26.

Apple Watch can now alert users to potential high blood pressure with watchOS 26 updates. (Apple)

By MD Ijaj Khan

Ijaj Khan is a technology journalist and Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, with over three years of experience covering the consumer technology industry. His work spans smartphones, laptops, wearables, gaming, appliances and AI - from hands-on reviews, comparison and buying guides to breaking news and in-depth features that help readers cut through the noise and make informed decisions. Before joining HT Tech, he worked with Jagran New Media, where he sharpened his instincts for fast-paced digital reporting. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Whether he's testing the latest flagship smartphone, tracking a major AI announcement, or putting a gaming laptop through its paces, Ijaj approaches every story with the same goal - making technology feel relevant and easy to understand for everyday users, not just enthusiasts. When he's not in front of a screen for work, he's usually travelling to a new city, hunting for great food, or keeping tabs on what's next in tech before everyone else catches on.

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Supported Apple Watch models

Hypertension alerts are compatible with the following Apple Watch models:

• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Series 10
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch Ultra 3

How to Enable hypertension alerts

Not all users can turn on the feature. To activate hypertension tracking, users must be over 22 years old, not pregnant, and not have a prior diagnosis of hypertension. Wrist detection must be enabled on the watch.

Once eligibility is confirmed, users can set up hypertension tracking through the Health app by navigating to the heart section or the health checklist in their profile. The watch then monitors heart-related data over a 30-day period. If it detects patterns associated with hypertension, it will send an alert.

How it works

The Apple Watch does not measure blood pressure continuously. Instead, it uses the optical heart sensor to detect how blood vessels respond to heartbeats. An algorithm then analyses this data to identify potential signs of hypertension.

Next steps after an alert

The watch does not send notifications during the first 30 days while collecting baseline data. After this period, if an alert appears, users are prompted to start logging blood pressure readings using a third-party cuff. Apple recommends recording readings for seven days and adding them to the Health app. Users should then consult a health professional to review the data.

Hypertension often shows no symptoms, so alerts may come as a surprise. Apple estimates that the feature could issue around one million alerts to people with undiagnosed hypertension within its first year. While the alerts provide early warnings, they are not a replacement for professional medical evaluation and may not detect every case of high blood pressure.