How to check your wrist with your Pixel phone

You can now use your Pixel can to control your pulse rate and breathing rate without using a third-party app or fitness device.

Until now, if Android users wanted to check their heart rate or breathing without a smartwatch or a portable fitness, they had to go to the Google Play Store and use some apps. Although some of these types of apps are free to use, it is difficult to judge their accuracy – which is of course extremely important when examining your cardiovascular health. A wellness app can not help you stay healthy if it gives bad data. The new Pixel features appear to be at least very reliable; Google says the heart rate monitor is accurate within 2%, according to his tests.

The new heart rate and breathing monitors are starting today for ‘supported’ Pixel devices, but they are also planned for non-Pixel Android devices in the future. Google’s announcement does not include any specific devices, but most likely all phones are included in the Pixel 3, 3a, 4, 4a and 5 settings.

The new vital tests appear in the Google Fit app. Both features use cameras from your device to check your vitality. Your rear camera measures color changes in your finger to calculate your heart rate, while the front camera looks at face recognition to count how much breath you take. You can also save your results after each test if you want to detect vital signs over time.

Check your heart rate

1. Open Google Fit.
2. Choose “Look at your heartbeat.”
3. Type “Following” to move through the on-screen instructions.
4. Allows the Mobile Vitals app to take pictures and videos.
5. Place your finger over the rear-facing camera.
6. Wait while the app takes its dimensions. You will see the progress bar fill up on the screen.
7. When the test is done, you will see your heartbeat. Type “Save” to save the results in Google Fit, or “X” to close.

Check your breathing rate

1. Choose “Check your breathing rate” in the Google Fit app.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your camera. You need to pick up the phone so that it remains completely silent during the test.
3. Allows the app to record video when requested
4. Use the guides to make sure your face and chest are visible, then stop.
5. The app measures your breathing while filling the progress bar.
6. You will see your results as soon as the test is over. Type “Save” to save the results in Google Fit, or “X” to close.

Note that these monitors are for occasional tests – you still need to have a smartwatch or a fitness band if you want to read constantly.