Samsung has expanded sleep apnea detection on its Galaxy Ring following FDA approval of the upgraded feature in July 2026. Using AI to calculate the frequency of breathing disruptions per hour of sleep, the feature may offer clues to users who remain exhausted despite sleeping through the night.
To obtain results, users must record at least five hours of sleep on each of two nights within a ten-day period. Samsung's Health Monitor app can then indicate mild, occasional, or frequent sleep apnea. Samsung emphasizes that only a physician can establish a proper diagnosis, although the device's findings may support more productive conversations with healthcare professionals.
The update builds on the FDA's February 2024 De Novo authorization for sleep apnea detection on Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring devices. That initial authorization covered the detection of symptoms associated with moderate to severe sleep apnea; the upgraded version retains that capability while adding hourly disruption counts.
The advanced feature is currently available on Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch 9 running Wear OS 7.0 or later. Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 are also set to receive it through future software updates, though no release dates have been announced for those models.
Competing ring brands Oura and Superhuman can track nighttime disturbances that may suggest sleep apnea, but neither offers FDA-approved detection of the condition. Separately, Samsung and Oura are involved in a smart-ring patent dispute, with a preliminary decision expected soon.
