HeartWatch: Heart Rate Tracker Reviews

by Grady.S

There is so much great about HeartWatch but what is not great is really NOT GREAT! When it’s running I can’t get it to stop with the notifications both haptic and sound and if that wasn’t annoying enough my #1 problem with HeartWatch is that it continually pushes all other open dock apps (like now playing or any music volume and control app) behind it in order. What I’m trying to say is that when this is running the alerts make it so that every time I want to adjust the volume or play next song I have to open the dock again and scroll to find nowplaying or anything else you had open. I have exhausted every possible setting that I can to disable that from happening and yet it still happens. At least for me it’s a real pain to get into a good groove if I have to constantly have both my arms in-front of me looking down trying to find how to turn volume down or to skip a song.

If I am overlooking a setting to stop this from happening please let me know and I’ll adjust the rating. I do hope that I’m wrong and this can be fixed because I do like your app and really want it to work.

by SoDope1993

HeartWatch is pretty good but take the stats with a grain of salt. It often contradicts other health data including its own because it really can’t differentiate “Daily BPM” and “Sedentary BPM.” Mine are always the same even though I exercise 30+ mins and stay active every day so I’m not sedentary 24-7 but my resting and daily rates are the same? Ok. The health data I get from Apple Health app are vastly different. Resting BPM is usually 57-60 and it gives me a view of my heart rate throughout the day and specific workouts. I do like that this app breaks down my specific categories like “fat burn” “high intensity” etc. Overall they really need to push some updates and figure out their algorithms better but it’s still nice to have and use to get a big picture of overall health but I certainly wouldn’t put all my faith into HeartWatch. I’m very active so naturally my heart rate is rather high on average because i’m always moving and I have a 2 year old who keeps me busy so it basically says my resting heart rate is like 80-90(very bad) when really it’s 60 or less (very good). This can be misleading and maybe ever cause some people anxiety or warrant an expensive cardiologist appointment for little to no reason. I mean see one obviously if you think you need to but don’t do it just cuz this app shows you some funky heart rate data.

by Old Penguin

HeartWatch is full of information, but with so many screens and charts it takes some getting used to as far as figuring what is what. Missing (or at least I can't yet find it) is an easy graph or chart to view changes over weeks or months. It may be there, but like much of the information overloading HeartWatch, it is well hidden. Also, it strangely devalues the Apple Watch stand goal. True, it's the least interesting ring (for me) on the Apple Watch, but in the tracking history part of HeartWatch , standing is capped off at 12 hours. My watch might say 16 or 17, but HeartWatch never credits more than 12! This makes absolutely no sense, and is either a clear bug that needs fixing or another example of a user interface is need of simplification. The sleep app (an additional purchase) is interesting as an add-on, but it offers so little information it is a pricey upgrade. It would be better simply integrated into the main app rather than an additional money grab. Still, overall a good additional to the Apple Watch fitness family. FitBit still wins on ease of interface. Apple app developers still have a few things to learn when it comes to fitness tracking.

by Huktizumin

I contracted COVID in March when there was no medical support. HeartWatch is great for long haulers like me who have to treat themselves and even for ones who are getting some medical support. One of my biggest problems was/is my heart so I bought an Apple Watch in July to help monitor my heart rate. HeartWatch has been key to helping me manage my POTS symptoms. It helps me monitor trends and has allowed me to create my own physical therapy. One thing I love is the ability to write notes so I can go back to see what I was or wasn’t doing when I notice an improvement or decline in my health.
It has definitely helped me manage my POTS. The only thing I wish it did, which would be key to helping people with POTS, is to have an alarm when heart rate gets too high while “exercising”. My heart rate can easily jump over a hundred opening a door or washing a dish. In order to help my heart, I need to lay down immediately when this happens but I don’t always notice it. I have to set my watch to ‘other exercise’ in order to monitor my heart rate while doing everyday things. It would be super helpful to have an alarm when it gets over a specified rate so I know to immediately lay down. Currently, i have to constantly be staring at my watch. With COVID cases on the rise there will be more and more people diagnosed with POTS who could benefit from that feature.

