Heart rate wildly inaccurate on Apple Watch Ultra

I am a desk jobber, and apple watch ultra 1 keeps me showing 126 to 135 BPM while sitting idle, no exercise, not even walking but it shows 100+bpm all the time.

I got worried and checked my ECG, it says Sinus Rhythm which means normal.

then I checked my blood oxygen, it says 97%.

if everything is normal then how the f**k my bpm is going 100+

This is also happening to me. It happens both with the wrist sensor and a strap. Apple Watch Ultra. This is a very frustrating bug. It makes it hard to take Apple Watch seriously as a training tool. I am switching back to Garmin until this can be fixed.

Same for me since the beginning with Series7.

Apple also replaced my watch; no change.

I’ve been contacted by several specialists.

NO SOLUTION!

I suppose also that the root cause might be my iPhone8 (too old?).

My issue is always on the first Km or 5 minutes; then it becomes regular.

I’m planning to go back to Garmin. with 100€ I have never had an issue on the accuracy.

i think the problem is you spent over 1000$ on a whatch

I have had my Ultra 2 Watch since Dec 2023

and it continually reads “too high of a heart rate”

how do I correct?

I am recently experiencing this exact issue. I have not had an issue over the past year and a half, but all of the sudden it is showing a very elevated heart rate when I start my run. I too can sing, talk, etc...which is how I ballpark my exertion level. I do note that my resting heart rate which is usually about 44 is accurate. As Gary mentioned, once to the end of the run, it seems to sort it self out. It sure does mess up zone information though. I am going to try and do a reboot and see if that makes any difference. If anyone has a solution since Gary posted this I would be grateful to know what that might be. My watch is a series 7

I'm with you. i originally bought the apple 6. i was diagnosed for a time with a heart issue and the doctor suggested a wrist monitor would help me keep track of my bpm & resting rate. i am a runner. i run at least 5 miles 6 days a week. the 6 resting heart rate worked flawlessly for 2 years and one day stopped showing me resting heart rate only showing one rate per day. we all know thats just not possible. when i call they try to convince me thats the way it always is/was, just one reading a day. just one average a day. after a five mile run i cant possibly have a resting rate of 52 all day.

SO, i gave the 6 apple watch away to my younger daughter who's only interested in steps, and bought a new watch, the 8. the 8 worked perfectly showing resting heart rate more or less accurately until a week ago and now does the same thing as the 6 did. just showing an "average". when i call apple they give some sort of nonsense about the average, smh. thats not true. it showed me a variable resting rate for 1 year and 4 months. and now, NOT.

[Edited by Moderator]

If I open the Health App/Browse/ Heart -> Resting Heart rate, then choose the daily view, my heart rate show as "Average" and if I move the screen to the left, I can see the heart rate at certain times of the day.

Same for the Weekly View, for example. It shows the average for the last 6 days and if I tap on one of the points in the graph, it shows the average reseting heart rate for that date.

If I select "Heart Rate" instead, I'm seeing the range of my heart rate during the day, as shown in this photo:

...

...

copied from this article: Monitor your heart rate with Apple Watch - Apple Support

Apple Watch Ultra 2, watchOS 10.6

The heart rate tracker on my ultra 2 watch is inconsistent. It starts off at a ridiculous high inaccurate rate or doesn’t record at all. It’s expensive. I purchased it for working out and tracking my heart rate.

I'm experiencing the same issue to the point where I don't believe that these monitors are actually reliable and merely a "reference". I have both Ultra 2 and Samsung Watch 6 which I wear at the same time (AW on left Samsung on the right). I track all of my workouts with both watches at the same time and the results are very different.

AW usually reads a much lower heart rate, while Samsung reads up to 20 points higher and several times. My workouts are all out, and I feel that Samsung is where I should be. For example, I jump rope with a heavy rope and go fast. Samsung reads 160 bpm, but AW would read 135. However, I feel more about the 160 than the 135.

Even sleep tracking varies a lot. Both would detect the same amount of sleep, but the breakdown between heart rate, deep, rem, and core sleep would vary. AW would read a lot lower in deep sleep, whereas Samsung would double.

Overall, I am unsure which one to believe and just figured you would need both and find the middle to get an actual result, but who wants to keep having both? I keep reading that AW is more accurate, but after wearing both for a year, I am unsure if that is true. My heart rate for my feelings about Samsung seems more precise, but the feeling is subjective.

Not sure if left and right arm make a difference even though it's calibrate accordingly and conditions are the same for both beside the location being right and left arm

Hello gary9000,

It sounds like your Apple Watch Ultra isn’t measuring your heart rate correctly. We know how important this is for you, and we will help get you to the right place for answers.

The first thing to try is the steps listed in this support article. These steps can often resolve Apple Watch measurement issues:

• Get the most accurate measurements using your Apple Watch - Apple Support

If you need continued assistance, please get in touch with the Apple support team via this link: Get Support.

Farewell!

Gary, I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing this issue on your Apple Watch Ultra.

The best next step would be to contact Apple Support or book an appointment at your local Apple Store/Apple Authorized Repair Provider: Apple Watch - Official Apple Support

Best of luck!

-Dallen

Hello gary9000,

Since you continue to experience that behavior, you'll want to reach out to Apple Support: Apple Support They'll be in the best position to look into this further.

Take care.

Totally agree. My AWU2 oHR is usually nowhere near my Suunto and connected Polar H10. Oftentimes 20-30 beats below my true HR. As an ultrarunner I know my normal HR pretty well and I've been beyond disappointed with the Ultra. If it wasn't such a good "everyday life" watch I'd get rid of it and not look back.

For everything sports related I'll gladly stick to my Suunto's and Garmin's. I know they're reliable and at least far more accurate.