Apple Watch Ultra Heart Rate During Workout

This answer is not correct. I only use it inside. It happens the same way but not all the time. Someone suggested wrist size and that could cause it as I do have a small wrist. Also I use a different Apple wrist band from last year's model. But I think it's a software problem since it happens at the same time and conditions and situations vary.

Exact same problem. Never had the issue with any previous Apple Watches or Garmins with optical heartate only the Ultra.

I have also been on with support. The cold weather theory is not applicable as I get heart rate done at the beginning of runs but not in the middle. Very sporadic, very unreliable, very very frustrating. I love the features but I may need to revert back to my Garmin.

I have had 3 Garmin Fenix series watches....zero problems, an Apple series 6 zero heart rate issues. The Ultra absolutely flawed and incredibly inconsistent. I am told it is not a hardware issue. If true, I am hopeful for a simple remedy through software updates.

Hi, I recently upgraded from an apple watch series 6 to an ultra and.... having the same problems as reported in this thread. I noticed that the series 6 did initially get a little stuck on runs, especially at the beginning but then settled down to a correct recording after about 10 minutes.

The ultra is having real problems.. either not recording anything or getting stuck at a high level over 160 or sometimes 170. If I walk for a minute it comes back to normality but then ramps straight back up again. It's not my actual heart rate as I can varify from checking my pulse with my fingers - which indicate somewhere between 120-140 which exactly how I feel it is from experience.

I've tried the unparing and turning options on and off as stated confidently in various forums. I was using strava so today I tried the apple native app but with the same results.

It doesn't matter if I'm sweating or that my wrist is covered or uncovered, on my left wrist of right.

After investing a load of money on this, I'm hoping that a software upgrade or something like this will fix it.

What next? Shave the hair off my wrist to see if that's the problem?

Apple needs to get with the program and fix this problem. I sent my Ultra in to Apple. It came back to me with the same BPM issues. Apple said all sensors were working correctly and there was not a problem with the watch. Maybe not - but the software need a rework!!! Fix this Apple!!!

Shaved my wrist… made some small difference but didn’t fix it… I have the feeling that the watch momentarily disconnects, then when reconnecting, expects to find the measurement close to the previous one. Just a hunch but I kept on trying to run with my arm against my chest… if the heart rate was within a certain range, it kept recording, but if it had completely dropped, for example I started walking… it disconnected for a while. It’s like there is a logic which is trying to filter out spurious measurements… but cannot cope with the variation. I’m more convinced that if the apple experts put their minds to it, they could crack the problem. In the meantime I have a state of the art watch which works great… until I take it for a run.

I have a similar problem, heartrate app works fine, whereas workout app doesn’t record or show the heart rate for the 1st kilometer (5 min). Afterwards it works fine; without me doing anything. It’s only during cold weather, but not always.

Apple’s support first told me that it is probably due to software issues but after many test, resetting and other things, support now says it is my skin and my vains. They react to cold weather and don’t allow the Ultra’s sensors to read my heart rate.

Why this is only the first 5 min and only in the Workout app, Apple didn’t know. Probably need new arms.

Really disappointed.

I have the feeling that the software might be ruling out non-sensical measurements.. maybe if the rate of change is too high between measurements it simply doesn't record it. If there is some noise on the signal then the probability is higher. Possibly that's an over simplistic view but one never knows how the engineers are using software to compensate for the actual measurement data to make it seem realistic.

Does it works on latest update 9.4?

I have the feeling that it is better, so 200-300 meters with strange readings instead of 600-900 meters, but it is still not solved.

Look at your heart rate readings, for me they show a solid line the first 200-300 meters now, so not reading constantly.

The problem I still have is that the Watch Ultra "pretends" to measure heart rate and doesn't. So how much trust do I have that it reads my heart rate correctly the rest of the run?

"...My opinion for whats its worth is the watch is too heavy and therefore moves around too much on the wrist during a workout especially running even when you have the band at the recommended tightness..."

I don't own an Ultra but from what I see on the forum i am beginning to form that opinion too. A 40mm SE is better for running for that reason.

I totally agree, previous Apple watches had some problem at the start of a run but the Ultra is an absolute disaster. This is not ok, positioning the Ultra as the best sports watch for extreme sports and not even being able to track basic HR when it's a bit cold.

By the way it's notr only when it's cold, I ran a marathon few weeks ago, the issue lasted for the entire marathon and it wasn't cold.

I have issues with hart rate in 80% of my runs. It makes the Ultra absolutely useless for a runner or any other sport.

I don't buy that. My series 4 worked flawlessly and my new series 8 drops HR like yours does. If their explanation were true, then why does it pick up the heart rate just fine at the start when you are cold, but then stop at the exact same time, and return after the same time interval on every exercise? Mine stops exactly as yours does... shortly after the work out starts, then picks up after about one minute. This does this every time, regardless of the intensity of my work out. Stops the exact same amount of time into the work out, and the amount of time it is not reporting is the same every time. Based on their logic, the watch wouldn't pick up HR at all until after you warm up... which is obviously not true. So if its reading HP fine at the start of your workout and your veins get bigger as you exercise, it should continue to read with no problems. This seems like another glitch apple doesn't want to admit to.

I totally agree with you. I just got off a 30 minute treadmill run. I had my heart rate for 10 minutes then dropped. I bought the Ultra to replace my Garmin Fenix 7s thinking that Apple finally fixed the heart rate drop outs (this is my 4th Apple Watch). Nope. It’s garbage and I won’t be fooled again. Going back to my Garmin.

Having constantly experiencing several issues with my Ultra as to the dropping out hr measurements , i thought I might record measurements at the same time with my Garmin fenix 7! Not only does my ultra dropped hr measurements during my run but also the reading (when worked) was totally diferrent to what garmin read! So I lost my confidence in my ultra and i decided to use it only when i don’t have any training! Total misleading info from Apple side when advertising the product and and for me this is the crucial point not to buy any products from them from now on!

Same here, Garmin Fenix 3,6,7 no issues. I just bought a Garmin Epix to replace this faulty Ultra….it works brilliantly. My Apple Watch Series 6 worked fine. I believe the bigger square design just doesn’t sit on the wrist consistently well. $800 wasted. No luck getting a remedy through Apple so far.