A smartphone app that measures blood pressure using only the phone’s camera has become the first in the world to receive Class II medical certification.
The app, developed by digital health company Lifelight, uses remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) — a method that detects subtle colour changes in facial skin caused by blood flow — to calculate pulse rate and blood pressure.
By analysing these “micro-blushes” using the smartphone’s front-facing camera, the app produces systolic and diastolic readings, indicating pressure when the heart beats and rests.
While rPPG has been used in devices such as finger pulse oximeters, Lifelight’s clinically validated implementation is the first to achieve medical-grade accuracy using only a smartphone.
The company trained its AI models on more than 25,000 paired video and gold standard blood pressure recordings, collected from 12,500 patients, forming a proprietary clinical rPPG dataset.
Laurence Pearce, chief executive of Lifelight, said: “This is a moment as significant as the smartphone camera was for photography.
“For the first time, we’ve put GP-level blood pressure monitoring into the smartphone in your pocket.
“By harnessing everyday devices, we’re making clinical-grade cardiovascular screening available to everyone, everywhere, without the cost, complexity, or waiting times of traditional care.
“Crucially, it also means fewer unnecessary appointments, freeing up valuable GP and nurse time for patients who really need it.
“As Wes Streeting looks to scale the NHS’ preventative care capabilities, this innovation is essential for broadening access to cardiovascular health screening to millions more people – early, easily, and at no extra cost.”
The certification marks a potential shift in how blood pressure is measured, with the app offering a contact-free alternative to physical cuffs, in-clinic appointments, or additional hardware.
Lifelight holds six patents related to its AI technology.
The launch comes as the UK prepares for a national cardiovascular screening tender, announced by health secretary Wes Streeting.
Cardiovascular disease is largely preventable, and around 15 per cent of Europeans are thought to have undiagnosed hypertension.
Lifelight says the app could enable mass screening at no additional cost to users.
The app is compatible with smartphones up to 10 years old, potentially reaching 80 per cent of users globally.
More than 100,000 people across the UK and Europe are already using the technology.
The app is already in use in NHS pilots, including with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight integrated care board, as well as through iPlato’s MyGP app.
It is also being used by insurers, digital health platforms, and virtual ward providers for chronic disease management and cardiovascular screening.
