Samsung’s upgraded sleep apnea detection is rolling out to Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring
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Samsung’s upgraded sleep apnea detection is rolling out to Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring
Nov 3, 2026 — 8:39 AM ET
- Samsung is rolling out an upgraded sleep apnea detection algorithm to the Galaxy Watch 9, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and the Galaxy Ring across the US and South Korea.
- The feature tracks blood oxygen drops and breathing disruptions over two sleep sessions in a 10-day period, categorizing severity rather than giving a simple binary result.
- The Galaxy Ring becomes the first commercial smart ring with regulatory clearance for sleep apnea tracking. Support for Galaxy Watch 7 and 8 will be coming later.
Samsung has begun rolling out upgraded sleep apnea detection to its wearable lineup, leading with its flagship smartwatches on your wrist and expanding down to your finger. The capability is now reaching users on the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, alongside an expansion to the Galaxy Ring. This improved sleep apnea function refines how Samsung monitors overnight breathing disturbances, transforming passive tracking into more actionable health data.
The rollout follows regulatory clearances from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), as announced by Samsung. The approvals allow Samsung to push upgraded sleep apnea detection across both key markets via updates to the Samsung Health Monitor app.
Rather than offering only a binary assessment, the upgraded sleep apnea detection algorithm tracks overnight vitals over two sleep sessions within a 10-day evaluation window. It monitors relative blood oxygen drops and breathing disruptions to identify signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, categorizing the severity of disruptions so users can then take all of this data to a physician.
While the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are first in line, older hardware will not be left behind. Samsung plans to bring the upgraded detection to earlier models, including the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 families, in future firmware releases.
For Galaxy Ring owners, this rollout marks a notable milestone: it is the first commercial smart ring to gain regulatory authorization for sleep apnea tracking. Some people do not like to wear their smartwatches to bed, so having this feature available on a relatively lightweight and discreet ring makes long-term sleep tracking a lot more practical for everyday users.
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