Samsung is gearing up to refresh its wearable ecosystem with the anticipated arrival of the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. However, the accompanying software upgrade won’t just introduce new capabilities—it is also taking one away. In a surprise move, Samsung is officially retiring its experimental Vascular Load tracking metric specifically for Galaxy Watch users within the United States.
An abbreviated experimental window
The niche health monitoring tool initially made its debut as a beta feature to analyze cardiovascular strain during sleep cycles. It tracked optical photoplethysmogram (PPG) waveforms captured through the smartwatch‘s heart rate sensors over a consecutive seven-day window to estimate changes in blood volume and vascular stiffness.
According to official notifications shared by users on Reddit (via SammyGuru), this monitoring matrix will vanish by late July. This coincides directly with the launch of Samsung Health version 7.0 and the One UI 9 Watch software rollout.
The Vascular Load tracking removal is regional, as international Galaxy Watch models outside the US will retain the feature. While Samsung’s in-app notice avoids stating an official reason for the domestic exit, tech enthusiasts suggest the shift points to compliance hurdles with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This entity frequently subjects automated cardiovascular reading tools to lengthy certification pipelines.
The deactivate sequence will erase historical datasets from the application’s interface entirely. So, Samsung advises users to preserve their metrics immediately. Galaxy Watch owners can back up their history manually by heading into the mobile application settings, selecting more options, and choosing the personal data download tool.
The long-term blood pressure replacement
To fill the gap, Samsung is shifting its strategic engineering focus toward a broader biometric category: Blood Pressure Trend. This upcoming tracking suite periodically checks data points over extended timelines to visualize a user’s cardiovascular trajectory, providing lifestyle tips to maintain a healthy physiological baseline.
While the outgoing Vascular Load tool relied entirely on passive algorithmic tracking during rest, the incoming alternative requires a bit of manual upkeep. To maintain accurate calibrations, users must sync their wearable hardware with an external, traditional physical blood pressure cuff once every 28 days.
The Android Headlines Take
While losing a feature is never a good thing, the removal of Vascular Load Tracking seemed inevitable. Not only is it a niche feature, but it also still carries an “experimental” label. As we know, experimental features can be removed at any time if the developer finds them unsuitable for certain conditions (base usage, quality, etc.). It is not similar to Meta’s recent decision to limit an offline feature on its smart glasses after selling them, for example. Let’s hope the upcoming Blood Pressure Trend feature has a better fate.
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