what you need to know
- Oura has announced the launch of “Oura Labs,” an optional in-app experience that members can join within the main app to test features in development.
- Users will enjoy a “Symptom Radar” feature that notifies them of sudden changes in their biometrics and prompts them to seek rest instead of daily goals.
- Oura Labs works with all of its smart ring devices. However, the test environment is only open to iOS members.
Oura is taking users behind the scenes with a new app, allowing their feedback to directly influence the future of new feature development.
According to a press release, the company is launching “Oura Labs,” an in-app experience where interested parties can access testing experimental features. The post states that this new testing environment has been added to the Oura membership experience.
Through its introduction, Oura members can test the “Symptom Radar”. The feature is designed to help users understand how their body responds to fatigue, high activity levels and illness. Symptom Radar is said to alert users to biometric body changes before we notice them.
The feature bases its judgment on a baseline when the user’s biometric data is green. If the numbers start to skew, Oura says it will notify users to activate “rest mode” or adjust previously set daily goals to avoid overexertion. Afterwards, the symptom radar will be deactivated to give the user time to rest.
The Finnish brand said that all features included in its Labs experience may be removed, redesigned or permanently added to the main app. All Oura Labs smart rings are available to iOS members. The post doesn’t say when (or if) Android users will be able to see its test environment.
If you have an iOS device, you can start trying Labs by clicking on the hamburger menu in the upper left corner of the Oura app. The company’s support page states that if a feature that users are testing is removed, they will be notified and prompted to provide feedback.
In addition to the new features, Oura says its “lab” environment will give users a deeper understanding of the research published on its devices. Furthermore, Oura added that its members can participate in its research and that conducted by its partners or academic institutions.