Fitbit is working on a function to detect snoring

Fitbit is working on a feature to identify if a user snores. The smartwatches use the built-in microphone for this, which monitors the situation at night. The level of the ambient noise is also measured.

That publishes 9to5Google, which did a teardown of the Fitbit app, version 3.42. The app and smartwatch first measure the baseline of the sound, so how much constant background noise there is. Subsequently, the smartwatch constantly listens for sound coming from above and “performs a calculation to determine whether it is snoring or something else.” The amount of snoring is classified into one of three categories: ‘not to mild’ snoring at up to 10 percent of the sleep time, ‘moderate’ at 10 to 40 percent, and ‘often’ at more than 40 percent of the time.

Snoring can be an indication of sleep apnea, for example, where a person stops breathing for periods of at least 10 seconds while sleeping. When the breath starts again, people often snore. Sleep apnea can lead to other health ailments.

It is unknown if and when the feature will be released. The clues were found in non-public areas of the Fitbit app and haven’t been officially announced yet. The feature requires a microphone, making this all about Fitbit’s smartwatches and not fitness trackers.