Google Fit can now use iPhone camera to measure heart rate and respiratory rate

Google Fit now has the ability to use an iPhone’s camera sensor to track heart rate and respiratory rate, a feature that was earlier available only on Pixel devices. OnlyTech was able to spot the development on our iPhone and test the feature which gave accurate results.

With this addition, iPhone users will be able to use the rear camera on their device to measure heart rate as well as respiratory rate. The feature will also work when the smartphone doesn’t have an active internet connection.

Here’s how it works:

When a user places his/her finger on the rear camera sensor of the device and applies slight pressure, Google fit can track the incoming light in the sensor to gauge the heart rate. Users can also place their hand in front of a light source and allow Google Fit to measure their heartbeat by tracking “subtle changes in the colour of your fingers.”

The process takes about 30 seconds and shows users a graph with beats per minute. Once measurements are taken, users can choose whether to save the vitals to Google Fit or not. The accuracy of the process is determined by Google Fit’s algorithms which also account for factors like age and skin tone.

Moving on to the respiratory rate measuring feature that works by tracking a user’s breath when they keep the phone steady in front of them with the torso visible in the app’s display. On-screen prompts in the app will guide users when they need to hold still. The subtle chest movements when you breathe will be detected and the app will be able to calculate your breath rate.