Apple Watch Series 5 and Tattooed skin

Definitely an issue for me. Always on, wouldn't work and the watch was constantly asking for passcode etc. I don't want to turn off wrist detection as it disables a few functions that I want to use, so I've swapped to wearing it on my other wrist which is a bit of a pain but I've gotten used to it pretty quickly.

I spent several hours chatting to an advisor at apple who was in discussion with engineers as I actually suspected it was my tattoos from articles read long ago. I was informed that pervious series didn't work at all. However, like you, the series 5 was working with heart rate etc but the not always on feature was not as it kept turning the screen off and locking the watch. So had they fixed something or was the sensors better, but not perfect?

Well, I was informed that Apple have worked on the sensors and they are better, however depending on the amount of ink coverage and even ink types, this is a very abstract and hard to pin down scenario, and wether it works accurately or works consistently various considerably.

So. after discussions I was directed to go to the Apple watch App on my iPhone and go to the passcode setting. From there I was instructed to have the passcode on, but turn wrist detection off. Now the always on works perfect and the watch functions 85% as normal... with the exception that apps like Apple pay won't work in this state. However, a work around is if you want to use it, you swipe the face down and click the manual lock icon, then Apple pay should work as you have fully locked the watch. After, if you turn the lock icon off from the swipe down screen on the watch, always on works again. The watch also still detects when you put it on to charge and then locks it also.

Apple support did say that the software is continually being worked on, so who knows in future whether the issues will entirely be ironed out as it is a mix of software and the sensors on your series 5.

For me personally. Thats how I use it rather than putting it on the wrong wrist. Yeah, you lose that added layer of security, but as you can log in on your phone with Find Me and locate, block or wipe the watch if you lose it or even worse case scenario got robbed, as the passcode is still active. Obviously, all this needs to connected to a iphone with a cellular data plan.

This isn't a perfect setup, but this is what I learnt from my chats with Apple, so I thought I would pass it on, from one tattooed apple user to another!! hope it helps.

I checked with Apple and they said “.It looks like we did make improvements to the optical sensor beneath the watch casing, which now uses a second generation optical sensor, as opposed to the 1st on the Series 3.” But added that if it doesn’t work as expected you have 2 weeks to return it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Glhs9Bkxjc&feature=youtu.be

This is the only hack I've found to get around it, you purchase the hack from here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFRWIRQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm not planning on doing right now as I'm using mine more for tunes at the gym and calls when out without my phone, but I am still surprised by series 5 its not been resolved!!

There is no "resolved" to it, you have placed dense ink between the sensor and your blood vessels. It would be no different than wearing a piece of denim between your Watch and skin, it blocks the sensor. In order to fix this Apple would have to design a sensor that could filter out all possible colors and density of body art on the wrist. If they do this it may take awhile.

I bought the Series 5 on release day and couldn’t figure out why the “always on” screen wouldn’t stay on. When the screen went off, the watch stopped sending me notifications. When I played with the watch, everything worked just fine. It took my heart rate and did an ECG and all that. It just wouldn’t do anything when I turned my wrist downwards. I contacted Apple Support and spent hours talking to several people. Even sent them a video of the screen turning off at their request. The guy I was talking to was sending the info to engineering for feedback and would get back to me after his days off. During that time I got so frustrated with it that returned it and got a different one at Best Buy. The second one acted the exact same way. I had my brother try it out and it worked just fine for him. After I realized that I have a tattoo on the back of my wrist and he doesn’t, I switched it to my other arm and it has worked fine ever since. It’s annoying to have to use it on my other arm, but that’s the only way it’ll work. I don’t understand how it could take my heart rate, but somehow it not recognize that it was being worn and keep the screen on. I keep hoping it’s a software fix so I can go back to wearing on my non-dominant arm.

This is really helpful and congratulations on actually getting something honest out of Apple! In this way, does the watch function as a fitness tracker and workout monitor? As in, would it keep track of my activity and steps and be able to log my workouts when they’re on?

Oh man, thanks for the tips! I changed the settings and am trying it out on the correct arm now. I don’t love having to use a passcode on the watch, but the trade-off might be worth it to use it on my left arm. Thanks a ton!

Hello, I got my apple watch series 5 titanium yesterday.

