Blood pressure app for samsung watch 4

The Galaxy Watch 5 supports blood pressure monitoring, but it needs to be set up and calibrated before it can be used. Samsung has been offering blood pressure monitoring on its smartwatches for a while now. The feature first became available for the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 via an update in early 2021, while the Galaxy Watch 4 series that launched later that same year came with the feature out of the box.

The new Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also come with blood pressure monitoring. Unfortunately, the feature isn't available in all regions as it needs to be approved by a country's health agency. The United States is one of the countries where the feature is yet to be approved. Nevertheless, for those who have the feature available in their country, setting it up is pretty easy.

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The first thing to do is install the Samsung Health Monitor app on the connected smartphone and the watch, if not done already. This app different from the Samsung Health app, and is available to download from the Galaxy Store. Turn on Bluetooth and make sure the phone and Galaxy Watch 5 are connected. Launch the app and follow the on-screen set-up instructions. When done, select the 'Blood Pressure' option. Users will be required to calibrate their smartwatch using a medical-grade blood pressure monitor. A home blood pressure monitor can be used for this.

Monthly Calibrations Are Required

The cuff of the blood pressure monitor should be worn on the upper arm of one hand while the watch should be worn on the wrist of the other hand. The connected smartphone should also be within reach. Follow the on-screen instructions on the phone. It should notify the user when to begin measuring their blood pressure using the monitor. Once the blood pressure monitor begins to take readings, the Galaxy Watch 5 will also begin to measure automatically. After the reading is complete, users will be required to take the reading two more times to complete the calibration.

After calibration is done, the user can check their blood pressure on their watch. All they have to do is launch the Samsung Health Monitor app on their watch and select 'Blood Pressure.' The recorded result will appear on the screen and can also be viewed on the smartphone. Users can view a history of their readings from the app and can also choose to share the results with their doctor. The results are exported in PDF format, and include the user's personal information such as name, date of birth, and gender.

Owners of the Galaxy Watch 5 will be required to recalibrate their watch every 28 days, which means they might need to invest in a blood pressure monitor if they don't have one already. While that might defeat the purpose the Galaxy Watch 5's blood pressure monitor, it does make taking regular readings more convenient. Samsung warns that blood pressure monitoring should not be used for certain users, including pregnant women, those under the age of 22, and anyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes, vascular, and valvular diseases. Outside this group of people, the blood pressure monitor of the Galaxy Watch 5 provides users with another way to keep an eye on their health alongside heart rate and blood oxygen level.

One of the best health features of Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 is its ability to track users' blood pressure, but unfortunately, it's something buyers in the U.S. still don't (officially) have access to. Released in August 2021, the Galaxy Watch 4 remains one of the best smartwatches currently available, with the Classic version still on sale despite Samsung having released the Galaxy Watch 5 series. The Watch 4 is available in two distinct styles, touts reliable battery life, and uses Google's Wear OS 3 operating system for improved app availability. Compared to past Galaxy Watches, it's a pretty solid upgrade.

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Also present on the Galaxy Watch 4 are ample health-tracking features. It supports all-day activity tracking, monitors users' sleep, has a 24/7 heart-rate monitor, and there's even an ECG sensor for detecting irregular heart rhythms. Another big selling point of the Galaxy Watch 4 is blood pressure tracking. Galaxy Watch 4 users can quickly check their blood pressure at any time with the Samsung Health Monitor app — something the Apple Watch isn't even capable of.

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Unfortunately, that blood pressure tracking is only available in select markets — and the United States isn't one of them. Samsung says as much in a press release, noting that, "The blood pressure feature is only available in select markets, not available in the U.S.," with no further explanation given. This is also an issue with the latest Galaxy Watch 5, and older models including the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2. All these smartwatches support blood pressure tracking in other countries, but in the United States, it doesn't work.

Why Blood Pressure Tracking Doesn't Work In The U.S.

The reason for the missing functionality? U.S. government regulations. In order for a smartwatch to offer blood tracking in the United States, it must first be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (better known as the FDA). That FDA approval wasn't ready when the Galaxy Watch 4 launched, and as such, it doesn't have the blood pressure feature in the U.S. even though it's present in other countries. It's undoubtedly frustrating, but it's something every smartwatch has to go through.

That then begs an important question: when will the Galaxy Watch 4 be able to offer blood pressure tracking in the U.S.? That's honestly difficult to say. Galaxy Watches have technically been capable of it for a couple of years now. Even so, the FDA doesn't seem in a rush to approve it any time soon. And it may remain that way for a while to come. There's already concern over how accurate smartwatches are for heart rate and ECG tracking. Trying to accurately measure blood pressure is even more difficult, and as such, it's something the FDA is taking its time with. Because of all this, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 owners can only sit around and wait for the FDA to (eventually) make a decision about the blood pressure feature.

How To Enable Blood Pressure Monitoring In The U.S.

While Galaxy Watch 4 users in Canada recently received blood pressure monitoring on their devices via an update, those in the U.S. can enable the feature using a workaround. The slightly complicated process involves installing a modded version of the Samsung Health Monitor app on both the Galaxy Watch 4 and the paired smartphone, which has been detailed by the folks over at XDA Developers. This method not only enables blood pressure monitoring in unsupported regions (not just the U.S.), but also lets users set it up with a non-Samsung phone. For reference, blood pressure monitoring is only supported on Galaxy smartphones running Android 7.0 and above.

Once you've followed the steps in the link above and installed the modded app on your watch and phone, you'll need to calibrate the Galaxy Watch 4's readings using a medical-grade blood pressure monitor and cuff. This means you'll either need to buy one separately, or use one in a doctor's clinic. Calibration needs to be repeated three times within three days, and Samsung recommends repeating calibration every four weeks to ensure precise measurements. Clearly, keeping the blood pressure monitor readings accurate will require long-term access to a medical blood pressure monitor, which might be more effort than it's worth for the average Galaxy Watch 4 user.

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