Samsung says its upgraded Sleep Apnea feature is now available on the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring, and that it is the first company to bring sleep apnea risk detection to a smart ring, according to Samsung's Nov. 3 announcement. It follows US FDA clearance in July 2026 and approval from Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
What it does
Samsung describes the feature as an over-the-counter, software-only mobile medical app that runs through Samsung Health Monitor. It looks for signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, meaning significant breathing disruptions during sleep, in users 18 and older.
The upgrade is that it now shows the level of breathing disruptions it detected. Before, it gave only a risk assessment. Samsung says the feature is on demand.
What this means for you
To use it, Samsung says you need:
- A compatible Galaxy Wearable and phone.
- Two nights of valid data within a 10-day period.
Samsung says the feature is not for people already diagnosed with sleep apnea and is not a replacement for a clinician's diagnosis.
Watches and countries
The same page says the feature works on the Galaxy Watch 9 with Wear OS 7.0 or later, and that the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch 8 will get it in future updates. The original version received FDA De Novo authorization in February 2024.
Samsung's announcement does not name other countries where the feature is available.
Other rings
For other smart ring news, see our story on Oura's lawsuit against Ultrahuman. For Samsung's other wearable, see the smart glasses leak.
