Wednesday, November 6, 2024
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How to use the Vitals app in watchOS 11

watchOS 11 sports a new Vitals app that gives users a way to check in on their daily health status and explore noteworthy overnight health metrics at a glance, so they can easily see when the metrics are out of their typical range. 

When two or more metrics are out of their typical range, users can receive a notification, along with a message detailing how the changes in these specific metrics may be linked to other aspects of their life, such as elevation changes, alcohol consumption, or even illness.

To inform out-of-range classifications and notifications, Vitals uses an algorithm developed using real-world data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study, research that aims to advance the understanding of the links between heart health and physical activity.

The Vitals app establishes a typical range for each of your health metrics collected as you sleep. If multiple metrics are outside your typical range, you receive a notification along with context for factors that may be involved—like medications, elevation changes, or illness, for example.

Note: Vitals app measurements are not intended for medical use. The ability to measure blood oxygen is no longer available on Apple Watch units sold by Apple in the United States on or after January 18, 2024. These units are indicated with part numbers ending in LW/A. Learn how to identify your Apple Watch.

To view your overnight vitals:

  1. Go to the Vitals app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Do any of the following:
    • Learn more about your overnight vitals: Tap Overnight Vitals, then tap More Info to learn more about the health results you may see, and what it means when your vitals are within their typical ranges or if there is has been a change between one of your metrics compared to your recent baseline.
    • View your health metrics: Turn the Digital Crown to a metric, then tap the metric to learn more about the metric and factors that may cause an increase or decrease.
    • View your training load: Turn the Digital Crown to Training Load. Tap Training Load to view it in the Activity app.

To view your overnight vitals for the last 7 days, tap the icon at the top-left corner. 

To return to your overnight vitals summary, tap this icon:.

(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages.)

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.