Apple gets TGA Approval for Apple Watch Sleep Apnea detection – availability pending a software update

Apple has introduced a wide range of quite remarkable health related features to it’s products over the years, most notably on the Apple Watch with the ECG feature, and more recently the Hearing feature on AirPods Pro 2. Today, the TGA approved the Sleep Apnea notification feature on Apple Watch.

The approval comes many months after the feature rolled out in many other markets globally, however it’s yet another sign of our stringent TGA processes here in Australia which we really can’t complain about given it is our health at the centre of their concerns.

Approval from the TGA though is just the first step toward availability. This approval will now need to be fed through the system at Apple and the feature then enabled for Australian Apple Watch users in a future software update.

Apple say they are excited about the approval for what they call an “impactful feature” and will make it available to customers in Australia soon. They are following the required procedures for distributing the software and they’ll make it available in an upcoming software update.

That software update could come in weeks, or months, but rest assured in one of the next Apple Watch software updates, the “Breathing Disturbances” feature will be available to Australians.

For people worried about their sleep, or keen to track their breathing while they sleep, you will need an Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or an Apple Watch Ultra 2. This does not work on the Apple Watch SE.

Sleep apnea is no joking matter, it’s a serious disorder that can impact your health and quality of life, but for many people it simply goes undiagnosed, or ignored.

Apple developed their detection algorithm during testing with thousands of participants over more than 10,000 nights of sleep before submitting for clinical validation to the FDA in the USA and our TGA here.