S-3 heart rate not working unless app is open

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Level 1

8 points

S-3 heart rate not working unless app is open

I traded in my Fitbit for a watch to get a warning if my heart rate gets too fast. The only time I get a reading is when I open the app, then it reads. If I don't look now and then it says "x m/h ago" and has gone for 10+ hours not updating that I can tell. It also show no resting or walking rate even though I've walked 10k steps several times. What settings do I need as the manual is really poor for instructions on this.

Apple Watch Series 3, watchOS 4.3

Posted on May 28, 2018 7:38 AM

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Answer 1

julieda

Level 7

32,024 points

May 28, 2018 8:02 AM in response to JRStacks

When using the Heart Rate app to take manual readings, your Apple Watch assumes that it is being worn, so will attempt to take measurements.

If your Apple Watch is lying on the ground - or held against any other surface than your wrist - at that time, then the results will be meaningless.

Apple advises that, even under ideal conditions, Apple Watch may not be able to record a reliable heart rate reading every time for every.

For the best performance from the heart rate sensor be sure to wear your Apple Watch snugly (but not too tightly) on the top of your wrist:

Wearing your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Other issues that can impact sensor performance include skin perfusion and wrist tattoos. As well as varying by person, skin perfusion can be reduced in the cold to levels that prevent accurate readings:

The following steps may otherwise help:

If you have not yet done so, update your iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest software, starting with your iPhone:

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Answer 2

JRStacks Author

Level 1

8 points

May 28, 2018 4:51 PM in response to julieda

I wear my watch constantly except the time I shower and charge it. Over the few days I have worn it, it has failed to automatically monitor my heart rate as far as I can tell. I just opened the app and it spun up to monitor my rate saying the last time it updated was an hour ago when I checked it. The graph has a lot of empty space displayed which tells me it isn't monitoring as I expect it would. I've been sitting a lot today and the resting heart rate shows --. I've walked about 3 miles today and the rate in walking average also shows --. Where is the use of this function described? The manual is lacking in this respect. The watch isn't doing the job I bought it for at all.

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Answer 3

JRStacks Author

Level 1

8 points

May 29, 2018 2:18 PM in response to julieda

I chatted with Apple Support. They have me unpair and pair the watch again which in turn spanned a reset. We verified my setup and the heart rate seems to be working as advertised. Even the resting and walking heart rates. Something went wrong with the initial pairing, software update and configuration it seems. Problem Solved.

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S-3 heart rate not working unless app is open

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