Galaxy Watch 5 can now predict menstrual cycles based on skin temperature

Samsung is rolling out a new update for the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro, enabling the smartwatches to automatically check your skin temperature to track and predict the timing of your period.

The new update, first announced in February, is rolling out to all models in the Galaxy Watch 5 series in eligible countries, including the US, South Korea, and “30 European markets.”

The new tracking is the fruit of Samsung’s partnership with Natural Cycles, an app that uses skin temperature to accurately gauge what stage of the cycle you’re in. To get an accurate assessment, though, you normally need to take a temperature reading immediately after waking up. Using the Galaxy Watch 5 — which can already track your sleep — and its infrared temperature sensor, this can happen automatically.

Using this data, combined with your own calendar-based cycle tracking entries, the Galaxy Watch 5 will be able to predict ovulation and the beginning of your next period. More importantly, Samsung says that this data is securely encrypted and is only stored on your own device.

Based on the self-reported symptoms in your daily log, Samsung and Natural Cycles will also offer additional suggestions on how to avoid unwanted effects like pelvic pain – for example, “scheduling a day to relax to address fatigue or exercising gently to relieve premenstrual pelvic pain.”

To use the enhanced, skin temperature-based cycle tracking on the Galaxy Watch 5, you’ll need to provide some manual calendar entries for your most recent cycle. Once that’s finished, look for and enable a new setting called “Predict period with skin temp.” This option will only appear following an update to the Samsung Health app (version 6.22), which the company is now “progressively” releasing to eligible devices.