Oura launches a new Labs section to test out new features

Smart ring manufacturer Oura is introducing a new section in its app called Oura Labs to test out new features and get user feedback. As part of this rollout — currently available only on iOS — the company is launching Symptom Radar, which tracks strain markers on your body to detect an onset of changing health.

Oura said that Symptom Radar will monitor biometric signals such as body temperature range, respiratory rate, resting heart rate and heart rate variability.

Image Credits: Oura

The feature tries to observe if your body has seen sudden changes. It will show a notification under Readiness Score about variations in your symptoms so you can rest if needed. The company said that if users enable this feature, they will not get notifications from rest mode.

The company said that rest mode prompts are generic while 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 shouldn’t rely on it for medical guidance.

Shyamal Patel, Oura’s head of Science, told TechCrunch over a call that the company’s R&D department regularly releases features to test internally.

“Oura Labs is our approach to recreate internal engagement for new features with users in a structured and formal way. With this feature, you will have a dedicated space in the app where you can go and start engaging with these new concepts we are building. Users will get to see a lot of early-stage ideas in Oura Labs,” Patel said.

He noted that the company has made it easy to opt in and out of this experimental space at any time. Users can provide direct feedback about these experimental features along with general feedback for the product through Oura Labs.

Last month, Oura started selling its rings on Amazon after making the devices available on BestBuy.com in April 2023.