close
close

The Apple Vitals app alerts users to symptoms before they actually get sick

Posted on by darion

Launched on September 16, 2024, the latest watchOS 11 includes the all-new Vitals app for daily health checks. While you sleep, the app measures important health indicators, including heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen content and sleep time. If two or more metrics are out of range, you’ll receive a notification with related factors such as illness, medications or alcohol consumption. This may seem fine and not a big deal, but some users are surprised by the capabilities of this app.

Several Reddit users are discussing how the new Vitals app in watchOS 11 shows signs of illness before they actually experience any symptoms. The app carefully monitors your vital signs and detects in advance that you are falling ill. This means the app will know you’re getting sick before you actually get sick. Impressive, right?

One Reddit user said he started using the Vitals app when it was in beta. He got sick twice and both times the Vitals app knew about it a few days in advance and he didn’t feel anything bad. When outliers were detected, the app sent him a notification. Another user said his Vitals app showed high temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate, but he didn’t care because he felt fine. After two days, he started coughing at night and waking up with a sore throat.

He then went to the emergency room and tested positive for strep throat (a bacterial infection). Several users also joined the conversation and shared similar experiences where their Apple Watch was able to identify diseases and recognize that something was wrong. This is impressive and very useful.

It’s amazing to see how technology has evolved to predict health patterns. Many users are already saying that the Vitals app is their new favorite Apple Watch feature, and it fully deserves that recognition. It’s pretty damn clever how the app can recognize mild and early signs of disease. When you know about your sick days in advance, you take the best precautions to limit the disease and, in some cases, even prevent it. You also have time to cancel or postpone your plans, which otherwise creates another headache.

Compatible with the Apple Vitals app

The new Vitals app is not exclusive to the latest Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models. It is available on every Apple Watch with watchOS 11. Here is the list of Apple Watch models that support watchOS 11:

  • Apple Watch Ultra2
  • Apple Watch Ultra
  • Apple Watch 10 series
  • Apple Watch series 9
  • Apple Watch 8 series
  • Apple Watch 7 Series
  • Apple Watch Series 6
  • Apple Watch Series 5
  • Apple Watch SE (1st and 2nd generation)

To update compatible models to watchOS 11, you’ll need at least an iPhone 11 running the latest iOS 18.

How to use the Vitals app on watchOS 11

It’s worth knowing that since the Vitals app measures data while you sleep, you’ll need to turn on sleep tracking on your Apple Watch. Otherwise the application will not work. Once you turn on sleep tracking, the app takes at least a week to collect important data and provide you with tips. To view your vital signs for the last 7 days, go to the tab Vitals apptouch Vitale for the night, and tap the calendar-like icon in the top left corner. You can also view your vital signs in the Health app on your iPhone. To do this, open the Health app, tap Browse -> Vitals, and tap the health gauge to learn more.

By default, the app sends you notifications when two or more of your nighttime metrics are outside the typical range. To make sure you have not disabled this feature, go to Settings -> Indicators and turn on Notifications on your Apple Watch.

Vitals app for Apple Watch
Photo courtesy: Apple

Have you installed the latest watchOS 11? Did you find the Vitals app useful? Don’t forget to share your experiences in the comments below.