by LDYSILVERNIGHT13

My husband got me an Apple Watch for Christmas. I already knew that I had low blood pressure. I got heart rate app and sleep app to help me monitor it all. It was these three tools that SAVED MY LIFE!! Literally!! I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and Bradycardia. These two apps let me know how well I’m sleeping and break down my movement during the day so that i can keep track of my heart health. I can take notes on my day and what was going on so that when i upload the report, YEP, you can upload the data to your Dr.🤠 , I can remember what was going on with me at that moment so my Dr. and I can adjust the plan for optimal health.
I was fitted with a pacemaker for the bradycardia. I had questions and emailed in and HeartWatch designer David reached out to me himself and told me how to set it to accommodate my new normal. (Pacemaker). He’d thought of everything!! He had someone in his trial that had one too.
I highly recommend HeartWatch 😊🙏🏽🤠. I gives me peace of mind during the day when i can check my app and see what my pulse is at any given moment and it sounds an alarm for when things fall out of what is normal for you. Great app!! Thank you David and team. 🙏🏽😘.

by Efphotog

Now that I’ve had some time to use HeartWatch, it is a good app, but can be a little confusing. There is a boat load of information that it provides which be be helpful in keeping track of your heart rate. The only thing that really throws me off is their resting rate. They say the more blue is better, but that’s pretty much when you are basically doing nothing. Once you get up and move around or simply do your daily routine, the blue portion can quickly disappear with red and pink bans, kinda throws things out of whack.
Other than that, it does a good job.

Have been only using HeartWatch for a short while, but can already see where the information provided can be helpful for anyone needing to track their heart rate. The only question I have is I’ve noticed that when you start a exercise routine, it gives you a low and high BPM rate. It looks as though it is inserting the highest rate automatically into the results. Example, started a flexibility routine, program stating the highest BPM was 160 bpm. Before I ever began, it had inserted the 160bpm into the workout. Maybe I’m missing something, but that seems to alter the actual results for the workout.

by Macgizzard

It’s an app I continue to use more and more for the amount of detail it provides. I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AFIB in 2018 and bought the Apple Watch series 4 around Christmas 2018 for the EKG feature. The watch itself at this time does not automatically alert you of AFIB events but the personal indicators become evident. HeartWatch provides and most of all displays in great detail heart beat patterns leading up to, during and following an AFIB event. The sleep reports are also very detailed and have helped me stay on top of the rest I need. Seeing where and when you expend your energy is very informative.
I’m not sure why the watch or apps don’t alert of AFIB events yet as they onset by I’d assume for legal obstruction reasons. They are definitely capable of changing patterns and documenting them.
HeartWatch developers need to work on a cleaner complete document export feature. Apple apps are ALL weak in this area and it’s baffling to me as to why. Whether it’s the graphs or data entries it would be nice to export directly and completely to a pdf that could easily be shared or archived.

by 2runningwolf

HeartWatch not only takes your heart rate automatically while you perform your everyday routines but will also take your heart rate while you sleep. You can into HeartWatch on your iPhone and see all of the recorded heart rates that have been taken not only that day or the previous day’s records but as far as I can tell all the way back to when you 1st started using HeartWatch (although I have only been using HeartWatch for just over a month). HeartWatch is really great for people who exercises or any other type of strenuous type of work but is also great for people who need to keep track of their heart rate to show the doctor or like myself, someone who is a senior citizen. You can also check your pulse manually with HeartWatch and you do not have to worry about messing up the periodic automatic heart rate that it takes. I have found HeartWatch very impressive as when I go see my physician I can show her my low heart rate when I sleep.
By far worth every penny!

by Snjmiller

I found HeartWatch on the recommendation of a doctor to monitor heart rate and sleep (with the companion app auto sleep). This has been hands down a life saver for me, literally. It alerted me of a elevated heart rate which led me to a ER visit and finding out I had a TIA. Things could’ve gone much differently had I not known or ignored it.
Since then it’s also monitored and shown a pattern of irregular heartbeats which lead to us having further testing done to assess the problem. Because of HeartWatch we were able to show the ER doctor the data, and not just recount my feelings/explanation.
We also have had a plethora of opportunities to check how accurate the readings are against hospital readers (EKG, etc) and it is always right on the mark.

I recommend this to anyone and everyone. Whether you wish to track heart rate for health and wellness, exercise or to get better sleep, you won’t find a better or more reliable app.

by Vectormax

I love the design of HeartWatch. Especially the way it breaks down your heart rate into Rest, Workout, Regular and the details it shows when you touch the circle to see the breakdown. I use this with my Apple Watch since I've found very little difference between my Polar H7 Bluetooth heart rate chest strap and my watch. HeartWatch lets you ignore the spikes (which happen with all monitors) and concentrate on the average HR. Best HR app I've found. Only thing I would like is a Taptic reminder to turn off sleep mode once it detects activity in the morning, or a way to set up an automatic switch out of sleep mode. I've forgotten to turn off sleep mode too many times and no longer use it for sleep tracking. BTW, HeartWatch is not a sleep tracker. It monitors your resting HR at night as you sleep. Not the same thing as a sleep tracker! When you wake up, you need to force touch to turn it off or take your pulse again, first thing in the morning.

