It's no secret that your heart is an essential element of not only staying fit but also staying alive. Heart Rate is a Windows Phone 8 app designed to measure your heart rate while offering a history of these readings.
Heart Rate is similar to the other heart monitoring apps we've seen over the years. The app uses your Windows Phone camera to record tiny pulses in your finger tip caused by your heart pumping. The pulse or color change is recorded and translated into beats per minute. It may not be the most accurate heart rate monitor but it gets you in the ballpark.
The main pages of Heart Rate cover the measurement page that displays your current reading, a history page that displays your previous readings and a help page.
Measuring your heart rate is simple. Gently press your index finger over the camera lens of your Windows Phone and tap the start button on the Measure Page. Heart Rate will measure your heart rate and while it's figuring things out you'll see the progress bar advance and an EKG like display be generated.
After a few seconds, your beats per minute will be calculated, displayed, and added to your History Page. If you tap on the reading on the History Page a free-form text block will appear where you can jot down notes about the measurement. If it was taken after exercise, while resting, after a stressful meeting, etc.
A few observations on measuring your heart rate... if you press too hard or too lightly, it effects the measurement. It's a gently press that needs to cover the entire lens. Similar to holding an egg shell in place against a wall. Press to hard and it shatters, too loose and it falls. Well lit areas seem to work the best but if you're in a dimly lit room, the camera light kicks in and brightens things up. Oh... and if you tap the lens while the app tries to get a reading, it elevates your heart rate.
I wouldn't consider getting rid of my medically certified blood pressure monitor for Heart Rate but it does get you in the ballpark as far as your heart rate is concerned. All in all, Heart Rate is a decent fitness app for your Windows Phone 8 device. It would have been nice to see an option to export the history for off-device review though.
Heart Rate is a free, ad-support app for your Windows Phone 8 device and you can find it here in the Windows Phone Store.
P.S. There is also a free Windows Phone 7.x version that you can find here in the Store as well.
Reader comments
Heart Rate for Windows Phone 8 can see your heart go beep, beep...beep, beep
Can't download... :(
I can't download it either
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It can measure my heart rate with the camera..? Are these types of apps really usable for anything?
Wondering the same !! If any one knows how this app works please enlighten !
Yes, it works very well. Your skin allows some light through - put a torch on the other side of your hand or inside your mouth to see :P When your heart pumps it pushes out the blood and the amount of light let through is altered i.e. Because there is a slight change in density.
schlubadub are you from the UK? Just wondering because prior to recalling that over there they call flashlights "torches", I was taken a bit aback by your suggestion to put fire in my mouth! :P
hahaha! Yes, I meant a "flashlight" :) I'm from Australia so we use UK spelling, phrases and object names - I didn't even think of the flaming torch variety :P
Yes, used to use an app like this on my iPhone, and the heart rate shown increased when I was excercising. I wouldn't depend my life on this, though. God knows how accurate it really is.
I'll be happy when "fitness month" is over.
Fatty
I LOL'd
Seriously? We need real apps no one gives
Marketplace will be down today and tomorrow for most of us.
Doesn't really work for me. My hart rate was all over the place from 157 to 53 in just 30 seconds. I probably should call my cardiologist before it's to late.
You were probably moving your finger too much :P Seemed ok for me... 67 bpm overall
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