Mind-blowing reason tattoos can interfere with your Apple Watch
If you're an avid Apple Watch user with tattoos then you might want to consider this revelation, as it could be interfering with how you use the health-centered features on the device.
Apple Watches - and smart watches in general - have become one of the most popular consumer gadgets, letting you tell the time, use your favorite apps, and track your health all in one small package.
Apple's device in particular has allowed its users to diagnose difficult sleep conditions, track down their airport luggage, and even save users lives from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The popular piece of wearable tech does have one major flaw though, and it potentially prevents a large number of users from taking full advantage of the gadget's capabilities.
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As revealed in a post by @MrNixn on X (formerly Twitter), tattoos can often cause interference with your Apple Watch, leading to inaccurate or unavailable health tracking.
Apple Watches can struggle with tattoos because the pigments in tattoo ink can interfere with the sensors on the back of the watch. These sensors use a technology called photoplethysmography, which relies on light to measure blood flow and track your heart rate. Darker tattoos or…
— NI𝕏N ✨ (@MrNixn) November 14, 2024
The post details that the sensors on the back of the watch use 'photoplethysmography' technology, which utilizes light to "measure blood flow and track your heart rate."
If you have any tattoos underneath the sensor however, it can cause issues:
"Darker tattoos or those with certain colors, especially red, can absorb or scatter the light, preventing the sensors from getting a clear reading."
This then leads to inaccurate tracking as the sensors aren't able to gather information from the skin, and it can even become unresponsive if there is enough disturbance.
It's not a cut and dry issue where having any tattoo prevents your Apple Watch from working, but it's definitely something to consider if you've got any ideas planned for the future.
The post also recommends a number of actions you can take to hopefully circumvent this issue, including:
- Loosening the watch band
- Switching to your other wrist
- Wearing the watch on a less tattooed area
Users on social media have had a somewhat mixed experience with this phenomenon, with comments on a post on the r/AppleWatch subreddit leaning towards this being blown out of proportion.
"My wrists are tattooed and I have never had a problem with any of my watches," says one user, whereas another claims that "I have full sleeves and my watch has no issues," continuing on to state that it even works with a tattoo comprised of a "black line with deep red ink."
It very much seems like a case of your mileage may vary then, and you shouldn't worry too much if you've already got ink on your wrist.
Apple have confirmed the potential issue facing tattooed Apple Watch users on their website stating: "Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings."
You might want to think twice about any future ink if your wrists are currently clear though, as there's a chance you might end up out of luck and waiting for a fix on Apple's side of things.