heart rate alarm

Welcome to 2017 and Watch OS 4. For Apple Watch Series 1 and above, the new Apple Heart Rate app will notify you of a sudden increase in heart rate.

Let's define "sudden" and "increase"

The Heart Rate app from Apple monitors your pulse and takes note when you appear to be "at rest" for "a while". Once it appears you are not moving, a "resting heartbeat" is established. From this point on (until you get up, or move significantly) your heartbeat should remain at rest. If your resting heartbeat "jumps" above a threshold (configurable from 100 to 150 bpm) a standard alert is generated.

That's almost great. I had hoped the "alert" could be customized. I had hoped my Apple Watch would start haptic vibrating or my phone would go crazy if a Heart Rate app alert occurs. Enough to wake me up. It does.. but.. so does getting an email, a text, etc.

There's the problem. In the democratic WatchOS API world, all alerts are created equal. After the drive home I look at my watch face. Above Mickey is a tiny red dot on the watch face (indicating some alerts are waiting for me). I pull down from the top. I then scroll through 10 alerts. Alert 1 is an email. Alert 2 is 500 free coins from Slotomania, Alert 7 says my heart jumped about 90 minutes ago.

Like the feature that allows our "Favorite" contacts to "break through" to you in Do Not Disturb mode, it would be a great feature if could do the same with alerts.

If, like me, you are wanting to be notified of an irregular heart beat, this is as good as it gets for now. Apple is working with Stanford on a research study to detect AFib using an Apple Watch in the near future. Once the FDA allows it, we can expect much more from our wearables.

Be sure to submit your feature requests to Apple:

Feedback - Apple Watch - Apple

Hello,

I don't know if you're still interested, but in case you are, I would have a suggestion for you.

There's an app called Gymaholic, which I'm currently using to track my gym sessions, that will send you vibrating alarms when your heartrate goes above or under a certain user-assigned limit. My main goal is keep my heartrate from going under a certain value while I'm weightlifting - as I want to reap the benefits of staying in an aerobic heart rate range.

I would advise you to pair the apple watch with a HR chest-band, though, as it will be much more accurate than the Watch's own sensors (especially during the workout).

Well, I think so. In my opinion, Apple should be built a feature watchOS on iWatch to read heartbeat every minute and it is able to alert signal or beep sound on iWatch itself if the user's heart rate goes over a certain level or under a certain level which can set by the user. I hope this feature will useful for the user (maybe iWatch will drain more current of course). To watchOS developers, please think of a just simple built-in app on iWatch but not very smart app like detecting, sending a message or calling to 911 or family member, etc. Thank you.

If you would like to submit a feature request to Apple, then you can do so here:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html

Hi

Heart rate alerts are not presently available as built-in feature of iOS or watchOS.

Note also that Apple Watch, the heart rate sensor and the included Apple Watch apps are not medical devices and are intended for fitness purposes only. They are not designed or intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.

You may find the following third-party app (for example) of interest:

HeartWatch

• The developer advises:
  • "NOTIFICATIONS: You can configure notifications for the following scenarios: When heart rate exceeds a bpm value, When heart rate drops below a bpm value."
  • "NOTE: Due to your iPhone's Health Store being encrypted, notifications can only be delivered when your iPhone is unlocked. This will happen in the background whenever you are using your iPhone in an unlocked state for any purpose, so in practice, you will be alerted as long as you regularly use your iPhone."
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/heartwatch.-view-get-notified/id1062745479?mt=8
• http://heartwatch.tantsissa.com/home

More information (under Not a medical device):

https://help.apple.com/watch/#/apdcf2ff54e9