Summary
Samsung says South Korea’s MFDS cleared an expanded Galaxy wearable sleep-apnoea feature that sorts hourly breathing disturbances into three frequency levels. The rollout is due to start in Korea in November on the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, Watch9 and Galaxy Ring.
Samsung says South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has cleared an expanded version of its Galaxy wearable sleep-apnoea feature. Announced on 28 October 2026, the update uses an AI algorithm to analyse the hourly frequency of breathing disturbances during sleep and presents results in three categories: mild, occasional and frequent.
The update is intended to give users more detail than the existing feature, which detects signs of moderate and severe sleep apnoea. Samsung says the expanded version also received US Food and Drug Administration approval in July.
What the updated feature reports
Sleep apnoea involves repeated pauses or reductions in breathing during sleep. Samsung describes its wearable feature as a consumer mobile medical solution that measures and analyses sleep breathing data. The new output categorises how often breathing disturbances occur per hour; it is not a confirmed diagnosis of sleep apnoea.
To use the feature, people take two measurements, each covering at least five hours of sleep, within a 10-day period. Results are accessed through the Samsung Health Monitor app downloaded to a Galaxy device. Samsung says users can use the information as a reference when consulting a medical professional.
Devices and eligibility in Korea
The expanded feature is scheduled to begin rolling out in South Korea in November on the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Ring. Samsung plans to extend it through software updates to existing Galaxy Watch7 and Watch8 models running Wear OS 7.0 or later.
The earlier version, which detects signs of sleep apnoea, will continue on Galaxy Watch4 and later models running Wear OS 5.0 or later. Samsung says the updated feature is intended for people aged 18 or older who have not previously been diagnosed with sleep apnoea. It does not replace professional medical diagnosis or consultation.