If you’re using an Apple Watch Series 4 and above, good news! It appears that the ECG (electrocardiogram) feature will soon be available locally as the app appears to have received approval by Malaysia’s health authorities. The ECG app could be a potential life saver as it can detect your heart rhythm and signs of Atrial Fibrillation.
As pointed out by Xavier Naxa on Twitter, Apple’s ECG app has been listed as a Registered Medical Device by the Medical Device Authority, a regulatory body under the Ministry of Health. According to the listing, the ECG app is a software-only mobile medical application intended for use with the Apple Watch to create, record, store, transfer, and display a single channel electrocardiogram (ECG) similar to a Lead I ECG. The ECG app determines the presence of atrial fibrillation (AFib), sinus rhythm and high heart rate (no detected AF with heart rate 100-150 bpm) on a classifiable waveform.
As shown above, the app is applicable for both the Apple Watch and the iPhone. The registration is valid from 1st February 2021 until 31st January 2026. At the time of writing, the ECG feature isn’t activated just yet but this registration indicates that it has passed the necessary regulatory requirements for it to be activated for the Malaysian region.
Xavier Naxa said it is likely that the ECG feature might be activated with the upcoming iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 updates which could be released sometime next month. Do note that the feature is only available on the Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5 and Series 6. The new and affordable Apple Watch SE doesn’t support the ECG feature.
To get an ECG reading, you’ll need to launch the ECG app and place your finger on the crown while the watch is on your wrist. The ECG reading will take about 30 seconds. All recordings will be saved securely in the Health App and users can share the PDF of the results with their doctor.
