Samsung announced that it has received approval from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to enable ECG function in Galaxy Watch Active 2. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has a built-in ECG sensor, but it has remained unusable until now. The reason is that the company requires a regulatory approval region by region, something that is delayed the arrival of that feature for months. Now, the company is finally allowed to deliver on that promise, however, the feature is still limited to its home country.
This new feature will let people measure and analyze their heart rhythm for any irregularities, this can be done by placing your finger on the top button on the watch. Samsung previously added a blood pressure monitor to the device.
We’re delighted to announce that the ECG function has been cleared by MFDS. When you pair the advanced hardware of Galaxy watches with innovative software solutions, you can create unmatched experiences – such as in this case, convenient and accessible health check-ins for millions of users across the world. This marks just one way in which Samsung is pioneering to give everyone a simple, convenient, and informed picture of their overall health and wellness.
– TaeJong Jay Yang, Corporate SVP and Head of Health Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics
You can get your ECG reading by opening the Health Monitor app, placing your arm on a flat surface, and press your finger on the top of the Watch Active2 for 30 seconds. The app will then check your heart rate and rhythm, and verify if your heart is beating normally or irregularly.
The Galaxy Watch Active2 also just received the ability to read blood pressure, though that functionality requires an external cuff for calibration at least every four weeks. Both the blood pressure monitoring and ECG functionality are limited to South Korea for now. Unfortunately, both features require the Health Monitor app, which according to Samsung will be available “within the third quarter” of this year.
Moreover, the company also cannot make the ECG feature available in other countries until it receives approval from relevant government agencies. You could be waiting a while longer to use the feature in your part of the world. Future Galaxy Watches will have the app as well, mind you, and this is one of the few opportunities to run ECG tests on an Android-friendly smartwatch.
