Tips for choosing the right blood pressure app
Tips
But how do you find the right blood pressure app for you? Here are some criteria to look out for:
- Quality and security: The app should come from a reputable source and offer strong data protection. Your readings should not be passed on to third parties without being asked or used for advertising purposes. The app should also be regularly updated and improved.
Tensana has stood for quality and security since 2011. It is one of only a few apps that even carries the quality seal of the German Hypertension League. - Compatibility and ease of use: The app should be compatible with your own smartphone or tablet and offer simple, intuitive operation. It should also allow readings to be synced with an external blood pressure monitor or entered manually. Tensana is available for Android devices, Apple (iOS) devices, and as a web app that works in your browser. This ensures maximum compatibility. In addition to manual entry, Bluetooth blood pressure monitors from many manufacturers are supported.
- Features and content: A blood pressure app should do more than just display readings. The visual representation of blood pressure trends, a reminder function for taking measurements, and an export function for the data should also be included. The app should provide information and tips on blood pressure, hypertension, and prevention. Tensana offers not only that, but much more: for example, medication tracking, inventory management, and medication reminders.
- Ratings and experiences: Do other users rate and recommend the app positively? You should read the comments and reviews to get a sense of the app's quality and reliability. Tensana has been downloaded millions of times and therefore has a large number of customer reviews. In addition, professional groups such as pharmacists and doctors also readily recommend the Tensana app.
- No dubious promises: Apps that claim to measure blood pressure are not credible. Technically, it is still necessary to measure with an arm cuff, just like with a conventional blood pressure monitor. Any provider promising to determine blood pressure without a cuff should be viewed with extreme caution.
Does an app need approval as a medical device?
Unfortunately, the approval requirements for medical devices have changed, so this question can no longer be answered simply with a yes. Tensana was approved as a Class I medical device under the MDD. However, with the introduction of the Medical Device Regulation (MDR), the classification of software changed. It contains a provision that is notorious among experts: Rule 11:
Software intended to provide information that is used to support decisions for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes is classified as Class IIa [or higher].
This means that an app that is not a medical device may share data with the doctor. But an app classified as a Class I medical device under the MDR is not allowed to do that. It is absurd, but it is the law. We also discussed this with our regulatory authority. They are aware of the problem, but feel compelled to proceed this way until the law is changed again. Toward the end of 2024, it gradually became clear that the regulation was likely to be interpreted more strictly.
The old medical device approval did not include this restriction. In the future, Tensana will therefore be offered without medical device approval for the purpose of recording data. Transferring data from the app directly to the treating doctor is not subject to any approval requirement. Therefore, we will still be able to offer this in the future.
So, according to current requirements, an app does not necessarily have to be a medical device. However, if it is intended to be one, it must meet at least the requirements of Class IIa. A Class I app under the MDR is also possible, but then the data may not be used for therapy.
Why a DiGA isn't a good blood pressure app:
A DiGA is not simply a digital blood pressure diary, but is intended to have a direct therapeutic effect on the patient and also demonstrate this effect in studies. That is precisely why it is poorly suited to what many people with high blood pressure actually need: a permanently available, easy-to-use, and reliable record of their blood pressure readings for themselves and for discussions with their doctor. Anyone who wants to record and compare their readings over the long term and track them over the years is actually in the wrong place with a DiGA: once the prescription ends, the purpose of storing the data may cease to apply, and without a timely new prescription, health insurance approval, and activation code, painstakingly recorded data may be blocked or deleted. In addition, there are stringent regulatory requirements, expensive studies, limited features, complicated security requirements such as frequent reauthentication or two-factor authentication, potential problems with push notifications, high costs, and overall poorer suitability for everyday use. A good blood pressure app should make everyday life easier and keep data usable permanently – a DiGA, by contrast, is a regulated therapy product for a limited period. More information in our article "Is Tensana a DiGA".
Conclusion
A blood pressure app can be a useful addition to blood pressure monitoring, but it does not replace a doctor's visit or medical treatment. We recommend the Tensana app.
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 05/2026).
Author Horst Klier has been closely involved with high blood pressure since 2002 – initially because he was personally affected and, since 2009, as the developer of Tensana – and is now regarded as a recognized blood pressure expert thanks to his app and specialist platform, used millions of times, as well as his numerous publications. As the author of several health guides and specialist articles, he communicates complex knowledge in a clear and practical way.
Author Horst Klier has been closely involved with high blood pressure since 2002 – initially because he was personally affected and, since 2009, as the developer of Tensana – and is now regarded as a recognized blood pressure expert thanks to his app and specialist platform, used millions of times, as well as his numerous publications. As the author of several health guides and specialist articles, he communicates complex knowledge in a clear and practical way.
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