Why Does My Apple Watch Glow Red? – Have you ever wondered why your Apple Watch glows red? No worries. In this post, I’ll explain the reasons behind the red glow on your Apple Watch.
Apple Watches are packed with incredible features, and one of the lesser-known but fascinating aspects of these smartwatches is the red glow that sometimes appears on their back.
While it might seem puzzling at first, there’s a good reason for this intriguing phenomenon.
In this guide, I will shed light on why your Apple watch glows red, its functions, the technology behind it, and how to manage it.
So, let’s dive in and uncover the mystery of the red glow on your Apple Watch.
- Functions Of The Red Glow On Apple Watch
- How The Red Glow Works
- How To Turn Off The Red Glow
- Common Concerns And Misconceptions
- FAQs About Red Glow On Apple Watch
- Why does my Apple Watch have a red light on the back?
- Is the red glow on my Apple Watch an indication of low battery?
- Does the red light always glow on my Apple Watch?
- Can I turn off the red glow on my Apple Watch?
- Does the red light work differently in different Apple Watch series?
- How does the Apple Watch measure my heart rate with a red light?
- Is the red glow on my Apple Watch harmful?
- What is Blood Oxygen app on my Apple Watch Series 6 and 7?
- Why does the color of the red glow change sometimes?
- Does disabling the red light affect other functions of the Apple Watch?
- Conclusion
Functions Of The Red Glow On Apple Watch
Let’s explore the two primary purposes that the red glow serves on your Apple Watch:
Heart Rate Monitoring
Isn’t it fascinating how the red glow helps to track your heart rate? The Apple Watch uses a technique called photoplethysmography to achieve this, enabling the watch to detect variations in blood volume using light.
The red LEDs emit light that passes through your skin, and the photodiodes measure the blood traveling through your wrist. This information is then utilized to determine your heart rate.
Blood Oxygen Measurement (Series 6 and 7)
Your Apple Watch Series 6 or 7 harnesses the red glow for another intriguing purpose to gauge your blood oxygen levels.
The Blood Oxygen app achieves this by employing red and infrared LEDs to identify the blood color, which signifies how much oxygen it contains.
How The Red Glow Works
Unraveling the mechanics of the red glow, I find it’s the LEDs located on the back of the Apple Watch that create this effect.
Emitting red and infrared light, they permeate your skin and get absorbed by your blood.
This absorption alters the blood color based on oxygen concentration, displaying a brighter hue when more oxygen is present.
The device measures these changes and calculates blood oxygen levels and heart rate accordingly.
How To Turn Off The Red Glow
For those who’d prefer to disable the red glow, follow these easy steps to turn off heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen measurement features:
- Access the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Select the “My Watch” tab.
- Scroll down and click on “Heart.”
- Deactivate “Wrist Detection” to disable heart rate monitoring.
- For Series 6 and 7, navigate to “Blood Oxygen” and turn off “Blood Oxygen Measurements.”
Remember, disabling these settings may also affect certain health and fitness tracking functions on your Apple Watch.
Common Concerns And Misconceptions
- Low Battery Concerns – Some individuals might associate the red glow with a low battery indicator, but rest assured, this is not the case. The red glow is exclusively linked to heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen measurement and has no bearing on battery health.
- Purpose of the Red Glow – Understanding the rationale behind the red glow is key. It is not a mere cosmetic feature or a glitch but serves essential monitoring functions related to health and fitness.
FAQs About Red Glow On Apple Watch
Why does my Apple Watch have a red light on the back?
That mysterious red light on the back of your Apple Watch is all about tracking your blood flow to monitor your heart rate and, for Series 6 and 7, to measure blood oxygen levels.
Is the red glow on my Apple Watch an indication of low battery?
Not at all! Some might mistake it as a low battery warning, but the red glow is uniquely tied to heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen measurement. It doesn’t indicate anything about your battery life.
Does the red light always glow on my Apple Watch?
No, the red light only glows when your Apple Watch is in the process of tracking your heart rate or measuring your blood oxygen levels.
Can I turn off the red glow on my Apple Watch?
You can disable the red glow by turning off the “Wrist Detection” for heart rate monitoring and “Blood Oxygen Measurements” for Series 6 and 7 in the Watch app on your iPhone.
Does the red light work differently in different Apple Watch series?
Yes, while all Apple Watches employ the red light for heart rate monitoring, the Series 6 and 7 models also use the red glow to measure your blood oxygen levels.
How does the Apple Watch measure my heart rate with a red light?
Your Apple Watch uses a technique called photoplethysmography. The red LEDs shine light onto your skin, and photodiodes measure the amount of blood flow in your wrist, which provides data to calculate your heart rate.
Is the red glow on my Apple Watch harmful?
Not at all. The red and infrared light used by your Apple Watch to measure your heart rate and blood oxygen levels are completely safe.
What is Blood Oxygen app on my Apple Watch Series 6 and 7?
The Blood Oxygen app is a feature that uses red and infrared light to measure your blood’s color, which indicates how much oxygen it carries.
Why does the color of the red glow change sometimes?
The color change is simply a reflection of how oxygenated your blood is at any given moment. The more oxygen present in your blood, the brighter the red color will appear.
Does disabling the red light affect other functions of the Apple Watch?
Turning off the red light does disable heart rate monitoring and, on Series 6 and 7, blood oxygen measurement, which could impact some of the health and fitness tracking features of your Apple Watch.
Conclusion
So that’s it, You’ve just unlocked the mystery behind the red glow of your Apple Watch.
You can now not only make sense of its purpose but also appreciate the fascinating technology behind this seemingly simple yet profound feature, from monitoring your heart rate to measuring your blood oxygen levels.
The fact that the watch can use light to measure your body’s inner workings just goes to show what wonders modern technology holds, right at our fingertips or, in this case, wrists.
Of course, it’s entirely your choice if you wish to turn off the red glow. However, by choosing to do so, remember that you would opt out of some insightful health-tracking features that the Apple Watch provides.
If this guide helped you understand the red glow on your Apple Watch, please share it with your friends, family, and fellow Apple enthusiasts on social media.
If you have any suggestions, don’t hesitate to share them with me in the comments. Thanks for reading, and keep exploring. Peace.
Hi, I’m Lisa, I love technology and smart gadgets, and since my childhood, I was obsessed with smartwatches and wearables, At that time it was like a fantasy, We only get to see smartwatches in cartoons, and movies now it’s a dream come true. On this blog smartwatchverge.com I share my life experiences, tips, and tricks for smartwatches, smart wearables, etc. I have experience with smartwatches, wearables, and fitness trackers that are specially designed for females, women, and girls. For the Men’s smartwatches, Jack is with me to facilitate you guys.
