Apple Watch: Five key features you should know

Recently, Meta, after years of delay, launched the standalone WhatsApp Messenger for Apple Watches. This further enhances the user experience by enabling reading the entire message, replying, and screening who is calling without having to pull the phone from the pocket.

But do you know Apple Watches feature advanced technologies that can help you track your health more precisely than most rival brands in the market?

Here are five important aspects you should know about Apple Watches:

1) Sleep Apnea tracker

Sleep Apnea is a serious health issue where breathing repeatedly stops and starts. People diagnosed with Sleep Apnea are vulnerable to coronary artery diseases, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

And, the older the person, the higher the risk of sudden death.

To detect sleep apnea, Apple Watch uses the accelerometer to monitor small movements at the wrist that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns, tracked by a new Apple Watch metric called Breathing Disturbances.

Sleep Apnea detection feature is available on Watch Series 11, Series 10, Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 and Watch Ultra 3.

Sleep Apnea feature on Apple Watch.

This particular feature requires around 30 days of tracking, and the user has to wear the Apple Watch while sleeping. If over a 30-day period, the user receives more frequent elevated breathing disturbances, he/she will receive a notification of possible sleep apnea.

This alert tells the user when potential sleep apnea occurred and gives access to a PDF to discuss with the healthcare provider.

Here's how to set up Sleep Apnea notification

Step 1: Go to the Health app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap your picture or initials at the top right.

Step 3: Tap Health Checklist, tap Set Up below Sleep Apnea Notifications, then follow the onscreen instructions.

Apple Watch Series 10 supports Vitals feature.

2) Vitals app

Based on two weeks of usage, Apple Watch will offer health trends revealing critical body metrics such as respiration rate, cardio health (measured by VO2 max), and sleep patterns. Apple Watch is smart enough to calculate and is designed to motivate the user.

If multiple metrics are outside your typical range, you receive a notification along with context for factors that may be involved—like medications, elevation changes, or illness.

Here's how to turn on Vitals notification:

Step 1: Go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch, then tap Vitals.

Step 2: Turn on Notifications.

Cardio Fitness tracked by Apple Watch SE 3.

3) Cardio Fitness

Cardio Fitness: It offers more information about the user's Cardio Fitness and Cardio-respiratory fitness, as is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise.

Here's how to view your Cardio health:

Step 1: Open the Health app on your iPhone or iPad.

Step 2: If you’re on your iPhone, tap the Browse tab. If you’re on your iPad, tap the sidebar to open the browse tab.

Step 3: Tap Heart, then tap Cardio Fitness.

Step 4: Tap D, W or Y to view your average for the Day, Week or Year.

Step 5: Tap Show All Cardio Fitness Levels.

Step 6: Tap a cardio fitness level to compare your results to other levels based on your age and sex

Apple Watch also provides walking asymmetry details. In a healthy walking pattern, the timing of the steps the user takes with each foot is very similar. Walking Symmetry is the percentage of time he/she steps with one foot faster or slower than the other foot. This means the lower the percentage of asymmetry, the healthier the person's walking pattern.

Uneven walking patterns, such as limping, can be a sign of disease, injury, or other health issues.

If you are over 40 years old, make a habit of updating the Medical ID.

Ovulation estimation can be viewed on Apple iPhone.

4) Ovulation Estimation

With a cutting-edge wrist temperature sensor, heart rate monitor and advanced algorithm, Apple Watches can be helpful in ovulation estimation for women users.

Here's how to set up Cycle Tracking

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Health app.

If you're on your iPhone, tap Search. If you're on your iPad, tap the sidebar to open the sidebar.

Step 1: Tap Cycle Tracking.

Step 2: Tap Get Started, then follow the onscreen steps.

Here's how to track your cycle

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Health app.

If you're on your iPhone, tap Search. If you're on your iPad, tap the sidebar to open the sidebar.

Step 1: Tap Cycle Tracking.

Step 2: Swipe to the correct day, then tap the oval to log your period.

To add more information, scroll down and tap a category, make a change, then tap Done. You can track symptoms, spotting, basal body temperature, and more.

5) Medical ID

It offers critical health information about you during an emergency, such as allergies and medical conditions. Medical ID helps first responders access your critical medical information from the Lock screen on iPhone, without needing your passcode, or on Apple Watch.

How to set up your Medical ID on your iPhone:

Step 1: Open the Health app and tap the Summary tab.

Step 2: Tap your profile picture in the top right-hand corner.

Step 3: Under your profile picture, tap Medical ID.

Step 4: To make your Medical ID available from the Lock Screen on your iPhone, turn on Show When Locked.

During an emergency, this gives information to people who want to help. To share your Medical ID with emergency responders, turn on Share During Emergency Call. When you make a call or send a text to the emergency services on your iPhone or Apple Watch, your Medical ID will be shared with the emergency services automatically.

Step 5: Tap Edit or Add next to the field you want to update. You can add details such as Medications, Allergies and any Conditions you have.

Step 6: Once you have filled in all the required details, tap Done.

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