Featured Image Credit: NIC COURY/AFP via Getty Images / TikTok/@hwclinicbrugge
Topics: Technology, Social Media
Callum Jones
Topics: Technology, Social Media
Smart watches are incredibly powerful pieces of technology, but in some cases can be stopped in their tracks by a tattoo.
The likes of Apple Watch allow you to send text messages and even answer calls, while of course talking care of your health needs by tracking your progress at the gym.
I feel like it's fairly common to wear a watch on your non-dominant hand - but if you have tattoos there, you may want to rethink this.
Unfortunately, tattoos and smart watches are not always compatible. And it can also depend on the type of tattoos you have.
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The discussion surrounding this has sprung up on social media in recent days, with X user @MrNixn penning: "Apple Watches can struggle with tattoos because the pigments in tattoo ink can interfere with the sensors on the back of the watch.
"These sensors use a technology called photoplethysmography, which relies on light to measure blood flow and track your heart rate. Darker tattoos or those with certain colors, especially red, can absorb or scatter the light, preventing the sensors from getting a clear reading.
"This interference might lead to inaccurate heart rate monitoring or issues with features like wrist detection, which can make the watch seem unresponsive on tattooed skin."
Apple has acknowledged tattoo interference is a thing, but they haven't released a specific fix for the issue.
Their website reads: "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."
So how do tattoos lovers enjoy all the benefits a smart watch has to offer?
Well, the answer is not exactly the one those in that community will be hoping for.
To put it simply, the only way to guarantee no interference is to have the top of at least one wrist tattoo-free.
@MrNixn continued their post, advising: "Some people find that loosening the watch band, switching wrists, or wearing the watch on an area with less tattooed skin helps improve its performance."
For those who already have both wrists inked, there are some hacks out there that may help you out.
One Reddit post explained how 'epoxy bottlecap stickers' should do the trick, and they are a pretty inexpensive option too at around the $10 mark, according to The Verge.
You can stick them on the smart watch's sensor array, and it may well just remove that headache.
"Confirmed tattoo fix! Epoxy Bottlecap Sticker Fixed 100% of Issues on my Series 7," the user penned on Reddit.