watchOS 7 could feature ‘mental health capabilities’ to detect panic attacks
Apple will introduce ‘mental health capabilities’ to the Apple Watch with watchOS 7, according to leaker Jon Prosser who recently spoke on the Geared Up podcast, suggesting the wearable could gain the ability to detect panic attacks.
Prosser claims Apple’s “biggest focus” right now is mental health capabilities for the Apple Watch. Discussing briefly how the panic attack detection may work, he said the wearable could “take the oxygen levels in your blood with your heart rate and determine if you’re hyperventilating.”
The Apple Watch could then offer breathing exercises when a panic attack is detected, he says.
What their biggest focus on is right now and I hope it comes this year, it might come next year, but I hope it’s coming to WWDC is mental health capabilities. Where they can take the oxygen levels in your blood with your heart rate and determine if you’re hyperventilating. – They can identify a panic attack before it happens and warn you on your watch. Especially if you’re driving, they’ll ask you to pull over and they’ll offer breathing exercises once you get pulled over.
Prosser says that while he hopes the feature is released this year, “it might come next year.”
It is unknown whether the ability to detect blood oxygen levels is present in older Apple Watch models, such as the Apple Watch Series 4 which introduced the ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG), or the current-generation Apple Watch Series 5, or if the feature would be exclusive to an all-new model (Series 6) with new sensors.
watchOS 7 is also believed to include new sleep-tracking features for the Apple Watch, with a leaked code string showing that reading “you can also track your sleep and get woken up silently by wearing your watch to bed.”