Smartwatch or fitness tracker showing wrong heart rate readings
Heart rate sensor readings are affected by fit, placement, and skin condition. Wear the watch tighter on your wrist, clean the sensor, and keep still while it reads. Try reading your heart rate again after these adjustments. If readings are still wrong, the sensor may need cleaning or calibration.
Inaccurate heart rate readings usually happen because the watch isn't fitting snugly, the sensor is dirty, or your skin is too dry. Wearing the watch correctly and cleaning the sensor fixes most issues. Some watches need periodic calibration.
- ✓Your watch should be worn snugly but not so tight it cuts off circulation
- ✓Have a clean cloth ready to wipe the sensor
- ✓Know your actual resting heart rate so you can compare to watch readings
Fix-IT-Bot will walk you through each step, just tap, no typing needed.
Skip, I just want a technicianCommon mistakes to avoid
- Wearing the watch too loosely — it needs to be snug for accurate readings
- Wearing the watch too high on the arm instead of over the wrist bone
- Not cleaning the sensor regularly even though sweat builds up
- Moving around while the watch is trying to measure — it needs stillness
Signs you need professional help
- If heart rate readings are still wildly inaccurate after wearing the watch properly, cleaning the sensor, and updating the firmware, the sensor hardware may be failing. Give us a call and we can help determine if the watch needs repair or replacement.
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