Smart ring maker Oura is introducing a new section in its app called Oura Labs to test new features and get user feedback. As part of this rollout (currently available only on iOS), the company is releasing Symptom Radar, which tracks strain markers in the body to detect the onset of changes in health status.
Oura said Symptom Radar monitors biological signals such as body temperature range, breathing rate, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability.
Image credit: Oura
This feature tries to observe if you notice any sudden changes in your body. You'll see notifications about changes in your symptoms below your readiness score, so you can take time off if you need to. The company says that once users enable this feature, they will no longer receive notifications from Rest Mode.
The company said that while the break mode prompts are general, the new symptom radar prompts are more detailed and focused in nature. However, the company noted that Symptom Radar is not a diagnostic tool and users should not rely on it for medical guidance.
Shyamal Patel, Oura's head of science, told TechCrunch by phone that the company's research and development department regularly releases features to test internally.
“Oura Labs is our approach to re-engineering internal engagement with users on new features in a structured and formal way. “We can start working on new concepts that we are building. Users will see many early-stage ideas in Oura Labs,” Patel said.
He noted that the company is making it easy to opt in and out of this experimental space at any time. Users can provide feedback about these experimental features directly through Oura Labs, along with general product feedback.
Oura last month began selling the ring on Amazon after making the device available on BestBuy.com in April 2023.