TGA has approved the Apple Watch’s hypertension notification featureApple can now legally enable the feature on its smartwatchThis could be a life-saving feature as it alerts you if your watch thinks you have chronic high blood pressure
The one feature that I was waiting for on the Apple Watch Series 11 has finally been approved. According to a recent report published by the Australian Computer Society, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has finally approved hypertension notifications on compatible Apple Watches.
While the feature isn’t yet available for users Down Under, it does allow Apple to legally enable blood pressure monitoring on its popular smartwatch. There’s no update yet from the iPhone maker on when the feature will be rolled out in Australia, but historically speaking the tech giant has been quick to push out Watch updates when local authorities approve new health-tracking features.
Considering it took the TGA over a year to approve ECG monitoring and sleep apnoea detection previously, this latest feature addition has seen a relatively quick turnaround by the government body. That said, Australia is still a little late to the party, as the feature debuted with the launch of Apple’s 2025 Watch models in September, and is already available in 150 other countries, including Canada and New Zealand.
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Is hypertension monitoring important?
You don’t necessarily need one of the latest-model Apple Watches to take advantage of hypertension notifications – Series 9 and Ultra 2 or newer devices in those families will also receive blood pressure monitoring, as they already integrate the necessary hardware. You will, however, need to have upgraded to the more recently released watchOS 26.
Note that none of the SE series models have this ability due to hardware limitations.
(Image credit: Apple)
If you suffer from chronic high blood pressure, you’re hopefully already under your doctor’s care, but having something on your wrist at all times means you could be alerted to possible spikes and can take early action if necessary. It can also help build a longer-term record to take to your doctor.
The Apple Watch collates the latter by using data from the wearable’s optical heart sensor, and reviewing it over a 30-day period to look out for consistent signs of high blood pressure.
Hypertension is a serious risk factor that can lead to several health issues, including heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease, and sadly, many people can be unaware that they’re hypertensive as it doesn’t necessarily present any symptoms.
According to the Heart Research Institute (HRI), more than 4 million Aussies are affected by cardio-vascular issues and the ability to monitor blood pressure consistently could save lives.
It’s important to note that the readings on your Apple Watch may not be accurate – if you do get a notification, it’s best to double check by using a dedicated, medically approved blood-pressure monitor.
Once Apple rolls out the feature, users won’t need to manually enable it or set it up – it works passively and automatically in the background. With any luck, you’ll never need its assistance, but it’s good to know it’s there if you do.
Read more about how the Apple Watch monitors blood pressure.
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