I use watches on my left wrist and the "always on" was not working for me ( I have full sleeve tattoo on my left arm) and since I had the phone for less then 24 hours I was thinking I need to play more with settings.

Longs story short, I remember that I hear rumors in the past that apple watch sensors will not work on tattooed skin so I decided to change the settings to my right hand.

Now, when I type on my keyboard I feel uncomfortable so I decided to put in on my left tattooed wrist and the "always on " is working for now. So I guess I will leave settings of the opposite wrist to be able to have "always on"

I hope my comments make sense and is useful to others.

Same issues as everyone else is posting. Does anyone know what all the features are that we lose by turning off Wrist Detection (series 5). I can live without the passcode and Apple Pay features, but what else are we compromising.m? Spent two hours on phone with Apple today, they couldn’t even tell me what features I lose my turning wrist detection off. Maybe have to return it.

My husband has his arms and hands tattooed and the clock sensor does not detect anything. He already bought two Series 5 and they don’t work on him. In the past he has Series 1 and 3 and he didn’t have this problem. It’s like a discrimination because he has tattoos!!! He’s so mad with this situation!!!

But epoxy resin adhesive domes (bottle cap inners). Put them on the sensor and the watch works fine! That’s the only cheat for it. You can take the resin off to charge and put it back on when charged. One resin lasts me about 2 weeks and they’re cheap as chips on eBay!

I have the same issue with apple watch series 3. I have tattoos on both of my wrist and I never receive notifications. The only time it works is if somebody else uses the watch (no tattoos) I spent hours and hours on the phone and email with Apple support and they told me that there is nothing I can do. From my understanding the issue is not fixed with series 5 either.. They should have informed me when I bought it that it would not work on tattood skin..

Can confirm AGAIN that the issue with tattoos persists. I am honestly just figuring this out now after having worn an original series 0 watch on my tattooed wrist for YEARS. I always thought my random notifications to be a sign of original and aging technology and lived with it. Workouts would sometimes just stop on me mid-run - no idea why. I had bought it used for cheap and figured it was just old and a bit finicky. Yesterday I bit the bullet and bought a series 5. I wanted things to work better and faster of course, but I also wanted the always on feature. Raise to wake is something I always had turned off (I just find it distracting), so this always on was just the ticket for me. Until I put it on and just kept going black on me. For a while I had no idea why. Sometimes the screen would dim and act like it should, other times I'd look down and see a black watch face staring back at me. I turned on Apple Pay this morning and had to add a passcode. It was then that I discovered the watch was locking as though I had taken it off. Wrist detection was failing. I at first attributed this to wearing my watch a bit loose with a metal band so it does move up my arm a bit when I raise my hand or arm up a bit. I did some Googling and saw that some people with tattoos were having issues like mine as well though. Now, my tattoo is black, but in that region of my arm it is very subtle and not solid. They are really wispy, thin limbs of a tree... a bit thicker than line work. But sure enough, I moved my watch to my other arm and could slide it nearly to my elbow and never lost "detection." Back to my left ans SOON as that tattoo begins to creep under the sensor, boom, fade to black, watch locked. Apple, you have had SIX generations to fix this. Why in the world are tattoos still causing features of these very expensive watches to fail. I'm willing to try and adjust to wearing it on my dominant wrist, but I tell you what, as of right now I don't care for it and this thing may end up going back for a refund. I just cannot believe this is still an issue.

Hi! So my wife got me the Apple Watch 5 for Christmas...the Hermès version. Anyway. The one function that was really annoying me was the Always On function that is a nice feature on the 5...it seemed to work whenever it wanted to. The first day I had it, it was working sometimes. The second day, worked perfectly all day...then the third day (today)...did not work at all. Got on chat with Apple, and everything on the phone end checked out. Then the rep said tattoos can affect it, and said try switching arms. My left arm, which is the arm I’ve worn a watch on my whole life, has a full sleeve. The left doesn’t. I switched it over...and lo and behold, it works! Which is not totally cool, because I had to change the crown configuration up, and I hate wearing a watch on my right arm...it’s totally backwards for me. There is one odd point, and it is the heart rate monitor. That worked just fine on my tattooed arm, same as it does on my non-tattooed arm. It’s just weird. And also why would it work on the tatted arm one day, and not the following? That doesn’t make sense. Hopefully the Apple engineers will figure this out.