Want to check your heart rate? Unless you’re familiar with measuring your pulse manually, you might need a heart rate monitor from either a chest strap like Polar’s H10, or a smartwatch that has a built-in heart rate sensor. If you’d rather not spend money purchasing a new device or accessory, you’ll be happy to learn that Google has come up with another way.
Not too long ago, the company has updated its Google Fit app in which they have introduced a new feature that will actually let users measure their heart rate without any additional accessories. All you need is your phone, your phone’s camera, and maybe the phone’s flash unit.
If this sounds interesting and you want a snapshot of your heart rate at any given moment in time, then here’s what you need to do.
If you’re wondering why you might want to measure your heart rate, it is because the rate your heart beats could actually be a sign of your overall health. If your readings note that you have a high heart rate even though you’re not doing anything, it could be a sign that something is wrong, especially if it spikes and drops drastically within a short period of time.
It is also a good way to measure your overall fitness, where a low resting heart rate could be a sign that you’re fit. You can also use it to measure your progress during your fitness journey, where if you perform the same tasks but have a lower heart rate, it could be a sign that you’re working out more efficiently.
Google notes that results from this feature should not be taken as medical advice. If you do notice something out of the ordinary, you should consult your doctor for further testing.
Note: this article may contain affiliate links that help support our authors and keep the Phandroid servers running.