How to Use the Vitals App on Apple Watch to Spot Health Changes Early

Apple introduced the Vitals app with watchOS 11 to give users a better way to monitor their overall health. The app helps you achieve better sleep and faster recovery by recording key health metrics like average heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen levels, body temperature, and sleep duration, all in one place.

You might wonder, didn’t the Apple Watch already track these health metrics? Yes, but before the Vitals app, you had to jump between multiple apps to see them. Vitals makes it easier by combining everything into a single snapshot.

What is the Vitals App on Apple Watch?

Before watchOS 11, Apple Watch users could still monitor sleep and health metrics, but the data was scattered across different apps. The Vitals app simplifies this by analyzing your sleep over seven days and offering a graphical snapshot of your key health stats.

It calculates your average readings, then flags any unusual variations. If your vitals suddenly fall outside the typical range, the app alerts you so you can take action.

How Does the Vitals App Work?

You’ll need to wear your Apple Watch to sleep for seven days before the Vitals app starts showing insights. Once data is collected, it compares your most recent night’s readings with your seven-day average and classifies them as either “typical” or “outlier.”

• Typical: Your vitals fall within the expected range.
• Outlier: Your readings deviate significantly from your average, which may indicate an issue.

The app doesn’t alert you if a single metric shifts out of range, but it will notify you if multiple metrics deviate, especially if it happens repeatedly.

How to Use the Vitals App on Apple Watch

The Vitals app is available automatically on Apple Watch models running watchOS 11 and later. To use it:

1. Wear your Apple Watch while sleeping. No need to enable Sleep Mode, your watch detects it automatically. Just ensure the battery lasts through the night.
2. Open the Vitals app. On first launch, you’ll see a brief introduction. Tap Done to continue, and decide if you want notifications.
3. Check your overnight summary. At the top, you’ll see a quick glance at whether your vitals were typical or outliers.
4. Scroll for details. Use the Digital Crown to view each metric (heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and sleep duration). Tap on a metric to see more information.
5. Compare past data. Tap the calendar icon to switch between last night’s vitals and your seven-day trends.

If multiple vitals are outliers, the app will send a warning so you can take note of potential health concerns.

Why the Vitals App Matters

The Vitals app is another step in making Apple Watch a reliable health companion. It gives you a consolidated view of how your sleep and recovery affect your overall well-being.

Alongside Vitals, Apple also introduced Training Load, which tracks workout intensity over time to help balance performance and recovery.