FDA Approval of Blood Pressure App on Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

[RAJONES]

I can't find anything definitive on whether or not the Blood Pressure app has been approved by the FDA for use in the US.

Does anyone know for sure and can point me to verifiable info?

My purchase of Watch 5 Pro is contingent on BP app availability for use in US.

[Jpx187]

Obviously not yet. Got my 5pro today and no BP Widget which is the only reason I bought the watch.

[Searcher2022]

I needed this when I purchased my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.  I just traded this in for Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and STILL NO BP App.

I trust that Samsung has submitted request to FDA for Watch 4 and Watch 5 but they need to look out for their customers and FOLLOW UP or make changes in order to obtain approval.

We invested in their product and some of us who have health issues NEED the BP App feature to work .

No one at Samsung will respond to my questions and I only receive the double talk hustle from customer service.

[Tzarcone]

There are ways to get BP working on both the Watch 4 series and the 5 series. They even use the same exact way for both.

Do a Google search for "Dante and XDA bp" should be close to the first link returned. It takes longer to watch the video than it takes to do the install. 

[Loco1529]

To be perfectly honest Samsung has been offering BP for so long without results while also promising features that don't come out for a year I've stopped preordering and this year I do not plan to upgrade at all from the watch 4. It basically only has a larger battery and skin temp that isn't even a available yet (imagine that) I've been looking at other smart watches that offer and deliver on their promises. I've had every watch since the Galaxy watch 3. I'm very disappointed as I really like the watches but they just don't do what they say. On the watch 4 i had to wait a full year for Google assistant. Samsung is selling pipe dreams while people are preordering at very high prices then saying sorry those promised features aren't available yet. I think we should all get compensation for the BP not working over the last few years that we were promised. I personally paid for this feature myself. Even preordered for this feature and it didn't work. Just to see the price drop within a month. 

[jimho]

Bump- This is the 3rd Samsung watch I have purchased with the promise of BP monitoring-  Gear S3 in early 2019 , a Galaxy S3 in the fall of '20 and now a Galaxy S5 Pro. While i am disappointed AGAIN each version has been an improvement and i have had little to complain about other than the missing BP feature . They certainly do make it easy to upgrade every 18-24 months with the trade in programs but that's no excuse. I do wish that someone would hold Samsung accountable for what is certainly misleading advertising (there's fine print on the current version saying its country specific but c'mon).  You shouldn't have to sideload a 3rd party app to enable hardware to get to an advertised feature .

[MikeyP]

Have the smart TVs, newest phone, 2 tabs, Probuds and now the S5 watch. So you can say I am/was a good Samsung customer. That may be ending today. I pre-ordered the S5 based on the BP feature promised by dozens of influencers, testers and other shills Samsumg sent the S5 out to in August. Who all raved about the BP (right now) and soon to come temp feature.  Well, Samsung has pulled mention of it down from their site I see - but the tracks are all over the web and with many others still up  - they cannot hide behind this bait and switch. Its documented. When I call and ask - I get the same sleezy, confused, double talk - they pretend I am from Mars.  They don't know what I am talking about and/or talk in circles. Based on this, if it does not change quickly and or Samsung does not fix it or at least communicate clearly - they have lost a customer. And my S5 will be returned and they will have to deal with AmEx on the fraud aspect if they won't refund in full. So hello Samsung - you won't talk straight with me on the phone - here is the gauntlet for whomever monitors this board. If we are not resolved by Christmas - its coming back and I will leave reviews all over.  That all said - the old Ebay nameless $35. Chinese watch I was upgrading from - on your word - did a fine job of BP readings - whether approved here or not! Really guys?  Even a foreign work around is OK - but going totally mute - that's bad business.

[gsenters0003]

There are many work arounds as listed below in other comments, just Google how to install the BP software on your watch. Basically you are just downloading & installing the BP software for the Samsung Health Monitor that's already functioning on the same Samsung Watch 4/5 that was released in Europe, Korea, Canada, etc.

Where most other countries FDA equivalents play a larger roll in following medical research being to end, examining process & results, funding new treatments, regulating medication prices, and approving medical devices. Those countries have already reviewed and approved it's use based on all the research to show it's accuracy.

Our FDA here in the US still hasn't even brought it forward for review or discussion yet from what I understand. Dragging their feet for some reason, probably someone high up in FDA has stock options or something similar in Garmin, Google, Fitbit, or some other watch already approved for it. 

As a medical professional I did the workaround for researching how accurate it actually is, especially given the listed parameters vs what's medically acceptable. So over a year of testing the function myself I can tell you it IS pretty d@mn accurate. Honestly sometimes more accurate then most people doing a routine manual BP on the fly (aka the one with stethoscope).

[Dmays1]

This is my forth watch with the last 3 with the promise of a bp app. Now with the pro 5 a temp sensor that does nothing for a man. This will be my last samsung watch and phone in 4 years they can't get FDA approval. They are not trying too. That's why you can't find any info you were lied too just like me

[UniversalCitizen]

Samsung support is a mess. First I was told that I was doing it wrong and that my watch had the ability. Now I am told that an update is rolling out RIGHT NOW that will fix the problem and that I should have it within a week! This support page is only accessible via a web browser but the moment I authenticate it shoves me into the Members app where this support article is not available. It previously allowed me to "like" these posts which I am absolutely in agreement with - I feel that I have been swindled. But now the moment I press "like" it shoves me back into the Members app where this is not available. What amazing shenanigans. Is it incompetence or intentional?