Google-owned Fitbit is reportedly adding snoring detection to wearable devices, according to hints spied within the company’s mobile app.
A 9to5Google teardown has found new evidence Fitbit will seek permission from users to use the wearable’s microphone to detect snoring. Enabling the feature will grant the watch permission to listen in for “ambient noise including your potential snoring.”
Evidence within the app says the feature will be called Snore & Noise Detect, which could also detect whether a partner is snoring. As well as looking out for “noise including snores from you or someone next to you,” the feature will also listen for “snore specific” sounds.
Naturally, this might be quite taxing for the watch’s battery life as it listens in throughout the night. Given what else can often go on in the bedroom, it remains to be seen how many Fitbit users will want the microphones listening in to the things that go bump in the night. Fitbit does say it’ll only turn the mic on when you fall asleep, so there is that.
A well as being quite annoying for a partner, there are many health conditions that snoring can be a symptom of, including sleep apnea. Snoring could also be a hint of weight issues or excessive smoking or alcohol consumption. This could be a good health tracking feature overall.
Here’s how Fitbit describes the feature within the new app:
How does Snore & Noise Detect work?
During sleep, the microphone on your Fitbit device can monitor noise, including snores from you or someone next to you. Throughout the night, we look for:
• Sound intensity: We analyze noise level (how loud or quiet it is) to determine the baseline noise level.
Fitbit app via 9to5Google
• Snoring events: We look for snore-specific noises. When our algorithm detects an event that’s louder than the baseline noise level, it performs a calculation to decide if it’s snoring or something else. If the noise level in your room is louder than the snoring, this feature may not be able to pick up the snoring.
As well as appearing on the best fitness trackers and Fitbit smartwatches, it’s also possible the tech could come to the new Wear OS, which will integrate Fitbit skills.
Would you be ok with Fitbit listening into your sleep activity? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
