Google Fit On IOS Can Track Heart Rate And Breathing With A Camera, Here's How To Use It!

Google Fit on iOS is receiving heart rate and breathing measurement features. (photo; doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - Google Fit for iOS has reportedly gained the ability to track and measure heart rate and breathing using the iPhone's camera. This fitness app can measure the user's heart rate when they apply light pressure to the rear camera lens. The application can also work if the user's phone does not have an active internet connection.

The front camera, on the other hand, tracks the user's breaths per minute (BPM). Google Fit's heart rate and breathing tracking features were first introduced for Google Pixel smartphones in February 2021.

9to5Google reports that Google Fit on iOS is receiving heart rate and breathing measurement features. Google tracks subtle movements on a user's body to measure their heart rate and BPM.

Google Fit measures a user's heart rate when they place a finger on the rear camera sensor and applies light pressure to that sensor. If the user is in a low-light environment, the fitness tracker app can use the phone's flash to improve accuracy.

Alternatively, users can place their hands and iPhone handset in front of a light source. Google will measure heart rate by tracking "subtle changes in the color of your finger" to estimate blood flow. The heart rate algorithm also takes lighting, skin tone, age and other factors into account.

The heart rate measurement takes about 30 seconds and displays a graph with beats per minute (BPM). Once the process is complete, the user has the option to save the vital data to Google Fit.

Also with Google Fit for iOS, the iPhone's selfie camera can track a user's respiratory rate by tracking their breaths per second. For this to work, users need to keep their phone steady and steady with their head and chest clearly visible on the app screen.

The on-screen prompts guide the user to "silent" for about half a minute. Smooth chest movement with computer vision that tracks small physical movements measures the user's respiratory rate.

Alternatively, measurements in Google Fit can also be started by going to the Browse tab and clicking Vitals. Users also have the option to set reminders for measurements.

9to5Google as reported by Gadgets 360, mentions that they can see the new heart rate and breathing measurements on the iPhone 7 and iPad Pro.

The report also says that if a user recently downloaded Google Fit and it doesn't show the new card, closing the app from the multitasking screen and reopening it will make it work.

Google first introduced the heart rate and breathing measurement features for Google Fit in February. The features were originally released for Pixel phones, but eventually reached out to other Android phones.