As part of its new update rollout, Google is adding heart rate and respiratory rate tracking to its Google Fit app. These features will be available on a limited number of Pixel phones at first.
Users would be able to monitor their heart and respiratory rates from their phone without the need for advanced hardware thanks to these features. Both features are designed to operate with just the front and back cameras.
These new additions come with the latest feature drop for the Pixel Devices,
Starting today, we are rolling out the ability to measure your heart rate and respiratory rate* with Google Fit by using just your phone’s camera. These features are available first in the Google Fit app for Pixel phones, and will be expanding to more Android devices in the future.
Placing your finger on the back camera activates the heart rate sensor. This method has been used in other apps for a long time and is a low-cost way to monitor heart rate. In order to see your respiratory rate, you must stand in front of the front camera with your face and torso visible. To track your breathing, the camera monitors your chest movements.
Google is quick to point out that these features are not intended for medical use, which is understandable. If you have any health problems, you can never rely on your phone’s cameras to monitor your heart rate or breathing, but it’s perfect for casual use.
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