Apple Watch users in 33 countries who upgrade to the new Series 12 or Ultra 4 may temporarily lose access to hypertension notifications, according to a disclosure on Apple’s watchOS feature availability page.
The feature, which screens for signs of elevated blood pressure, requires fresh regulatory clearance in those markets because the new watches carry redesigned health sensors that differ significantly from earlier models.
Apple’s notice reads: “Hypertension Notifications may not be available on Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 in your region, as additional regulatory clearances for these devices are in process.”
Affected countries include Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, South Korea, and the UAE, among others. Users in the United States, the UK, and EU countries are not affected and will continue receiving the notifications as usual.
Why the new hardware triggered a review
Both the Series 12 and Ultra 4 introduce what Apple calls a Health Sensing System, which replaces the optical and electrical heart sensors found in previous models.
The redesigned setup uses electrodes that cover more surface area during ECG readings, a ring arrangement of photodiodes for more efficient light capture, and larger green LEDs that measure heart rate every five seconds throughout the day. Heart rate variability can now be tracked as often as every five minutes.
Because the hypertension screening tool relies on optical sensors to detect small blood vessel changes associated with elevated blood pressure over time, regulators in some regions require validation that the feature performs accurately on the new hardware before it can go live.
The sensor changes, while intended to improve accuracy and data density, mean the algorithms Apple built for the previous generation need to be re-certified against a different physical configuration.
What this means for current users
For anyone who currently receives hypertension notifications on an older Apple Watch and plans to upgrade to the Series 12 or Ultra 4, the feature will be unavailable until Apple secures the necessary approvals in their country.
Apple has not published a timeline for when that clearance is expected in each affected region.
The Series 12 and Ultra 4 are available for pre-order now, with both models set to ship on September 18. Apple’s feature availability page lists all affected countries.
