Starting today, the Apple Watch's "sleep apnea alert feature" is available in Korea as well. Apple first introduced the feature when it released Apple Watch 10 last year. But rollout in Korea was delayed because it had not received approval from regulators.
According to the industry on the 30th, Apple updated the feature so that Apple Watch users in Korea can also use the "sleep apnea alert feature" starting today. According to Apple, sensors built into the Apple Watch 11 series record and analyze data such as the user's heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and respiratory rate during sleep.
On its website, Apple noted that "when you wear Apple Watch at bedtime, it tracks breathing disruptions during sleep and, through an algorithm, can detect signs of sleep apnea ranging from mild to severe."
Previously, Apple first unveiled the sleep apnea alert feature on Apple Watch 10, released in 2024. The feature is currently offered in about 197 countries, including the United States, but it had not been available in Korea. Apple updated the feature after obtaining approval from domestic regulatory agencies, including the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing stops during sleep. Sleep apnea lowers sleep quality and can adversely affect the heart and cerebrovascular system. Apple developed and validated a scoring algorithm using more than 5 million nights of sleep data collected from studies on the heart and human movement.
To use the sleep apnea alert feature on Apple Watch, first open the Health application (app) on iPhone and select the user's photo or name at the top right. Then tap Health Checklist and go to the settings under sleep apnea alerts, and follow the on-screen instructions. After setting up the sleep tracking feature on Apple Watch and sleeping with the watch on for at least 10 days over 30 days, you can have your sleep patterns analyzed in 30-day intervals.
Users' sleep data is protected through Face ID and Touch ID provided by Apple and is stored in encrypted form.