Apple just got approval for a major new Apple Watch feature

Afib
Afib (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Apple has been granted approval for a new Apple Watch feature.
  • It lets you track your Atrial Fibrillation history.
  • It could be unveiled in watchOS 9 at WWDC 22.

Apple has been granted a new Apple Watch health feature for use by the FDA just hours before WWDC and the announcement of watchOS 9.

As spotted by MyHealthyApple:

Apple Inc has received FDA's 510(k) approval for a new feature that is coming to your Apple Watch. The Apple Watch will now be able to keep track of Atrial Fibrillation history.The new filing has been made available today. Users should be able to check their Afib history and more.

Apple's Best Apple Watch modles including the Apple Watch Series 7 let users monitor their heart rate for signs of atrial fibrillation or irregular heart rhythms, which can be a sign of more serious problems.

The approval is noteworthy because Apple is just hours away from unveiling the next version of watchOS at WWDC 2022. The company will also roll out its latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS, as well as possibly some new hardware.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in May that watchOs 9 would be a "significant" update to the current version of watchOS.

There's always Amazon

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9