Google Fit upgraded as part of the March Pixel feature drop with some useful health tracking tools, including the ability to measure your heart rate and breathing rate straight from within the app.
Being able to measure heart rate on your smartphone is nothing new. This is a feature that has long been possible with third-party applications, or even with a Bluetooth-connected smartband / smartwatch. Breathing rate is another notable addition, as Google Fit can give a pretty good estimate of your breathing rate without the need for additional accessories or hardware.
Clearly, any data on heart rate and respiration rate obtained when using Google Fit cannot be 100% accurate, but it is a neat way to keep track of your important statistics on a daily basis. The fact that you do not have to buy any extras is a big bonus.
What is actually new?
If you’ve been living under a rock for a few weeks or you’ve not bothered enough to do some research beforehand, the latest Google Fit update that comes with the March Pixel Feature Drop adds a few new things that means that additional hardware is not necessarily a requirement.
You do not need to have something like a Fitbit or a smart band to get your heart rate data or breathing rate. You can use the existing sensors on your Google Pixel to quickly read your current health statistics.
Breathing rate is basically your breathing rate or how many breaths per minute you take. This is in most cases a difficult measure to measure, which makes inclusion in Google Fit one that may be popular. Heartbeat is very obvious and is just your current heart rate per minute.
How does it work?
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If you managed to update the Google Fit app on your Pixel to version 2.51.19-130, you should get the option in your mainstream to “Check your heart rate” or “Track your breathing rate”. There are some advisory notices on how certain existing conditions such as dehydration and physical activity will affect the lectures.
Checking your heart rate is just as simple as placing your finger on the back camera and waiting a few moments. If you then read, it can be stored in your Google Fit account so you can examine historical heart rate measurements and readings. The process is fairly simple, with the on-screen guidelines correcting you if you place your index finger in the wrong place. I found it easier on the Pixel 4a, which has only one lens to actively cover, but you can see a ‘Could not get a stable read message’ if you try it in a poorly lit environment.
It will take about 20-30 seconds to detect light changes in your fingertip yourself, and sometimes you may need to use the LED flash if Fit experiences a problem. Alternatively, you can activate the flash immediately, but we do not know how it will affect the overall accuracy of the results.
Calculating your breathing rate requires some work, as you will need to find a position to push your device up and point the front camera at your upper body so that the camera can monitor your chest movements. This movement is related to how many breaths you take, so it’s a simple way to get a good idea of your breathing rate.
I found the best way to get my Pixel in the right position to read breathing rate, to prop up on a vertical wireless charger. But you can support it against a wall or edge without too much trouble.
The best thing about the new heart rate and breathing rate features in Google Fit is that a data connection is not required, and that all data is captured directly on the device. Nothing is sent to the cloud, and no network connection is required. This means that you can report the results, even if you walk, for example.
How accurate are the readings?
Without real professional quality tools to properly track your heart rate or respiration rate, it is noteworthy that all data collected is merely ‘advisory’ and cannot be ‘definitive’. To be honest, the heart rate measurements were often a bit higher than my comparable measurements of a Fitbit Sense – itself not exactly the most accurate smartwatch on the market.
It is also noteworthy that this type of reading can be directly influenced by its action. If you pay attention to your breathing and heart rate, the end result will simply not be as accurate as a portable taken or tracked through the day if you do not monitor the live result.
We felt the need to mention this little quirk because some people may see nails and worry, but in many cases it is only your body that responds to a visual stimulus. This is just a good ballpark figure to help you better understand your health and may even be helpful in managing your fitness goals, as you can report each reading for long-term graphs.
Were you able to get these new features on your device? Let us know in the comments section what you also find about the new Google Fit options.
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