Apple Debuts Sleep Apnea Alerts and Hearing Test Features in India
Published: (May 21, 2026 at 07:54 AM EDT)
2 min read
Source: MacRumors
Source: MacRumors
Sleep Apnea Alerts for Apple Watch
Apple Watch can now detect signs of sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The watch uses its accelerometer to track subtle wrist movements that correspond to irregular breathing patterns. When disturbances are logged across several nights, the device flags a potential case of sleep apnea.
- Supported models: Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
- Availability: More than 150 countries worldwide.
- How it works: Users wear the watch consistently for several nights. Nightly breathing disturbances are recorded in the iPhone’s Health app, where an initial reading can be viewed.
Hearing Test Feature for AirPods Pro
A new hearing test can be performed with AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3 when paired with an iPhone running iOS 18.1 or later, or an iPad running iPadOS 18.1 or later. The test mimics clinical audiometry:
- Tones at four frequencies (500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz) play at varying sound levels in each ear.
- Users tap the iPhone’s display whenever they hear a tone.
Interpretation of results (dB HL):
| Range | Hearing loss level |
|---|---|
| 0‑25 | Little to no loss |
| 26‑40 | Mild loss |
| 41‑60 | Moderate loss |
| 61‑80 | Severe loss |
| >80 | Profound loss |
The resulting audiogram is stored in the Health app and can be shared with a healthcare provider.
Additional Announcements
- The features were highlighted in a post on X by Apple’s Greg Joswiak.
- Apple recently introduced its Hearing Aid feature in Italy.
- Hypertension notifications have been rolled out in Taiwan.
This article first appeared on MacRumors.com.