Live Heart Rate lets you track your heart rate in real-time. This feature is available for:
- Gen3 or later with active membership
- iOS
- Android
This feature is not available on Gen2 or older.
What Is Live Heart Rate?
How to Use Live Heart Rate
Things to Keep in Mind
More Information
What Is Live Heart Rate?
With Live Heart Rate, you can check your heart rate at any time during the day. Just tap to see your heart rate instantly. You can access Live Heart Rate through the 24-hour heart rate graph.
Oura uses green LEDs to measure your heart rate in real-time. The process uses photoplethysmography (PPG) technology at a frequency of 50Hz.
PPG technology works by shining a light onto the surface of your skin. When this reaches your blood vessels, some of the light is reflected back onto a photodetector. The intensity of light reflected back captures the amount of blood in your blood vessel via a waveform.
Depending on the color of light used, different biometrics can be captured through their unique waveforms. For example, when your blood vessels are expanded, more green light will be absorbed compared to when they're contracted. This phenomenon allows your pulse to be accurately taken.
To gather an accurate pulse reading, you must remain relatively still for Live Heart Rate to take its full 10-second measurement. If Oura detects too much motion, your Live Heart Rate won't be available.
How to Use Live Heart Rate
1. Go to the Today screen to view your 24-hour heart rate graph. You'll see your most recent heart rate reading along with how recently it was updated.
2. Tap the large heart icon. If the conditions are right (balanced skin temperature, low motion, and a strong Bluetooth connection), it'll begin loading. Stay still for 10 full seconds or until your measurement is complete.
3. Once the reading is complete, your heart rate graph will update with your current heart rate in beats per minute (BPM).
Things to Keep in Mind
-
Several variables can interfere with a Live Heart Rate reading:
- Poor signal quality: check your device’s Bluetooth settings to confirm your ring and app are properly connected
- Low skin temperature: unusually low skin temperature may interfere with readings
- Excessive movement: make sure you hold still for 10 seconds during your measurement
- Incorrect ring orientation: make sure your ring's sensors always remain in contact with your skin, on the palm side of your finger
- Live Heart Rate is not the same as Activity Heart Rate, nor is it intended to be a constant heart rate monitor
- The green LEDs used to take your Live Heart Rate are designed for accuracy but require a stronger signal quality. Frequent use of Live Heart Rate will consume more battery, so we recommend charging your ring regularly to keep the battery in its optimal range. You can learn more about charging best practices here.
