Apple announced the mainland China rollout on October 14, 2026. Graphic: MacDigest.
Apple says sleep apnea notifications are available in mainland China starting October 14, 2026. In its launch announcement, the company says the software has received medical-device registration from China’s National Medical Products Administration. The rollout extends the feature to compatible watches that owners may already have.
Which watches qualify
Apple lists Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and SE 3 and later. The feature is intended for adults aged 18 or older who have not previously been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Apple’s setup guide calls for the latest watchOS and iOS, with Sleep configured and Track Sleep with Apple Watch enabled. It does not specify a numerical minimum software version for this rollout.
Set it up in Health
On the paired iPhone, open Health, select Browse, then Respiratory. Under Sleep Apnea Notifications, choose Set Up and follow the prompts, including confirming your date of birth and whether you have previously received a sleep apnea diagnosis.
You need to wear the watch to sleep for at least 10 nights within a 30-day evaluation period. Apple says the data is analyzed every 30 days, so enabling the feature does not produce an immediate assessment after one night.
What a notification means
The watch uses its accelerometer to track small wrist movements associated with interruptions in breathing. Apple calls the resulting metric Breathing Disturbances. Notifications flag patterns that may indicate moderate to severe sleep apnea; the Health app can also export a detailed PDF report for a discussion with a healthcare provider.
These notifications do not diagnose sleep apnea. Apple says some people with the condition will not receive one, so an absence of notifications does not rule it out.
Apple’s regional availability page still omitted mainland China when checked on October 14. The launch date reported here follows the newer Newsroom announcement; activation on individual devices has not been independently verified.
