Black Friday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Fitbit Quietly Enables Blood Oxygen Tracking on Its Wearables It could help track breathing issues - if you have the right device.

By Jon Fingas Edited by Jessica Thomas

Entrepreneur+ Black Friday Sale

Our biggest sale — Get unlimited access to Entrepreneur.com at an unbeatable price. Use code SAVE50 at checkout.*

Claim Offer

*Offer only available to new subscribers

This story originally appeared on Engadget

Cherlynn Low/Engadget

Fitbit's devices from recent years have blood oxygen monitoring (SpO2) hardware, but they haven't used it — until now. Users on Reddit and elsewhere have noticed that their Versa, Ionic and Charge 3 devices are suddenly (if sometimes temporarily) providing blood oxygen data to help track health issues like asthma, heart disease and sleep apnea. It's not clear who's getting first dibs, but it's not dictated by device type or Premium memberships.

Related: Why Fitbit Prioritizes People Over Products

Fitbit confirmed the rollout to Engadget. The devices are using a combination of red and infrared sensors to determine oxygen variation, although the company cautioned that it wasn't a relative figure. You shouldn't see large variations in your sleep if you're healthy, the company said.

Related: 5 Fitness Trackers That Guarantee a Smart Workout

This is coming at a good time for Fitbit. Although Spo2 sensors aren't new in wearables, adoption is spreading. Withings' ScanWatch (an Engadget CES award winner, we'd add) treats blood oxygen tracking as a central feature. Google's acquisition of Fitbit could change where you see the technology after this, but it's good to have now if you're determined to glean more health insights.

Jon Fingas is an associate editor at Engadget.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Social Media

5 Women Entrepreneurs Share Their Top Advice for Finding Your Path to Career Success

Learn the expert career tips shared by the speakers at our live "Real Talk With Inspiring Entrepreneurs" event.

Growing a Business

5 Reasons Why 2025 Will Be Your Most Amazing Year Yet as an Entrepreneur

2025 is set to be a pivotal year for entrepreneurs, driven by a combination of favorable economic, political and market conditions.

Marketing

7 Innovative Marketing Ideas That Will Help Your Brand Stand Out This Holiday Season

These seven creative holiday marketing strategies can help your business stand out from competitors, connect with audiences and make a real impact.

Leadership

How Personality Types Can Help You Identify Employee Strengths and Boost Team Performance

Here's how leaders can unlock their team's potential by understanding and leveraging personality types to align individual strengths with roles that foster productivity, collaboration and engagement.