Samsung activates ECG monitoring on Galaxy Watch3 and Watch Active2 in the US

The Samsung Galaxy Watch3 announced last month and the Galaxy Watch Active2 unveiled last August both have the hardware to take electrocardiogram (ECG) readings, but the feature wasn’t enabled on either of the smartwatches out of the box as it needed regulatory approval. Samsung activated ECG on the Galaxy Watch Active2 in South Korea last month, and now it’s the turn for both smartwatches in the US to get ECG support.

The heart rhythm will be recorded using the ECG Monitor app, and you’ll need to install the Samsung Health Monitor app on the paired smartphone, which should be a Galaxy smartphone running Android 7 or above.

Galaxy Watch3

To record the heart rhythm, open the Samsung Health Monitor app, rest your arm on a flat surface, and place your finger on the watch’s top button. The recorded ECG will be classified as either Sinus Rhythm or Atrial Fibrillation (AFib).

Once the reading is complete, you can record relevant symptoms like dizziness or fatigue and send a PDF report of your ECG recording to your healthcare provider using the Samsung Health Monitor app.

In addition to ECG, the Galaxy Watch3 and Galaxy Watch Active2 can record VO2 Max, which was enabled on the Watch3 last month and on the Watch Active2 a couple of weeks ago.

Source: Gsmarena