How accurate is a camera heart rate reading?
Camera heart rate apps use photoplethysmography (PPG): they watch how much light your fingertip absorbs as blood pulses through it. It's the same principle a clinical pulse oximeter uses — with a phone camera instead of a purpose-built sensor.
What it does well
- Resting pulse, measured still and seated, with the finger resting lightly on the lens.
- Tracking your own trend over days and weeks, measured the same way each time.
Where it falls short
- Movement, pressure and cold fingers all distort the signal.
- Variability figures need cleaner, longer recordings than a pulse does.
- It can't measure blood pressure or blood oxygen — those come from a cuff and a pulse oximeter.
- It is not a chest strap or an ECG, and it can't tell you whether a rhythm is abnormal.
How the app handles it
Every reading is checked before it's shown, and the app withholds figures when the recording can't support them. Heart Rate & Health is a wellness app, not a medical device. It doesn't diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. If a reading worries you or you feel unwell, speak to a doctor.
FAQ
- Can I compare it with my watch?
- Yes — measure at the same time, seated and still. Small differences are normal between any two devices. If the two disagree a lot, re-measure with your finger resting more lightly.
Your pulse in 45 seconds
Heart Rate & Health - Novaz reads your heart rate from your iPhone camera, with HRV, stress, energy and a Heart Score. No account — your data stays on your phone. A wellness app, not a medical device.
Download on the App Store