by Potsie2011

As someone with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, HeartWatch is hugely helpful in monitoring my heart rate. The analytics monitor daily activity, provide alerts for when my BPM jumps a significant amount (for example, I recently received an alert when HeartWatch noticed my heart rate rose 30 BPM while stationary), and provide 21day trends.
In addition to benefits in monitoring health concerns, HeartWatch is also great in providing insight to exercise trends. I especially like the Workout Summary which, in many ways is more helpful than Apple Health, GoogleFit, or Apple Watch Activity apps because it provides information about your common workout types (for example, in the last 6 weeks, 18% of my workouts have been yoga, 24% have been outdoor walks, etc) and specifies exactly what’s happening in your body through each workout (for example, based on my heart rate and existing health data, this app was able to tell me that during my last 15 min workout, 2 min were warmup + 7 min were building fitness, 5 minutes were building fat, and the rest was high intensity).
Overall, great information if you’re someone who wants to monitor trends in your health or is conscious/curious about your overall fitness. Well worth the purchase!

by DimpsMcGee

Like other reviewers, HeartWatch has been really helpful in managing my Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). The level of detail available makes it possible to understand how my heart rate is fluctuating and when my heart rate in incongruent with my movement (tachycardia even when not likely to be standing). I also credit HeartWatch as my #1 tool for managing my exercise and movement goals.

This is much more detailed that the Apple health app and offers an visual representation to the data. It did take a week to fully explore the various categories within HeartWatch because of how comprehensive it is.

A HUGE thank you to the developers of this life changing technology. The UI is aesthetically beautiful, easy to understand (once you get the hang of it), and has never shown bugs or crashes. You’re doing incredible work and are truly making the world a better place by allowing folks to see their physiological changes.

I will be recommending and sharing HeartWatch with others who have medical conditions and to my doctors. I hope that various international organizations (for dysautonomia, traumatic brain injury, neurological conditions, cardiac conditions, technology for disability/accessibility, etc) are aware of HeartWatch and can share this tool with their communities.

Blessings and gratitude to all individuals involved in making HeartWatch a reality!!

by Paul Wissing

HeartWatch is by far my favorite app. I use it all day long. I like to track all of my activities via my watch. I love seeing my sleep data, waking data, idle, normal, ACTIVITY data. All of it tells me info that I want to know about my health. It pushes me to do better, exercise more, eat better, strive to get more sleep. The data at my fingertips is mind blowing, I’d say it’s too much data, but I love every bit of it. The developers are very easy to connect with. They love our feedback and have even implemented some of my biggest asks. That’s huge. They have so many different users and demographics to address and they are eager to please and add value to their app. Fitbit, Garmin, Gear, eat your hearts out. I have stayed with Apple Watch because of HeartWatch. All of the others are not even remotely close in what they provide compare to Heart watch. Can’t wait to see what else you guys are working on. Bravo, Bravo..

by Fun Bob222

This is the best app I I found. I monitor daily items and the ability to track back for that far and in different ways is great. Pinning certain items to compare is unbelievable I was was trying to do that for quite some time. This is a must get if you just want to be able to find your best sleep zone, have info to review with your doctor, or in my case I have certain health issues and I can say that HeartWatch has helped me with some aspects of those that wouldn't have been able to otherwise. So I truly thank the developers and suggest anyone to get HeartWatch, if you are a healthy individual or are someone digger deeper into things that affect you in many ways. If you wear a smart watch, you need HeartWatch. Just download it and forget about it. The longer your history is stored, the better informed you will get. Take your health in your own hands, just an annual checkup doesn't fulfill your needs as this does.

by Gixxer921

Originally got the this app application and used it daily to track how my heart was doing and get a better idea of my performance under stress and sedentary stages. It helped me been able to see how much better I am getting as I continue to exercise, it breaks everything down for you and it reminds you and the end of the day with a recap of how you did in percentages compared to the rest of the days. The watch will remind you if your heart is higher than usual at any giving time of the day. Then I tried AutoSleep to see how well it would work... amazing! It’s incredible. For me it just works. Usually at night before I go to sleep, I would read a little or check and return emails, when ready to sleeping, I just put the phone on the charger and go to sleep and that’s it. The watch records my sleeping patterns. The combination of both applications it the way to go if you want a complete image of your heart, but if you are looking for just sleeping information. This is it!

