Apple Watch Series 6 with Tattoos

Series 0, Series 3 Nike, Series 4 Nike & Stainless Steel, Series 5 Stainless Steel all worked ZERO issues (don’t NOT get new tattoos, at least not on my wrist ;-}

2 Series 6 Nike, both have the AOD issue unless I disable Wrist Detection

#iSad ;-\

its pretty counter productive to have an always on display that requires your wrist to be detected. Wouldn’t it drain more power for your watch to detect a wrist vs just keeping on a low power display 24/7? What do I know I’m just an idiot with tattoos on my wrist lol.

I'm the lucky one? I am asking...Has anyone used the epoxy bottle caps that were mentioned earlier or used tape as I have read on other forums and it been successful in not locking the watching because the ink of the tattoo is not penetrable by the light sensors on the back? I just returned my Series 6 yesterday and miss it already.

I think it has to do with the placement of the light sensors on the back side and where the tattoo is. My tattoo is small but wraps around my wrist. When I had it done I actually laid out an Apple Watch on paper and traced it then designed the tattoo within those lines (as to be able to cover it up and not be visible at work). I think if the deeper sensing red lights are placed somewhere other than where they are on the Apple Watch you might have some luck. I begrudgingly ordered a Garmin vivoactive 4 in hopes that it works better. It's NOT an Apple Watch, but maybe it won't pause my workouts mid workout and maybe it will be able to read my HR and O2 levels consistently.

I can almost, 100% ( maybe 98.7%) confirm that the transition between colors is at least part of the problem. My left arm is tattooed, but the coverage is not a lot, especially on the wrist. The only real portion of tattoo that would fall under the watch sensor is a thin, maybe 2mm, black line. When the watch transitions across this spot through normal movement or even adjustment (due to heat, sweat, comfort, etc.) it locks. However, on my right arm, I could lift the watch itself almost a full inch off the skin without it locking.

I would imagine this could be a rather simple fix through adding a timer to the lock feature when it loses "contact" with the wrist through whatever means it uses to detect it. Would at least lessen the amount of times it'd lock while on the wrist due to normal movement.

****, here's a few other possible solutions for apple:

1. Put the wallet behind the passcode and leave the other functions working. Fitbit can do it, so can you!
2. Make it a user adjustable password wall. Let us chose which apps or features are sensitive and need to be unlocked.
3. Integrate the timer suggestion I made. Maybe even make it user adjustable in increments of seconds.
4. Do a better job testing with a more diverse group of people.

I came to the series 6 from a Fitbit Ionic. Fitbit lost my confidence when it took them 3 years to develop software to use the hardware the watch already had. (Blood O2 sensor) However, for some reason it was able to track my all day heart rate, my sleep, my activity, etc...without issue. And their wallet is behind a passcode but the rest isn't.

Try these bottle cap stickers. I have been using them for 2 years with my series 3 and they work 99% of the time. I don’t know what it is that makes them work but at least this way I get to use my watch as it’s intended to be used!!

Beadaholique 100-Piece Epoxy Stickers for Bottle Cap Pendants https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AFRWIRQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_-q5PFbTQZ6ECW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

No Joy using the 44mm S6 on this tattoo.

somewhat annoyingly when I originally got the sleeve it did finish higher up, I extended it down a bit then got the Apple watch s3 a year or so later. I wondered why fitness apps would stop midway through workouts etc.

I’ve ordered the epoxy caps to try but it doesn’t sound like people are having any luck with them.

Right non-inked arm works fine. I’m trying to see if I can get used to it on that wrist.

Yeah - at this point - if I have to return this watch (we’ll see when these epoxy stickers arrive) I will want some kind of Apple Watch substitute, not just an activity tracker, so I’m open to suggestions. I went for the Apple Watch thinking a more expensive watch would be able to do what my entry level Fitbit could not, but here I am with hundreds of euro of equipment on my wrist not functioning as it should...

I understand completely. I brought it up as I was struggling with the same decision, keep it with reduced features or return it. I ultimately decided to return because I couldn't get it to work on either arm. Had I been able to, I probably would have kept it as well. What annoys me, it seemed to only affect wrist detection. All the active HR features on mine seemed to work ok. But so much functionality is tied to "Wrist detection".

I just got my Apple Watch 6 and am having the same issues with my tattoos. The only solution I found so far is turning wrist detection off.

Yeah but that disables a bunch of stuff. For now that is what I did though.

You have a point, I think ;-}

Buy bottlecap epoxy stickers. Place over sensor and BAM, it sees through tattoos.

Shouldn't have to do it, but it works.

Some in this thread say they do, haven’t tried them myself. I’m kind of living with the issue...

The caps will work on the series 3 but not series 6