4 Ways to Fix Apple Watch Not Reading Heart Rate

Basic Fixes

• Remove case: If the case you are using blocks the heart rate sensors on the bottom face of your Apple Watch, you may not see accurate heart rate measurements.
• Gently clean the sensor: While your Apple Watch is water- and dust-resistant, moisture and dust particles may affect its heart rate reading.
• Disable Low Power Mode: If your Apple Watch has low power mode enabled, it will not record background heart rate measurements to conserve battery.
• Restart Apple Watch: Restart your Apple Watch to fix temporary bugs and glitches.

Fix 1: Enable Heart Rate Measurement

You must ensure you have enabled the heart rate measurement feature on your Apple Watch. If not, here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Watch app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap on Privacy > turn on the toggle for Heart Rate.

Also Read: How to track sleep with Apple Watch

Fix 2: Wear Your Apple Watch the Right Way

Wearing your Apple Watch correctly is important for an accurate heart rate measurement. Here are two key points to consider.

• Choose the best fit for your wrist, and ensure you haven’t strapped the watch on too tightly. You must provide some breathing space between your skin and your Apple Watch.
• Ensure your Apple Watch sits on top of your wrist and is in contact with your skin.

Fix 3: Enable Wrist Detection on Apple Watch

If you have Wrist Detection disabled on your Apple Watch, background heart readings will not be recorded.

Step 1: Press the Digital Crown once and tap on the Settings app.

Step 2: Tap on Passcode. Scroll down and turn on the toggle for Wrist Detection.

Also Read: What is menstrual cycle tracking on Apple Watch and how to set it up

Fix 4: Other External Factors Affecting the Readings on Apple Watch

Here are some other factors to consider if you sense that your Apple Watch isn’t accurately recording your heart rate measurements.

• If you exercise in cold weather, the blood flow through your skin will be reduced, and this blood flow might not be enough to detect your heart rate. Therefore, if the heart rate measurement is important, move to an area with warmer temperatures.
• If you have any changes on your skin, like wounds, scars, and tattoos, they may block the light from the sensor to your skin, affecting your heart rate measurements.
• The accuracy of heart rate measurements also depends upon the type of workout. Workouts and activities involving rhythmic movements, like cycling or running, will provide more accurate measurements than workouts like boxing, badminton, or tennis.

That is everything you need to do if your Apple Watch is not reading heart rate as long as it’s a software-related issue. However, we recommend contacting Apple Support if it’s hardware damage.