by Ahvamaria

I purchased an iWatch 3 GPS for activity and health integration then added this app and AutoSleep. Together with the Apple Health app they are very informative and good for keeping track day to day. The Apple Watch Breathing app is also very helpful in reminding me to stay focused and centered. I am approaching my 60th in a couple years and have had a few bumps along the way lately with palpitations (never ignore your body get checked out!) and odd symptoms and thought HeartWatch might or might not give some clue or at best keep a history for my doctor. Never use these apps and devices to substitute medical care, they are what they are, apps though good ones. this app gives your health app a boost but try to not panic if HeartWatch sounds alarms if your heart rate goes over 100, which mine does while I’m at work on my feet 8 hours. You can adjust the settings for low and high heart rate but I left mine as-is. It can make you a bit distracted seeing the notifications. In the end I’d rather know than not know right? 🤓

by KaelaSeana

I initially went to purchase AutoSleep and was informed there was a bundle, which included AutoWake and this app. I was a little hesitant to purchase because I didn’t think I needed it and I didn’t understand what exactly the other apps were. this app is like the Apple Fitness/Activity app on steroids! The main feature I enjoy the most is the the workout summary, which breaks down the amount of time you spend in each workout zone. I love the trends. I love the “News” articles that are very specific to you and your workout/Apple Watch history. this app really helps you tailor your workout to make sure you are working out in the most efficient way possible!

One thing I will say is I LOVE information overload. I truly enjoy having as much information as humanly possible. And, HeartWatch does this and beyond! But, I can understand how it may be overwhelming for some. That is literally the only “con” but HeartWatch is very user friendly and breaks everything down in an easy to understand manner!

by Cristenm

I set a goal in January to lose weight. Who doesn’t, right?! LOL
So, I was tracking steps with my Fitbit and liking the sleep info I got from it. Well, the Fitbit died and hubby got us Apple Watches! TOTAL game changer!! Well, since I had loved the sleep info so much on the Fitbit, what Apple provided as a default just wouldn’t do. So, off to HeartWatch Store I went. 😊 I found AutoSleep and started reading reviews. Definitely sounded like a great upgrade for me! And I noticed the package deal (AutoSleep, this app and AutoWake) and started digging into the reviews for the other two apps. I purchased the package right then and there. You guys, I’m hooked!!! I didn’t even realize I wanted this much information about my heart! LOL. I seriously love how HeartWatch tracks my heart in every imaginable way, through all phases of my day.
So now I have a NEW goal for 2021. Yes, I still want to lose weight - but the bigger driver for me now is my heart health. I don’t like seeing the purple rings. LOL. I’m determined to get my heart in better condition. Thank you, this app, for making my heart health a priority for me!!

by Morsel727

My original review of the V4 redesign of HeartWatch was rather harsh w/ a rating of only 2 as I had expectations of a real time heart monitor display via a complication on the Apple Watch. I complained that the developer did not properly vet the software as it did not provide that and other functionality in software options I needed. The developer emailed me and in the interim I began to do my own personal additional research. The Apple Watch currently reads the heart rate BPM via the rear sensor at rest in @ 10 minute intervals. Its hardware is not designed for real time bpm monitoring. The BPM monitoring/sampling rate does increase however based on the intensity of workout but still never reaches real time. Regarding the other software options I was missing, the developer was kind enough to direct me through the new menu system to find what I needed. It was there all along but I did not find it so my apologies to the dev team for any negative impact my initial review may have caused. I highly recommend this application to anyone seeking on in the genre. It has been my goto since the purchase of my Apple Watch nearly 2 years ago.

by JerZ ICE

As a Veteran & Retired/disabled LEO I don’t do many reviews unless something really perks up my enjoyment or productivity level and HeartWatch has really done that. I purchased HeartWatch a few months ago after having a major heart attack known as a ‘Widowmaker and then buying the Apple Watch on my daughters suggestion because of the alerts & heart monitoring functions. After finding HeartWatch I gave it a try especially since it was a ‘ONE TIME PRICE’ and not a subscription which I refuse to buy on any app. I’m no medical technician but I can tell you HeartWatch Records so much information that is viable to your doctor and your own health monitoring it is well worth the price in my opinion. Wearing my watch with HeartWatch running in the background gives me a peace of mind well worth the price and they keep updating HeartWatch making it better which is awesome and it has had no effect on battery life and has never crashed at all. HeartWatch is 100% could possibly save your life or at least give you enough information that would lead you to seek medical attention had you not had it in my opinion. BRAVO Folks, You are doing a Great Job here !!
Best Regards,
JerZ ICE DRUMS
aka Bill
“SEMPER PRIMUS”