What you need to know
- Oura announces the launch of "Oura Labs," an optional in-app experience its members can join within the main app to playtest features in development.
- Users will be treated to "Symptom Radar," a feature that informs them of sudden changes in their biometrics and prompts them to seek rest instead of daily goals.
- Oura Labs is available for all of its smart ring devices. However, the test environment is only available to iOS members.
Oura is bringing its users behind the curtain with a new app that lets their feedback directly impact the future of its development for new features.
According to a press release, the company is introducing "Oura Labs," an in-app experience interested parties can access to test experimental features. The post states this new testing environment has been added to the Oura Membership experience.
With its introduction, Oura members can playtest "Symptom Radar." The feature is designed to help users understand how their bodies react to fatigue, high activity levels, and illness. Symptom Radar is said to alert users to these changes in their bodies as they appear in their biometrics before we physically notice them.
The feature bases its judgment on a user's baseline when their biometrics are in the green. If the numbers begin to deviate, Oura states it will notify users to activate "Rest Mode" or adjust their previously set daily goals to avoid excess strain. After, Symptom Radar is said to deactivate to give users time to rest properly.
The Finnish brand states that all features wrapped in its Labs experience are subject to be removed, reworked, or added permanently to the main app. Oura Labs is available on all of its smart rings for iOS members. The post doesn't state when (or if) Android users can expect to see its test environment.
If you have an iOS device, you can experiment with Labs by tapping the hamburger menu at the top left of the Oura app to get started. The company's support page states that if a feature users are testing is removed, they will receive a notification and a prompt to deliver feedback.
Alongside new features, Oura states its "Labs" environment will let users gain deeper insight into published research studies made possible by its devices. Additionally, Oura adds that its members can participate in its research studies and those conducted by its partners or academic institutions.
