Apple Watch ECG on its way to Australia after government approval

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Apple Watch ECG
One of Apple Watch's best features is expanding its reach.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch’s terrific ECG feature is one step closer to going live in Australia after receiving government approval. It comes just a month after Australia approved the device’s irregular heart rhythm notifications.

It’s not yet clear when Apple will make the feature available to Apple Watch owners.

It’s been well over a year since Apple introduced Apple Watch Series 4 — the first model with a built-in ECG. While a lot of countries were quick to embrace the feature, others have been slow to give it the thumbs-up.

Australia has finally granted its approval, which means it should be long before Apple Watch owners down under can carry out ECGs anytime, anywhere — so long as they have a compatible device.

Australia says yes to Apple Watch ECG

A regulatory document, first seen by The 8-Bit, confirms Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved Apple Watch’s ECG under its “Medical Device Class IIa” regulations.

This gives Apple the green light it needs to activate the ECG feature — as well as irregular heart rhythm notifications — for Apple Watch users in Australia. However, we don’t yet know when that will happen.

Activation could come with the upcoming watchOS 7.4 update, which is already being beta tested, if Apple has time to make the necessary changes ahead of its public rollout this spring.

The ECG feature, available in Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 devices, gives users a more detailed look at their heart rhythm. It can detect signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), but does not check for heart attacks.

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