- Fitbit Labs is testing a new hypertension feature, as well as a new tool that detects changes in your health metrics.
- The company is looking for 10,000 participants to wear their Google Pixel Watch 3 as they normally would for 180 days and will be sent an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring bracelet.
- Its “unusual trends” detection will also send you alerts if your health metrics look different than normal.
Now that Fitbit’s AI-powered personal trainer app is rolling out widely to users, the company has started working to test more features for Pixel Watch users, including a hypertension study lab and an “unusual trend detection” tool.
The two new features are currently in testing through Fitbit Labs, a program where users can sign up to explore Fitbit’s latest experiments and provide feedback as features are developed. You should also note that this hypertension experiment is only available to users in the US at the moment.
According to 9to5Google, Fitbit wants to “use Pixel Watch data to identify early signs of” high blood pressure, but interestingly, Fitbit’s Hypertension Lab is just being tested on the Pixel Watch 3, leaving the newer Pixel Watch 4 out of the mix. We don’t know the reason for this, but we’ll give you an update once we know.
To test its new hypertension alerts feature, Fitbit is looking for “up to 10,000 eligible participants to wear their Google Pixel Watch 3 as they normally would for 180 days” in the U.S. These testers will be sent an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring bracelet, which they will wear for 24 hours, as well as compensation in the form of a $25 gift card.
Hypertension features are far from a new invention when it comes to the best smartwatches. In September, Apple introduced its own high blood pressure alert tool with the newest members of its Apple Watch lineup, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. While it’s not available on Apple Watch SE models, you can receive high blood pressure alerts on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, and on the iPhone 11 or later with the latest version of iOS.
Additionally, Fitbit Labs is also conducting an experiment to test unusual health changes, which is essentially an alert you’ll receive if your health metrics look different than normal. Not only will you be able to record causes and symptoms, but you will also receive recovery and rest advice, as well as updates when your health metrics patterns return to normal.
You can see all the experiments you’re eligible for by going to the Fitbit Labs page on Android, where you’ll find two sections: one for labs you’re eligible for and another for labs you’re interested in. From there, all you have to do is tap “Get Notifications” and you’ll be added to the waitlist.
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