Apple Watch Series 4's ECG Feature Will Work Internationally When Set to U.S. Region

Apple revealed the Apple Watch Series 4 during an event in September, highlighting a new electrocardiogram (ECG) app that will be coming to users in the United States through a watchOS software update later in the year. Regulatory clearance is required for the ECG feature, and because of this it will be limited to the U.S. at launch, although the company is working on approval for other countries.

In a new post by 9to5Mac today, code found within iOS related to the ECG feature suggests that the ECG limitation is based on software, not hardware. This means that gaining access to the ECG app in a non-U.S. territory will be as simple as changing the region of the Apple Watch Series 4 and connected iPhone to the United States.

applewatchseries4ecgfeature
iPhone region can be changed by going to the Settings app > General > Language and Region, and then selecting the Region of your choice. Those who switch regions should note that the time, date, currency formats, and more will be affected by the change.

The ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 works by placing a finger on the Digital Crown while wearing the watch. The electrodes in the Apple Watch detect the electrical impulses from your heartbeat and route the data to the S4, where it is converted into a signal for Apple's algorithms. This results in a heart rhythm classification that can vary between a normal rhythm to an atrial fibrillation. All of your ECG results are stored in the Health app in PDF format and can be easily shared with your doctor.

While the FDA has granted de novo clearance for the ECG feature, that's not the same as FDA approval and the agency does not recommend that the ECG feature be used by those under 22 or those who have already been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. The FDA warns that Apple's ECG app is not designed to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment and is intended for informational use only. The Series 4 is the first ECG product being offered over the counter directly to consumers.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

tehStickMan Avatar
87 months ago
Sweet can't wait for it to tell me my heart PSI while Siri shows me that I'm 12 feet away from my next left-turn.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdagher Avatar
87 months ago
FaceTime application is also software based and not hardware, yet it doesn't work for phones bought in countries where FaceTime is banned (even if US store or Location was selected).

The FaceTime App searches for the Model number from the approved list in Apple Servers or within the iOS itself and if it is not there it will simply not install nor show up in the APP store.

Therefore, i assume it will be the same thing for the ECG App, unless Apple makes an exception..
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
srshaw Avatar
87 months ago
Who in their right mind would ever think it was hardware based? Clearly Apple have not made two different watches - one type for US consumers and another for the rest of the world. :rolleyes:
Actually that's what I thought they did given that the cellular bands are different across different regions. The model numbers are certainly different between us/uk.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Defender2010 Avatar
87 months ago
Who in their right mind would ever think it was hardware based? Clearly Apple have not made two different watches - one type for US consumers and another for the rest of the world. :rolleyes:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
centauratlas Avatar
87 months ago
Should I be impressed with this? Either have it set to my country and have time/date/currency correct, or try to use the ECG (touted as one of the major features) and have basic functionality incorrect everywhere....
You should be talking to the control-freaks who are running your government then about why are not allowing you the freedom to use a device they way you want to. So, no, you shouldn't be impressed with it, as long as you are looking at the correct people to blame for the lack of functionality in your country.

It definitely sucks for people who buy the watch and then have their government block them from using all the features.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tromboneaholic Avatar
87 months ago
Has anyone actually tested switching region, doing an ECG and switching back to their original region? If that works, it would probably be a worthwhile update.
No one outside of Apple has been able to test it at all.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)