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What you need to know
- Samsung announced that its upgraded Sleep Apnea feature has been cleared in the U.S. by the FDA and in South Korea by the MFDS for the Galaxy Ring and Watch 9.
- The feature is now rolling out in the app, bringing deeper insights about any breathing disruptions for users to present to a doctor if necessary.
- Samsung revealed during Unpacked this summer that Sleep Apnea was headed to the Galaxy Ring, making it the “first and only” smart ring to feature it.
Samsung has been working to improve its Sleep Apnea detection while navigating the necessary government procedures. Today (Nov. 3), Samsung says the feature has been cleared.
In a Newsroom post, Samsung announced that its “upgraded Sleep Apnea” detection software has cleared the FDA in the U.S. and the MFDS in South Korea. This is crucial because Samsung’s Sleep Apnea software was cleared for the Galaxy Ring. According to the post, the company has become “the first company in the world to bring sleep apnea risk detection on a smart ring.”
Regarding what’s changed, Samsung says it’s increased the level of depth of Sleep Apnea insights provided to users. In the Health app, users will see the level of breathing disruption experienced the night before. The company intends for this to help users better identify how severe their underlying condition could be before seeking medical attention.
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As this form of detection arrives for Galaxy Ring users, Samsung reminds them that they only need “two nights of monitoring within a 10-day period.” After that, they should begin seeing Sleep Apnea insights in the app. Preventative Care features will continue to expand to more Samsung devices.
This upgraded Sleep Apnea detection is rolling out today (Nov. 3) in the Health app for the Galaxy Watch 9 (and Galaxy Ring) with Wear OS 7 or higher. What’s more, Samsung says the Galaxy Watch 7 and 8 are eligible; however, those users need to wait for a software update. Samsung didn’t give a date, so we’ll have to wait for now.
Long road of approvals
Android Central’s Take
The availability of features is what matters here. Samsung has continued to present itself as a health-forward company with its wearables. Sleep Apnea is one of those conditions will do more harm than good if left unchecked. Beyond that, it’s a tiny little ring on your finger. It’s comfortable (ideally) to wear throughout the day and night. That’s part of the reason why Samsung is worked to expand this feature. It’s rolling out now, so if you receive it, let us know how it goes.
This was a huge announcement during Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked this past summer. During the keynote, the company announced that Sleep Apnea was headed to the Galaxy Ring. This would mark the device as “the first and only” smart ring to offer such capabilities. Samsung said the feature would arrive “this fall,” and we’ve now seen that here in early November.
Sleep Apnea is an incredibly important medical condition. Samsung has been down a long road of approvals, dating back to 2023 when the MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) in South Korea approved it for the Galaxy Watch. Consumers in the U.S. had to wait until 2024 before the FDA finally cleared it. However, it didn’t actually arrive on a Galaxy Watch 2025—long road, right?