Google Fit For iOS Can Turn Your iPhone Camera Into A Great Health Check Device

Knowing and understanding your heart and respiratory rates can be important data to track your health and wellness. As such, Google added a way to check your vitals using the cameras on Android devices earlier this year. Now, this feature has seemingly made its way over to iOS devices, and you can test it out now through the Google Fit app.

At the beginning of February this year, Google teased new features coming to the Google Fit app in a Google Health livestream aptly named “The Check Up 2021.” In this video, the vitals monitoring system using the device cameras was explained by Shwetak Patel, who stated that “this technology is similar to a pulse-oximeter that you might use at a doctor’s appointment, which optically measures the change in cardiac volume at your fingertip.”

Initially, this feature was only available on a limited amount of Android devices a few weeks after “The Check Up” event, but that has seemingly changed. To test this out on iOS, one should ensure their app is up to date and then go to the “Browse” tab and then into “Vitals” menu, where “Check your heart rate” and “Track your respiratory rate” will be found. Clicking these buttons will then lead the user through prompts to take the measurements. However, Google warns that people should not use these readings for medical purposes and “should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition.”

Despite this disclaimer, the information that the Google Fit app on both Android and now iOS devices provides may be quite useful for many people. However, should you notice something odd or off about the readings, it would be best to contact a doctor with any questions concerning your cardiac or respiratory health.