Samsung finally enabled temperature tracking on a smartwatch launched nearly nine months ago. The Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro now offer detailed menstrual tracking by measuring your core body temperature. Samsung says the new feature is rolling out “progressively” to the Samsung Health app in the U.S., Korea, and select European countries.
Rather than simply counting the number of days from when you input your last period, the new Samsung Health will measure your basal body temperature, or BBT, right as you wake up, according to the press release. If your Samsung Health app has been updated, you can find the feature under Cycle Tracking. Samsung says it uses “infrared technology” to track your temperature to determine whether you’re close to ovulating or starting your period.
Samsung collaborated with Natural Cycles to offer this feature, which it announced as a partner in February. In the fine print, Samsung cautions that if you take hormonal birth control or undergo treatment that pauses ovulation, the service “will not be useful for tracking ovulation.” Predictions also depend on whether you wear the watch consistently—you’ll probably have to sleep with the Galaxy Watch 5 on to get a proper reading. Samsung also says this feature is intended for users 18 years and older.
Cycle Tracking will evaluate your symptoms as you track them in the daily log and recommend lifestyle adjustments as you approach that time of the month. For instance, Samsung Health might suggest you take a rest day after heavy exercise or serve you a video on stretches to help relieve pelvic pain. I’ll be curious to try this out versus an online yoga class I’ve used before.
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