Today at Apple’s annual developer’s conference Apple added a cycle tracker for women the Apple Watch and iOS. This is being billed as a marquee new feature in its updates to the Apple Watch’s health app.
“In watchOS 6 the cycle-tracking app gives you a simple discreet way to visualize your cycle right on your wrist,” said Dr. Sumbul Desai speaking on stage at WWDC.
The new app gives women the ability to log key information about their menstrual cycle and fertility. The new feature is an example of how women’s health is becoming more foregrounded in the discussions around health technologies. This is the first time Apple included the functionality on any of its devices.
It’s also going to have an impact on current cycle-tracking startups like Clue, Glow, Maya and Natural Cycles, which have had cycle-tracking and fertility apps on the market for the past few years. Clue and Glow have raised some $53 million in financing for their services.
The new watchOS 6 also added health information around noise tracking through a noise app and fitness tracking trends that compare fitness trends over 90 days versus the previous 360 days. “If you’re trending downward, you’ll get notifications for how to get back on track,” said Desai.