An Apple Watch is capable of many things but once its tracking functionality starts acting up, its fitness features can be rendered useless. While Apple watches come with a plethora of health tracking capabilities, the accuracy is dependent on a lot of other factors. That's why it's a good thing that rectifying any tracking issues is quite easy, as long as the user knows how to calibrate the smartwatch.
With the popular wearable becoming increasingly more ubiquitous, so are the number of tracking features being added to it, like the Apple Watch 5's advanced ECG monitor. That said, it's easy for Apple smartwatch users to heavily rely on its advanced health instruments without knowing the risks of getting false readings. The negative implications of such a predicament can basically undermine the whole point of using the wearable to stay healthy, especially as inaccurate readings can have health-related consequences.
Fortunately, wearers can take measures to ensure that their watch is telling them the right information about the current state of their health. The Apple Watch is equipped with a convenient calibration system that determines the wearer's health and fitness levels by monitoring their activity and utilizing user-defined personal information. Apple support recommends users to update their personal information by opening the Apple Watch app on their iPhone, tapping on the “My Watch” tab and then selecting the “Health” option to visit the “Health Profile” page. From here, users can make sure that their personal information is up to date, to help the smartwatch provide accurate readings.
How To Manually Calibrate An Apple Watch
Unlike switching Apple Watch bands, calibration requires a little bit more physical activity. First of all, users should ensure that both “Location Services” and “Motion Calibration & Distance” are turned on. The former can be toggled through the settings app, after picking the “Privacy” option, while the latter can be found by tapping on the “System Services” option on the same page.
Afterwards, Apple Watch wearers should open the Workout app and choose either the Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run option, then proceed to walk or run for around twenty minutes. The smartwatch will automatically calibrate itself by tracking the user's information. To reset the calibration data, wearers can visit the My Watch tab, select “Privacy” and then tap on the “Reset Fitness Calibration Data” option. Calibrating an Apple Watch is just as important as picking the right tracking apps, and the longer users wear their smartwatch, the better its accuracy is going to become, gradually improving as it gets to know the wearer better.
Source: Apple