After first debuting an SpO2 sensor in its first smartwatch back in 2017, Fitbit has finally begun to leverage it –and it’s starred tracking blood oxygen levels.
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In a quiet rollout – one Fitbit has officially confirmed – users on Reddit have noticed their Ionic, Versa series and Charge 3 trackers all providing blood oxygen reports within the app.
Read more: Fitbit’s SpO2 sensor explained
For the uninitiated, this data can be used to identify health conditions, such as asthma and heart disease, by measuring the amount of oxygen flowing in blood.
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Interestingly, from what we can see from users reporting the feature, it doesn’t appear to be dictated by a Fitbit Premium membership, which should mean anybody with a compatible device should be able to check blood oxygen data via the sleep section of the app.
One Reddit user’s example of the ‘Estimated Oxygen Variation’ graph in the Fitbit app
Wondering how Fitbit is suddenly tracking such an advanced metric from the wrist? Well, the SpO2 sensor that has remained dormant for over two years is now live, using a combination of red and infrared sensors to determine these oxygen levels.
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However, Fitbit does point out that this isn’t a relative figure – meaning that it isn’t able to definitively say whether a user is suffering from conditions such as sleep apnea. Instead, the feedback, at least for now, focuses on variations during the night.
If you’re healthy, Fitbit says, you shouldn’t see many large variations in the estimated graph.
At the time of writing, we’ve yet to receive the update, but those in the US should be getting the rollout imminently. If you haven’t, why not check out the new Fitbit snore tracking beta app, instead.