Apple’s hypertension notifications appear to be rolling out to Apple Watch Series 12 users in Canada, after initially being unavailable at launch due to regulatory requirements.
An iPhone in Canada reader Trevor, based in Quebec, emailed us on October 15 to report that the feature had just been enabled on his Apple Watch Series 12.
He also shared a screenshot showing “Hypertension Notifications” with the status “Notifications Are On.” The screen includes educational sections titled “Things to Remember” and “How Hypertension Notifications Work.” That’s a welcome change for Canadians who bought Apple’s Series 12 and Ultra 4 smartwatches and were unable to use the feature at launch.
When the Series 12 and Ultra 4 launched in September, Apple specifically warned Canadian customers that hypertension notifications wouldn’t be available right away.
“Hypertension Notifications will not be initially available in Canada on Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4, as additional regulatory clearances for the feature for these models is in process. Availability is expected later this year,” Apple said at launch.
As we reported on September 29, Health Canada had updated Apple’s existing medical device approval just days earlier. The September 28 update added new software identifiers under licence No. 114026, which covers the feature as a Class II medical device.
Hypertension notifications work in the background, analyzing data from the Apple Watch’s optical heart sensor over time to look for patterns that could suggest chronic high blood pressure.
The watch doesn’t actually measure blood pressure like a traditional cuff. Instead, it can alert users to possible signs of hypertension, giving them a reason to follow up with a healthcare professional. Apple first launched hypertension notifications in Canada last October.
If you have an Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 in Canada, check the Health app on your iPhone to see whether hypertension notifications are available.
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
I noticed it came back a few days ago but the notification came from the iPhone. I decided to turn if off because I went to the doctor several months ago and told me I’m fine.