Samsung Galaxy Watch Will Get Heart Rhythm Notifications Soon

The irregular heart rhythm notifications feature got approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) last week, following recent clearance by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Samsung is adding a new capability to Galaxy Watches where the user will get irregular heart rhythm notifications (IHRN), apart from the existing ECG and blood pressure monitoring, in a bid to help users track abnormal heart rhythms and gain deeper heart health insights. The Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification (IHRN) feature is being added to the Samsung Health Monitor app and it will be available in 13 markets starting this summer, Samsung Electronics has announced.

Apple Watch has the capability to detect irregular heart rate and Google-owned Fitbit also added the ability last year. Combined with the Samsung Galaxy Watch's blood pressure and Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, the IHRN feature can detect heart rhythms suggestive of atrial fibrillation (AFib), thus, making AFib detection more accessible. 

The IHRN feature got approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) last week, following recent clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The feature will be introduced in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Panama, UAE, as well as Korea and the US, taking the total to 13 markets. There is no official word on when the feature will be available in India.

The Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification feature will first be available on the upcoming Galaxy Watch devices that are expected to be introduced later this year, as part of the new One UI 5 Watch and later expanded to previous models of the Galaxy Watch.

“Cardiovascular disease remains one of the main causes of death around the world, and we’re committed to empowering our users to stay informed about their heart health by providing monitoring tools, including blood pressure measurement and irregular heart rhythm notification,” Hon Pak, Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team, MX Business at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.

“We’re constantly exploring new ways to help Galaxy Watch users obtain deeper insights on their health and wellness effortlessly, day and night," Hon added.

Since its launch in 2020, the Samsung Health Monitor app has been expanded to 74 markets across the globe. More than 15 million Galaxy Watch users have kept track of their blood pressure and ECG right from their wrist, and gaining a better picture of their heart health by continuously monitoring and recording their blood pressure and heart rhythms, the company mentioned.