Heart rate measurements on my watch/band are inaccurate
Your heart rate is measured with the optical heart rate sensor on the back of your watch/band, which measures the blood flow changes in your wrist by emitting light into your skin, and detecting how much is reflected back. You can refer to the following information to further improve the accuracy of heart rate measurements.
Proper wearing habits
Keep the rear cover of your device in contact with your skin, in order to ensure that the heart rate sensor works optimally.
- Wear the device one-finger width above your wrist bone, with the device screen facing upwards.
- Make sure that your device is securely strapped to your wrist. Do not wear it too tightly or loosely. Leave room for your skin to breathe for optimal comfort, and ensure that the sensor works properly.
- Tighten the strap before workouts and loosen it after workouts. If the device feels loose on your wrist, tighten the strap.
- If you are interested in fitness and exercise frequently, it is recommended that you use a soft rubber strap (fluoroelastomer, silicone, or TPU) to ensure optimal contact between the device and your wrist. Leather and metal straps are not suitable for workouts.
Enable Continuous heart rate monitoring
To obtain more accurate heart rate data, open the Huawei Health app, go to the device details screen, enable Health monitoring, turn on the switch of Continuous heart rate monitoring, and enable Real-time mode.
If your watch/band does not support Continuous heart rate monitoring in Real-time mode, it will measure your heart rate periodically based on your activity.
Keep the device clean
Sweat or foreign objects may interfere with the heart rate sensor's ability to receive reflected light, undermining the accuracy of data. In this case, wipe the water or remove the foreign objects from your wrist and the back of the device, and try wearing it again.
Select a correct workout type
The displayed data may change significantly if you enable Continuous heart rate monitoring after you have completed an intense workout. This is because your heart rate tends to decrease significantly in this situation, which is normal and does not indicate any issue with your wearable device.
Update
Each newly-released software version has undergone rigorous testing. The new versions feature better algorithms. Please update your wearable device and the Huawei Health app to their latest versions at your earliest convenience. For more information, please refer to Downloading and updating the Huawei Health app.
Other factors affecting the performance of the heart rate sensor
- Temperature
When the temperature is lower than 15°C, the capillaries of your wrist narrow and blood flow decreases. As a result, inaccurate heart rate measurements may occur.
It is recommended that you wear gloves or long sleeves to keep warm, and fully warm up (for at least 5 minutes) before starting your workout in a cold environment. For more information about warming up, see the warm up guide on the Exercise screen in the Huawei Health app.
- Physical characteristics
The sensor may fail to receive reflected light if there are tattoos, scars, or a lot of hair on your wrist. As a result, inaccurate heart rate measurements may occur.
- Workout
Heart rate measurements may fluctuate when you engage in exercise that involves frequent changes of pace (such as weight-lifting or basketball). It is recommended that you measure your heart rate during workouts which require a consistent level of effort (such as running, walking, and cycling), in order to obtain more accurate heart rate measurements.
Exceptions
- Heart rate at 0 o'clock
Your watch/band will reset your heart rate data at 00:00 every day for the new round of measurements. If your heart rate is not detected after the heart rate data is reset, the device will add a default value (usually 88 bpm, or 54 bpm for people with a low heart rate). This value does not affect the overall accuracy of heart rate monitoring.
- Users with specific diseases
The sensor may fail to receive reflected light if you have a low level of fitness, or suffer from a weak heartbeat, clogged blood vessels, or heart disease. As a result, the heart rate data display may be abnormal, or inaccurate heart rate measurements may occur. It is recommended that you tighten the strap or use a medical device to conduct heart rate measurements.
- Comparisons with medical devices
HUAWEI watches/bands are generally compared against the gold standard (ECG) with an error range of ±10 bpm. If your heart rate is lower than 37, your watch/band's heart rate monitoring should not be used for reference. In this case, it is recommended that you use a medical device to check your heart rate.
- Different measurement principles: Watches/bands use optical signals to monitor pulses, and the signals are affected by factors such as external ambient light and slight arm movements, while medical devices use an arterial pressure meter (sphygmomanometer) and ECG (gold standard) for measurements. Therefore, the results may differ.
- Different measurement periods: Watches/bands display measurement results in real time, whereas medical devices take an average value per minute. Therefore, the results may differ. You can calculate an average 1-minute heart rate value based on the data obtained by your watch/band, and then compare it with that from a medical device.
The heart rate data collected by your watch/band should not be used for medical reference.
If the issue persists, take your device and proof of purchase to an authorized Huawei Customer Service Center for assistance.