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My wrist is burning after wearing my apple watch 8 ultra

Hi,


The skin on my left wrist where I wear my apple watch 8 ultra has developed a burning sensation. Even after the watch is off for several minutes the pain is still there. I switch it to my right arm to see if I have the same problem. I wear my watch almost 24/7 besides the few times a day i remove it for 15-30 minutes to charge. Please help, I love this watch but cannot continue to wear it if this burning sensation doesn't go away. If I cannot wear it anymore, I am stuck with a 1k paper weight and 3-year contract for an extra line of service.... please advise. I have always worn smart watches and never had an issue like this.

Apple Watch Ultra, watchOS 9

Posted on Jan 6, 2023 7:36 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 16, 2023 11:08 AM

My wife and I both had what appears to be and feels like a burn from the heart rate sensor on the back of our watches. After much search around I found a solution that suggested that the cause is the watch's default setting to frequently record the wearer's heart rate.

This automatic heart rate record can be turned off in the watch Settings app on your iPhone. We did this and the burning stopped!

On your phone, go to the Watch app, then scroll to "Privacy" and find the "Heart Rate" toggle and set it to "Off".

Note: it does not cause the "Heart Rate" app to stop working when you request it, but it does cause the app to stop automatically recording your heart rate every few minutes.


Good luck! We're back to loving our watches.

Similar questions

59 replies

Feb 23, 2024 2:50 PM in response to christ3da

Similar issues -- I've had every version of the AW from 1-7, and it was only on the later versions where I'd notice it, and like others, would be worse during sweat-based exercise (like running, but not always), but would also happen at night or random times. It seemed as if the green LED was stuck on. I switched to a Garmin Epix, and the consistency of the issues went away, and in two years, only had it twice on the Garmin. Tried the Ultra 2 this past week, and after only a couple of days, the burning is back quickly. So I'm returning the U2 and sticking with Garmin. Hope Apple addresses this at some point...

Feb 14, 2023 12:27 PM in response to jsell12

Again-- this is not good. See a doctor--and it's not good enough to depend on what someone else says a doctor did. A doctor can help the rash and possibly de-sensitize you to the watch. Or see if something else is going on.


See this for some information about sensitivity:

Wearing your Apple Watch - Apple Support


And it may help to talk with someone at Apple:

Apple Watch Service & Repair - Apple Support


Mar 28, 2023 12:22 PM in response to DrewSnow

The community specialist gave the correct response.

Safety information including skin sensitivity recommendations can be found in

Important safety information for Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)


 I also recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here 


Click here >  Contact - Official Apple Support  


or phone numbers 


Click here > Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support 


We user volunteers are not qualified to answer medical questions but Apple have a specialist team.


May 9, 2023 12:55 AM in response to Catmomoftw0

Safety information including skin sensitivity recommendations can be found in

Important safety information for Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)


 I also recommend that you contact Apple Support directly. Depending on your region, you may be able to reach them here 


Click here >  Contact - Official Apple Support  


or phone numbers 


Click here > Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support 


Jan 6, 2023 7:45 AM in response to christ3da

It’s probably a reaction to the materials in the band.


I’ve had an Apple Watch since the very first one was released. Never had a problem… about 6 months ago, I started having similar issues. Made sure to wash the band thoroughly, etc. No joy. I’ve worn watches my whole life, but virtually all of them have had leather or steel bands. Purchased a leather band for my Apple Watch. Problem solved.


May 8, 2023 2:20 AM in response to christ3da

christ3da wrote:

I wear my watch almost 24/7 besides the few times a day i remove it for 15-30 minutes to charge. Please help, I love this watch .

Maybe you could try to wear it only during the day if you have sensitive skin, give it time to rest during the night. I do.

You probably would not wear other jewelry or contact lenses 24 hours a day. Sleep monitoring can be done once a month.

Jun 25, 2023 8:35 AM in response to RitaBurns

There are very few cases of genuine (thermal) burns from Apple Watch. A real burn would need the watch to become hot (like coffee cup hot) and I'm sure you would have noticed and reacted to the heat before it damaged you. Apple Watch is unlikely to become hot enough to burn skin unless there is a huge drain on the battery (you would have noticed because the battery would go flat in minutes rather than hours).


There are other possible causes which seem more likely than heat.

* Sensitivity or allergy to something in the watch body. Nickel sensitivity is the most frequent suspect.

* A chemical burn from some kind of product trapped behind the watch, increasing exposure time before it was removed by rinsing. Possible suspects would include detergent products (human washing, or laundry detergent, etc), cosmetic products, or even pharmaceutical creams which were not intended to have prolonged contact.


Best advice is that you should contact your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Jul 18, 2023 7:13 PM in response to Branta_uk

I just found this thread because I’m experiencing the same thing. I’ve had my watch for about a year and I’ve never had an issue. I took it off today to shower and put it back on a few hours later. Within 5 minutes of putting it back on, my wrist started to burn and it had a red spot right where the sensor part sits. It’s been 20 minutes and it still burns like I touched a hot pan.


I know, I know…everyone’s advice is to contact Apple. I will, but I’m sure they will disregard. I just figured I would add my name to the list. I’m honestly technologically an idiot, so I don’t even know which generation my watch is. I think it’s an Apple Watch SE if that’s a thing. Lol

Aug 13, 2023 4:51 PM in response to christ3da

I had been wearing an Apple Watch with a Sport Loop band for several years. I change to the Apple Watch Ultra about 30 days ago. I kept using the Sport Loop bands and have not worn the Apple Watch Ultra with the Alpine Loop band that came with it. I noticed that because the Apple Watch Ultra is heavier than the Apple Watch, I wear the band tighter. As a consequence, the area of skin in contact with the back of the watch stays moist and does what you would expect after a couple hours of this. After noticing irritation and odor on top of my wrist, I have been more mindful about cleaning both my wrist and the back of the watch after I run or exercise. I have two bands and change them often. I wash my bands in the clothes washer. I rinse my band with water after I run and pat it dry. When I noticed the odor and irritation, I wore the watch on my other arm for a day. I do not wear my watch at night. I miss my old Apple Watch because it was so light I could wear it like a bracelet and my skin under the watch was allowed to breathe. Wearing the Apple Watch Ultra is similar to my experiences wearing traditional heavy watches. If I sweat and leave the watch on and tight, my skin stays moist and contact dermatitis occurs where the sensors on the back of watch make contact with my wrist. I don’t think the ceramic case or the band has anything to do with what I experience. I meant to check with my dermatologist about how to care for the skin of my wrist in contact with that watch back and set of sensors.

My wrist is burning after wearing my apple watch 8 ultra

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