To check your heart rate on an iPhone, open the Health app, tap Search (the magnifying glass at the bottom right), then tap Heart > Heart Rate. You’ll see your latest reading in beats per minute (BPM) and a chart of past readings. On iOS 18 and earlier, tap the Browse tab instead of Search.
There’s a catch: the iPhone has no heart rate sensor of its own. The Health app only shows readings from something that measures your pulse, such as an Apple Watch, AirPods Pro 3, Powerbeats Pro 2, a chest strap, or an app that uses your iPhone’s camera. If the Heart Rate screen is empty, that’s why.
Which ways can an iPhone get your heart rate?
| Method | What you need | When it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch | Any Apple Watch paired with your iPhone | All day in the background, plus on demand in the Heart Rate app |
| AirPods Pro 3 or Powerbeats Pro 2 | The earbuds connected and in your ears | During workouts in Fitness or a supported workout app |
| Camera app | A third-party app from the App Store | Only when you hold your fingertip on the camera |
| Bluetooth chest strap or other tracker | The device plus its maker’s app, if that app shares with Health | Whenever you wear it and it’s syncing |
| Your own fingers | Nothing; you type the result into Health | Whenever you count |
How to see your heart rate in the Health app
These steps work for readings from any source above. Nothing will show up until at least one device or app has recorded your pulse.
- Open the Health app.
- Tap Search at the bottom right. On iOS 18 and earlier, tap Browse.
- Tap Heart among the health categories. (iOS 27 shows them as cards rather than a list.)
- Tap Heart Rate. If you wear an Apple Watch, you’ll also see entries like Resting Heart Rate, Walking Heart Rate Average and Heart Rate Variability.
- Use the time buttons above the chart to switch between the last hour, day, week, month, six months or year.
- Scroll down and tap Show All Data to see every individual reading with its time and source.
To see heart rate every time you open the app, turn on Add to Favorites on the same screen. It then appears on the Summary tab.
A heart symbol or device name next to a reading tells you where it came from. Apple notes that readings from earbuds such as Powerbeats Pro 2 are marked with a Bluetooth icon. If two sources disagree, you can set which one Health trusts first under Data Sources & Access at the bottom of the Heart Rate screen.
Check your heart rate with an Apple Watch
An Apple Watch is the most complete option because it measures your pulse throughout the day without you doing anything, and every reading lands in Health on your iPhone automatically. If your watch isn’t set up yet, start by pairing your Apple Watch with your iPhone.
- On the watch, open the Heart Rate app to see your current BPM.
- Wait a few seconds for the reading to settle. Keep your arm still and the watch snug on your wrist.
- Open Health on your iPhone and go to Heart > Heart Rate to see the history.
The Heart Rate app on the watch also shows your resting, walking, workout and post-workout heart rate.
Get an alert when your heart rate is too high or too low
You can have your Apple Watch warn you when your heart rate stays above or below a number you choose while you’ve been inactive for about 10 minutes.
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap My Watch, then tap Heart.
- Tap High Heart Rate or Low Heart Rate and choose a threshold.
The same screen has Irregular Rhythm notifications, which look for signs of atrial fibrillation. Availability depends on your country or region. Apple’s page on monitoring your heart rate with Apple Watch covers the full list of heart features by model.
Check your heart rate with AirPods Pro 3 or Powerbeats Pro 2
AirPods Pro 3 and Powerbeats Pro 2 have a heart rate sensor built in. Other AirPods models do not. The earbuds measure your pulse during workouts rather than all day.
- Connect the earbuds to your iPhone and wear at least one of them.
- Open the Fitness app and tap the Workout tab. A supported third-party workout app also works.
- Start a workout. Your live heart rate appears on the workout screen.
- After the workout, find the readings in Health under Heart > Heart Rate.
The sensor is on by default. If you see dashes instead of a number, push the earbud in for a snug fit so the sensor touches your skin. To turn the sensor off, go to Settings, tap your earbuds’ name near the top, and turn off Heart Rate (called Heart Rate Sensor for Powerbeats Pro 2). Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 heart rate guide has fit and accuracy tips.
How to check your heart rate on iPhone without an Apple Watch
If you don’t own a wearable, you have two options: a camera-based app or counting your pulse by hand.
Use an app that reads your pulse through the camera
Apps such as Instant Heart Rate ask you to cover the rear camera and flash with a fingertip. The light shines through your skin, and the camera picks up tiny color changes each time your heart pumps blood.
- Install a heart rate app from the App Store and open it.
- Allow camera access when asked. If the app offers to share with Health, allow that too so readings appear in the Health app.
- Sit still and rest your fingertip lightly over the camera lens and flash. Pressing hard can squeeze the blood out of your fingertip and throw off the result.
- Hold still until the app shows your BPM, which usually takes 10 to 30 seconds.
Note: Camera apps are meant for fitness use, not medical diagnosis, and many lock history and extra features behind a subscription. Check the App Store listing for the price and privacy details before you sign up. Some older apps you’ll see recommended online, such as Cardiio, haven’t kept up with recent iPhones.
Count your pulse and log it in Health
This needs no app at all and is surprisingly reliable when you’re resting.
- Sit quietly for a few minutes.
- Place your index and middle fingers on the inside of your wrist, below the thumb, until you feel a beat.
- Count the beats for 60 seconds. That number is your heart rate in BPM.
- In Health, go to Heart > Heart Rate and tap Add Data in the top-right corner.
- Enter the date, time and BPM, then tap Add.
Manually entered readings count as a data source like any other, so they show up in your chart alongside anything else you record.
What’s a normal heart rate?
For adults, the American Heart Association puts a normal resting heart rate between 60 and 100 BPM when you’re sitting or lying down, calm and feeling well. Fit people often sit below 60. Caffeine, stress, heat, illness and some medications can push it higher.
Look at your Resting Heart Rate trend over weeks rather than any single number. If readings are consistently outside the normal range, or you notice dizziness, chest pain or fainting, talk to a doctor. It’s also worth taking a minute to set up your Medical ID and emergency contacts in Health so first responders can see your conditions and medications.
Why isn’t my heart rate showing on iPhone?
- No source is connected. An iPhone by itself never records heart rate. Pair an Apple Watch, wear supported earbuds during a workout, or use one of the manual options above.
- An app isn’t allowed to share. In Health, tap your profile picture at the top right, then Apps or Devices, choose the app, and turn on Heart Rate under its write permissions.
- The watch isn’t measuring. On Apple Watch, heart rate recording has to be on. Check Privacy in the Watch app on your iPhone, and wear the watch snugly above the wrist bone.
- Earbuds show dashes. Reseat them or try a different ear tip size so the sensor stays in contact with your skin. If they still won’t pair, see our guide to connecting earbuds to an iPhone.
Matthew Roberts is the founder and editor of ARS Digitech. He started the site to answer the iPhone questions his friends and family kept asking him, and it has grown into a library of iPhone and iOS how-to guides. Matthew writes and maintains every tutorial on the site, checking steps and menu names against Apple’s official support documentation and updating guides when an iOS release moves a setting.