# Apple Watch heart rate gaps during workouts: what to check Source: https://wellhero.co/apple-watch-heart-rate-gaps/ Language: en-US [Home](https://wellhero.co/)[Blog](https://wellhero.co/blog/)Workout heart rate gaps By [Wellhero](https://wellhero.co/author/wellhero/) ยท Published November 10, 2026 If your Apple Watch heart rate disappears during a workout, first check whether the readings are missing from Apple Health too. The next step depends on whether the measurements were saved or only failed to appear in one app. Fit, recording settings and the route your workout takes between apps can all matter. Start with the time of one gap. Compare the watch's recording with Health before changing settings or judging the workout by its average pulse. ![A woman in sportswear checking her wristwatch beside the sea](https://wellhero.co/assets/apple-watch-heart-rate-gaps/workout-watch-pexels-8381763.jpg) Illustrative photo by [Kampus Production](https://www.pexels.com/@kampus/) on [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-looking-at-her-wristwatch-8381763/), used under the [Pexels License](https://www.pexels.com/license/). - [Find where the readings disappear](https://wellhero.co/apple-watch-heart-rate-gaps/#locate) - [Check fit and recording settings](https://wellhero.co/apple-watch-heart-rate-gaps/#recording) - [Understand the two power-saving settings](https://wellhero.co/apple-watch-heart-rate-gaps/#power) - [Check imported workouts](https://wellhero.co/apple-watch-heart-rate-gaps/#import) - [Read the workout with its gaps in mind](https://wellhero.co/apple-watch-heart-rate-gaps/#coverage) ## Find where the readings disappear Open the affected session in Fitness or the app that recorded it. Note its start time and the missing interval. Then open Health on your iPhone, find Heart Rate under Heart, and open Show All Data for that date. Check the times and sources of the individual entries. Depending on your iOS version, you can find Heart through Browse or Search. Apple's [heart rate guide](https://support.apple.com/en-euro/guide/watch/apda88aefe4c/watchos) explains the watch and Health views. - If the saved heart rate entries have the same gap, investigate how they were recorded or transferred. - If Health has readings throughout that interval but an analysis app does not, check that app's access to heart rate and workouts, then its sync status. - If only the live watch display went blank but the saved record is complete, keep that distinction when reporting the problem. Check the entries for the specific missing minutes and their source. Readings elsewhere in the workout leave that interval unresolved. Save a screenshot of the gap and its timestamp before troubleshooting. ## Check fit and recording settings Make sure you actually started the intended workout and that it remained active. Apple describes [continuous heart rate measurement during a Workout session](https://support.apple.com/en-euro/120277). Ordinary background readings are a different recording mode, so a day's general heart rate graph does not substitute for the session you meant to record. On your iPhone, open Watch, then Privacy, and check that Heart Rate is enabled. Keep the watch snug against the top of your wrist without making the band uncomfortable. Apple identifies cold skin, some tattoos and irregular movements as factors that can interfere with readings. Its [measurement guidance](https://support.apple.com/en-ie/105002) explains these limitations. Keep your wrist and the back of the watch clean and dry, as recommended in Apple's heart rate guide. During your next usual workout, note whether a gap coincides with the watch moving on your wrist, a particular exercise or an unexpected pause. Include that pattern when you contact support. ### What if it happens during weight lifting? Check the watch's position during the movements where readings disappear. Compare that part of the record with the rest of the session. A gap alone does not establish that the sensor is broken, and a lower recorded pulse does not tell you how demanding the lifting was for your muscles. If the watch also locks or pauses workouts unexpectedly, Apple's [wrist-detection troubleshooting guide](https://support.apple.com/en-ca/111819) covers that combination of symptoms. ## Low Power Mode does not always mean fewer workout readings Apple's [Low Power Mode documentation](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108320) distinguishes two settings: - Low Power Mode turns off background heart rate readings, including during sleep. During a session in Apple's Workout app, heart rate and pace are still measured. - Fewer GPS and Heart Rate Readings reduces sampling during outdoor walks, runs and hikes when Low Power Mode is active. Apple lists it for supported models from Series 8, SE 2 and Ultra onward, with watchOS 9.1 or later. On the watch, check Settings, then Workout for Fewer GPS and Heart Rate Readings. If that option is available and enabled, turning it off stops this setting from reducing the readings. It uses more battery, and it will not fill an old gap. Menus can differ by model and software version. Do not assume this outdoor-workout setting explains missing data in a strength session or in another company's recording app. Check the recorder's own settings too. ## A workout can arrive without its full heart rate record Check for pulse samples even when the session title and duration already appear in Health. Compare the recording app's original graph with the entries saved in Health. If the original has detail that Health lacks, investigate the export or transfer route before changing how you wear the watch. For example, [Strava's Apple Watch troubleshooting](https://support.strava.com/en-us/articles/15401820-strava-apple-watch-app) asks users with missing heart rate to check its Health permissions. The recording app needs the appropriate access; an analysis app also needs permission to read the data it uses. Allow the watch and phone to sync before comparing the completed session. If two copies of the workout arrived, inspect each source. One copy may have different detail from the other. Our guide to [duplicate workouts in Apple Health](https://wellhero.co/duplicate-workouts-apple-health/) covers that case. Avoid deleting history or reinstalling apps as the first response to one incomplete chart. ### Would a chest strap help? Apple suggests a compatible Bluetooth chest strap when wrist readings remain inconsistent. Confirm that the sensor connects to your chosen recorder, then check a saved session in Health. Pairing a sensor and transferring its readings are separate things to verify. A new sensor cannot recover measurements that were never recorded. ## Read the workout with its gaps in mind If the missing interval covers the hardest part of your session, the remaining readings cannot tell you what your pulse was during that effort. Check coverage before treating an average, time in zones or a load score as a complete account. Different apps may handle missing samples differently; the gap alone does not tell you how far a score is off. In Wellhero, open the workout report and review its pulse chart alongside the recording details, including the longest gap. If data seems missing, open Profile, Apple Health Data, then Health Status and Workouts to inspect synchronization. The [Wellhero workout analysis guide](https://wellhero.co/features/workout-analysis-with-apple-watch/#workout-data) shows where to find these details. For a support request, include the watch model, software versions, recording app and the exact gap time. Say whether Health has readings for that interval and whether the next ordinary workout shows the same problem. If your question is about missing HRV measurements between workouts, see [how often Apple Watch measures HRV](https://wellhero.co/how-often-does-apple-watch-measure-hrv/). HRV describes variation in the timing between beats; it is a different data type from the beats-per-minute readings in this guide.