Can an app detect sleep apnea?

Not in the way a sleep test does. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has issued a health advisory cautioning against using consumer apps and devices to self-assess sleep apnea risk [1]. An app can record useful information to take to a doctor. A diagnosis needs a clinical test.

Last reviewed 24 September 2026. General information from the Snorezy team, not medical advice.

What the sleep doctors say

The AASM's advisory is aimed at exactly this: people using phone apps and wearables to decide for themselves whether they have sleep apnea [1]. A reassuring result can stop somebody seeking help they need; an alarming one can cause worry without an answer. Either way, the answer comes from a sleep test [2].

Apple Watch sleep apnea notifications

Apple Watch has a sleep apnea notification feature that received FDA 510(k) clearance in September 2024 [3]. It uses the watch's accelerometer to measure small wrist movements it calls breathing disturbances, looks at 30 days of data, and notifies you if it sees consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea. It's intended for adults 18 and over who haven't been diagnosed [3]. A notification is a reason to talk to a doctor, not a diagnosis.

What a phone recording can and can't tell you

A microphone hears sound. It can hear snoring, gasps and the pattern of a night, which is genuinely useful to play to a doctor. It can't measure your blood oxygen or whether air is actually moving, and silence in a recording doesn't mean breathing stopped.

In Snorezy

What Snorezy is, and isn't

Snorezy is not FDA-cleared, isn't a screening tool, and gives no apnea score or risk level. It records sound on your iPhone and shows breathing-related moments to listen to. If you use Apple Health, it shows Apple's own breathing disturbances, blood oxygen and sleep apnea notifications next to the night, labelled as Apple Health, so you always know which figure came from where.

Download on theApp Store

Breathing tab: sound sequences and audible breathing to listen to, and Apple Health context such as breathing disturbances, respiratory rate, blood oxygen and heart rate, each labelled with its source. — Sounds from the microphone and readings from Apple Health, each labelled with its source.

Questions

Is there an app that can diagnose sleep apnea?

No consumer app diagnoses sleep apnea. Diagnosis needs a sleep study or a home sleep apnea test arranged by a clinician [2].

Can Apple Watch detect sleep apnea?

Apple Watch can notify you of possible moderate to severe sleep apnea using breathing disturbances measured over 30 days, a feature cleared by the FDA in 2024 for adults without a diagnosis [3]. It's a prompt to see a doctor.