Apple Watch with Vitals app can detect diseases before symptoms
Apple’s new Vitals app for watchOS 11 currently seems to be delighting several users with unexpected messages. Namely, that they are about to get sick. According to some recent threads on Reddit, these messages come several days before symptoms are noticeable.
The Apple Watch app, which analyzes important health metrics measured during sleep over the past seven days, seems to be giving at least some Apple Watch wearers early warning of impending illness. The Vitals app is available on the Apple Watch Series 8 and newer models, including the Apple Watch Ultra and the Watch Ultra 2, but requires the latest watchOS 11.
One Reddit user, RCG21, shared his experience with the new Apple Watch feature:
“I started using Vitals when it first came out on the beta and since then I’ve gotten sick about twice. Both times it knew a couple days in advance and I hadn’t felt anything wrong.”
Vitals can be viewed on the Apple Watch in the Vitals app or in the Vitals section of the Health app on the iPhone, which shows metrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen levels. It creates a typical range for each user over time and alerts them when metrics are outside that range.
Another user, dalethomas81, posted a screenshot of his Vitals data saying, “Woke up today feeling off. Now as the evening is setting in, I am feeling that old familiar feeling in my head. I’m sick.” The Vitals app on the iPhone showed several metrics that were outside the typical range. And all of this, too, days before the user himself felt unwell.
Apple Watch with Vitals app detects effects of vaccinations
Some users also reported that the app detected vaccine-related outliers in their system before they experienced any corresponding symptoms. TizianosBoy said:
“My watch knew I wasn’t 100% after my COVID and flu jabs as all three vitals (Wrist Temperature, Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate) were outliers and that’s how I knew I was not well, amazing tbh.”
While many users praised the feature’s accuracy, experiences were varied. At least one user in the thread mentioned that the Apple Watch didn’t detect his illness in advance. This suggests that individual results may vary.
While there is evidence that Vitals detects illnesses before users show symptoms, it must be emphasized that Apple says the app is not intended to diagnose or treat any illnesses. Additionally, the ability to measure blood oxygen won’t work on Apple Watches sold by Apple in the U.S. after January 18, 2024. The feature was removed due to a court ruling that found that Apple was using the feature to violate Masimo’s Pulse oximetry patents were infringed, deactivated via software update.
