Since the problem is endemic to optical heart rate monitors, users of other gadgets have been reporting similar problems for months. The issue has already been dubbed “tattoogate” by some outlets, in what seems to be the latest example of Apple’s visibility working against it. The sensor can also generate inaccurate reading when exercising in the cold, or doing arhythmic movements during activities such as boxing or tennis. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings,” the linked document reads. “Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance. Unusually, the website for the Apple Watch contains a link encouraging would-be purchasers to “ learn about the Apple Watch heart rate sensor, its accuracy and limitations”, and it explicitly warns that tattoos can cause trouble. Once I put it back on the area that is tattooed with black ink the watch would automatically lock again.” My hand isn’t tattooed and the Watch stayed unlocked. The heart rate readings were also significantly different on the tattooed and untattooed wrists.”Ī user on social news site Reddit presented another testimonial, writing that “I was about to give up and call Apple… when I decided to try holding it against my hand (my left arm is sleeved and where I wear my watch is tattooed as well), and it worked.
#Heart monitor tattoo skin#
Reuters reporter Matt Siegel said: “The watch locks on tattooed skin and does not deliver the soft pings that alert a user to incoming messages. Unfortunately, the system is easily confused by a number of factors – including the presence of dark tattoos. Blood, being red, reflects green light less than the surrounding tissue, and so the amount of reflected light picked up by the sensors on the underside goes up and down with each heartbeat. The sensor, which is similar to those used in other heart-rate-tracking gadgets such as the Fitbit Charge HR and the Microsoft Band, works by shining green light into the wearer’s wrist. In Apple’s case, it also checks whether or not the watch is sitting on a wrist, which it uses to activate security features such as a pin lock. The optical heart sensor sits on the underside of the watch and uses infrared and green LEDs to determine the wearer’s heart rate. But users with tattoos on their wrists have taken to social networks to report problems using the feature.
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