Friday, 01 May 2015
Apple has come out and admitted that there is an issue affecting the Apple Watch when warn on tattooed wrists. Earlier in the week, numerous reports emerged claiming that the Apple Watch was giving off strange readings and even ceasing to function properly when worn by users with tattoo ‘sleeves.’
An internet investigation into the issue revealed that there was indeed an issue with the Apple Watch’s rear sensors not working properly with heavier ink pigments.
Now Apple itself has come out and accepted that there is a problem.
Over on a new Apple support page, the company offers guidance on the Apple Watch’s heart-reading capabilities. It explains how it achieves this, and how to enable its accurate operation. Towards the bottom of the page, Apple supplies the following paragraph.
“Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings.”
Apple’s immediate solution to this problem? Well, it’s not a very good one. “If you’re not able to get a consistent reading because of any of these factors, you can connect your Apple Watch wirelessly to external heart rate monitors such as Bluetooth chest straps,” it says. At this point, we’d like to offer a slow clap for Apple on behalf of all our tattooed readers.