Galaxy Ring can now flag signs of sleep apnea, a first for a smart ring

Samsung’s Galaxy Ring can now warn its wearer about possible sleep apnea, which makes it the first smart ring with this kind of check, according to Samsung. It arrives as part of an upgraded version of the sleep apnea tool that Galaxy watches have offered since 2024.

The bigger change is in what the tool reports. The earlier version only judged the risk; the new algorithm also shows how often breathing was disrupted during the night, counted per hour, as 9to5Google explains. Samsung pitches the result as something to bring to a doctor rather than a verdict.

A ring suits the job: it is light enough to keep on all night, and the check needs just two nights of valid data within a 10-day window. Results show up in the Samsung Health Monitor app. Among watches, the new version runs on the Galaxy Watch 9 with Wear OS 7.0 or later, while the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch 8 will get it through later software updates. The older tool stays on the Galaxy Watch 4 and newer, according to 9to5Google.

The upgraded feature was cleared by the FDA in the US in July and has also been approved by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Samsung stresses that it looks for signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults aged 18 and over, is not meant for people who already have a diagnosis and does not replace a clinician. The company has not given dates for other countries, saying only that it will keep widening availability.

Reported by Samsung Newsroom, 9to5Google. Compiled with AI tools.