The Heart Rate monitor on your smartwatch is useful but is also a huge battery drainer. If you follow an active lifestyle, the Heart rate monitor along with other health tools give you detailed insights. But if you’re like me who doesn’t use the Heart rate monitor often, then disabling it is the best way to save some battery juice. Here is how to disable Auto Heart Rate Monitor on Xiaomi’s Mi Band, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, and Apple Watch. Let’s being.
1. Turn Off Heart Rate Monitor on Mi Band 2/3
Similar to most fitness bands, Mi Band comes equipped with a decent heart rate monitor. Although it isn’t as accurate as other high-end wearables, it gets the job done. Considering the small form factor and a tiny 110mAh battery (70mAh for Mi Band 2), the heart rate sensor drains a lot of battery. Disabling the Heart Rate Monitor is easy, and you can use the Mi Fit app to turn it off. Make sure your band is connected to your phone, and open the Mi Fit app. Tap on the ‘Profile’ button on the bottom right and tap on Mi Band to open the Band settings page. Also Read: How to Unlock PC with Mi Band 2/3 On the options page and you’d see a list of settings. Look for ‘Heart Rate detection’ and tap on it. It opens a new screen which also has the same option for some reason. Tap ‘heart rate detection’ again and select ‘Turn Off’. Now your Mi Band won’t automatically record your heart rate automatically.
2. Turn Off Heart Rate Monitor on Galaxy Watch
Unlike fitness bands, you can use the Galaxy Watch as a standalone device. It has internet connectivity, a touch screen, and decent CPU to carry out tasks on its own. If you want to spend more time playing games on your Galaxy Watch, disabling the Auto Heart Rate monitor can give you a few extra hours of juice. Though simple, the disable button is hidden in a maze of settings but you can follow these steps to disable auto heart rate monitor quickly. On your Galaxy watch, tap the Home button (the one at the bottom) to open up the App drawer, scroll to Samsung Health app and tap to open the app. Scroll to highlight the Heart Rate section and tap the selection. Tap the options button (three vertical dots) on the right to open the Heart rate settings. You’ll see Auto HR settings here, tap to open up the settings. Now, rotate the dial and select ‘Never’. Your Galaxy Watch would never record your heart rate unless you manually take a reading. Read: Best Galaxy Watch Apps
3. Turn Off Heart Rate Monitor on Apple Watch
Apple watch is probably the best smartwatch out there with features like 3D touch, sleek design, and precision health monitors. Just like the Mi Band and the Galaxy Watch, Apple Watch also automatically monitors your heart rate at constant intervals. There is no way to disable the feature from the Watch and you have to use the Watch app on your iPhone. Go to the Watch app and tap on My Watch icon on the bottom left. This would open a list of options and you have to scroll to find ‘Privacy‘. Tap on the Privacy tab and select ‘Motion and Fitness’. Toggle Hear Rate switch to OFF. Apple Watch would only record your heart rate when you manually take a reading from the Watch or the app. Also Read: 6 Heart Rate monitor apps for Apple Watch
Disable Auto Heart Rate Monitor on Smart Wearables
Disabling Auto Heart Rate monitor is often easy but hidden behind a maze of settings. While the feature is an excellent Technology addition to wearables, it drains a significant amount of battery. If you don’t use the feature often disabling it gives you improved battery life and fewer notification messages. If you face any problem while disabling the auto Heart Rate monitor drop a comment or reach out on Twitter.
