(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

• **Fitbit Labs is testing a new hypertension feature as well as a new tool that detects changes in your health metrics **
• The company is looking for 10,000 participants to wear their Google Pixel Watch 3 as they normally would for 180 days, and they’ll be sent an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring cuff
• Its ‘unusual trend’ detection will also send you heads-up alerts if your health metrics look different from normal

Now that Fitbit’s AI-powered personal coach app is rolling out widely to users, the company has started working on testing more features for Pixel Watch users, including a Hypertension Study Lab and an ‘Unusual Trend Detection’ tool.

The two new functions are currently in testing through Fitbit Labs, a program where users can sign up to explore Fitbit’s latest experiments and offer feedback as the features are developed. You should also note that this hypertension experiment is only available to users in the US for the time being.

According to 9to5Google, Fitbit wants to ‘use Pixel Watch data to identify early signs of’ high blood pressure - but oddly, the Fitbit Hypertension Lab is just being tested on the Pixel Watch 3, excluding the more recent Pixel Watch 4 from the mix. We don’t know the reason for this, but we’ll bring you an update once we do.

To test its new hypertension alerts feature, Fitbit is on the hunt for ‘up to 10,000 eligible participants to wear their Google Pixel Watch 3 as they normally would for 180 days’ in the US. These testers will have an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring cuff sent to them, which they’ll have to wear for 24 hours, as well as compensation in the form of a $25 gift card.

Hypertension features are far from a new invention when it comes to the best smartwatches. In September, Apple introduced its own hypertension alert tool with the newest members of its Apple Watch lineup, the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. While it’s not accessible on Apple Watch SE models, you can receive hypertension alerts on Apple Watch Series 9 and above, and iPhone 11 or later with the most recent iOS version.

Additionally, Fitbit Labs is also running an experiment to test unusual health changes, which is essentially a heads-up alert you’ll receive if your health metrics look different from normal. Not only will you be able to log causes and symptoms, you’ll also receive recovery and rest tips as well as updates when your health metric patterns return to normal.

You can view all the experiments you’re eligible for by going to the Fitbit Labs page on Android, where you’ll find two sections: one for Labs you’re eligible for and one for Labs you’re interested in. From there, all you have to do is tap ‘Get notified’ and you’ll be added to the waiting list.

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Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for TechRadar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across TechRadar’s categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers.