The Galaxy Ring Sleep Apnea feature is live, so Samsung's ring can now check for signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, a job only Samsung's Galaxy Watch handled until now. The updated feature, which also runs on the watch, reports the level of breathing disruptions it detected, going beyond the earlier risk assessment.
Samsung says the updated algorithm analyzes a wearer's vitals during sleep in greater depth than the original. That original received the FDA's De Novo authorization in February 2024 as the first of its kind for a wearable designed to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea. The updated feature cleared the FDA in July 2026, and Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has also approved it. It runs in the Samsung Health Monitor app and needs two nights of valid data within a 10-day period.
The feature is an over-the-counter, software-only medical application for people 18 and older, intended to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, in the form of significant breathing disruptions, over a two-night monitoring period. Samsung says it is not meant for anyone previously diagnosed with sleep apnea and should not replace diagnosis or treatment by a qualified clinician. It runs on a compatible Galaxy wearable and Samsung phone. Samsung says the ring's light build encourages nightly wear, and it presents the results as a starting point for conversations with healthcare professionals.
Samsung names approvals for the updated feature from the US FDA and Korea's MFDS and plans to expand it to more countries. Device support depends on the model, per Samsung:
| Device | Status |
|---|---|
| Galaxy Ring | Available now |
| Galaxy Watch 9 (Wear OS 7.0 or higher) | Available now |
| Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch 8 | Future software updates |
Samsung says it is the first company to bring sleep apnea risk detection to a smart ring. The original watch feature had reached 70 markets by June 2025, according to Samsung, which said then that it works only on supported Galaxy Watch models and Galaxy phones bought in markets where the service is available.
