How to Measure Heart Rate on Android

Smartphones can be great tools for tracking health and fitness data. Google Fit on Android devices makes it easy to track not only your workouts but also your heart rate and breathing without the need for special equipment.

All you need is the Google Fit app and an Android phone to use these features. They were first introduced on Google Pixel phones, so they may not be available on every current Android device.

First, open the Google Fit app on your Android device and sign in with your Google account.

If this is your first time logging in, you will be asked to fill in some information about yourself including gender, date of birth, weight and height. Select Next when you are done filling in the information.

If you want, you can turn on automatic activity tracking, although it's not required.

With the initial setup different, we can now use the heart rate and breathing features.

Check your heart rate with Google Fit

Open Google Fit and look for "Check your heart rate" or "Heart rate." If you don't see either, the feature isn't available on your Android device.

Next, the screen will explain that you will use your phone's camera to measure your heart rate. Tap Next to continue.

The next screen will instruct you to place your finger over the main rear camera lens. Tap Next again .

Since this feature uses the camera, you'll need to allow Google Fit to take photos and videos on your device.

You can now place your finger on the lens and tap Start Measurement .

A viewfinder will appear. Place your finger so that it completely covers the camera. You can turn on your phone's flashlight if you are in a dark room. Make sure to stay as still as possible while measuring.

Once completed, you will see your results and you can save the metrics to your account.

Check your breathing with Google Fit

Open Google Fit and look for " Respiration Tracking " or " Respiration Rate ." If you don't see either of these, the feature isn't available on your Android phone or tablet.

First, the screen will explain that it will use the camera to measure your breathing rate. Tap Next to continue.

The on-screen interface will explain how to locate you and will guide you through removing any items that might be in the way. Tap Next again .

When ready, turn your phone face down and select Start Measurement .

Since this feature uses the camera, you need to allow Google Fit to take photos and videos.

The scope will open and move into position. Once your head and chest are detected, the machine will begin measuring. Try to stay as still as possible.

Once the measurement is complete, you will see the result and can save it.

How accurate are these measurements? Google says they’re not intended for use in medical diagnosis or to assess medical conditions. You won’t get the same level of accuracy as you would with an actual medical device. However, it’s neat for general health and fitness tracking.