How to Fix ‘ECG Not Working’ on Apple Watch

Is the ECG not working on your Apple Watch?

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a procedure that measures the electrical activity of a subject’s heart. ECGs analyze the heart’s electrical activities to quickly measure one’s heart health and detect possible heart problems.

Traditionally, bulky electrocardiograph machines are the only ones capable of recording ECGs, but portable ECG machines can now do the same job with the advent of new technologies.

With the recent trend of companies focusing on health, Apple has added an ECG function on the Apple Watch. If you are using an Apple Watch Series 4 or later model, you can use the ECG app to monitor your heart activities.

If, for some reason, ECG is not working on your Apple Watch, then you are in the right place.

This article will teach you how to fix ECG errors on your Apple watch.

Let’s start!

1. Check If Your Devices Are Supported.

The ECG app is only available for Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, and Series 6. Apple Watch SE, Series 3, and earlier models do not have the electronic heart sensor required by the ECG app.

For iPhones, you need to have the latest iOS to ensure there won’t be complications with the app.

Make sure that both your Apple Watch and iPhone are using the latest available operating systems.

To update iOS to the latest version, do these:

1. Open your Settings app and tap on the General settings.
2. From the General settings, tap on Software Update.
   

3. If the screen says that your software is up to date, you don’t have to do anything. If there is a Download and Install option, simply tap the option and follow the instructions on the screen.

All you have to do now is wait for the download to complete.

To update WatchOS to the latest version, do these:

1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch and tap on General.
2. From the General settings, tap on Software Update.

3. Your Apple Watch will check for available updates. When there is an update, click on Download and Install, then follow the on-screen instructions.

Wait for the installation to complete. The download may take a few minutes, depending on your download speeds and the software update size.

2. Restart Your Devices.

After confirming that you are using the supported devices and operating systems and still there is a problem, a quick restart on your devices may help fix problems with the Apple Watch ECG.

Depending on your iPhone model, here’s how to restart your device:

To restart iPhone X, 11, or 12:

1. Press and hold the Side button and any of the volume buttons. Wait for the power off slider to appear.

2. Once the power off slider appears, drag the slider to the right to turn off your iPhone.

To restart iPhone SE (2nd generation), 8, 7, or 6:

1. Press and hold the Power/Side button and wait for the power off slider to appear.

2. Once the power off slider appears, drag the slider to the right to turn off your iPhone.

To restart iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 5, or earlier:

1. Press and hold the Power/Top button and wait for the power off slider to appear.

2. Once the power off slider appears, drag the slider to the right to turn off your iPhone.

Now it’s time to restart your Apple Watch.

To restart Apple Watch:

1. Press and hold the Power/Top button and wait for the power off slider to appear.

2. Once the power off slider appears, drag the slider to the right to turn off your Apple Watch.

3. Toggle Bluetooth On and Off.

If restarting your devices does not fix the issue with the ECG app, then toggling the Bluetooth on your iPhone and Apple Watch may help. Here’s how you can enable and disable your Bluetooth on both devices.

To toggle ON and OFF Bluetooth on iPhone:

1. Go to your iPhone’s Settings app and then open the Bluetooth setting.
2. From the Bluetooth page, tap on the toggle switch to turn ON and OFF your iPhone’s Bluetooth.

To toggle ON and OFF Bluetooth on Apple Watch:

1. Open your Apple Watch’s Settings app.
2. Click on the Bluetooth option to toggle the feature ON or OFF.

4. Check if Your Country Is Supported.

Different countries have different rules when it comes to electronic devices used for health purposes. Some countries allow ECG on the Apple Watch, while some restrict the Apple ECG app.

You can check Apple’s website on what countries support the ECG app for the Apple Watch.

5. Clean Your Apple Watch.

Over time, dirt and debris may accumulate on your Apple watch. These impurities may prevent the digital crown from detecting commands and inhibit the sensors from working correctly. Removing these undesired substances may fix issues with the ECG app on your Apple Watch.

Here’s how to clean your Apple Watch:

To clean your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

1. Make sure that your Apple Watch has no power. It should be turned off and removed from the charger.
2. Remove the band on your watch, especially if it is leather.
3. Dampen a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth and gently wipe the surfaces of your Apple Watch, including the digital crown and the sensors.
4. After cleaning, dry your watch with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth.
5. Once dried up, restart your Apple Watch.

Note: Since Apple Watches are water-resistant, you can hold your Apple Watch under lightly running water for a few seconds to clean it. Avoid using soaps or other cleaning materials as the chemicals may damage your watch.

6. Uninstall and Reinstall the ECG App.

After doing the basic troubleshooting and the ECG still refuses to work on your Apple Watch, then it may be time to uninstall and reinstall the ECG app on your iPhone. Sometimes, uninstalling and reinstalling apps will fix errors in both the apps and the device.

To delete the ECG App from your Apple Watch:

To reinstall the ECG app on your Apple Watch:

1. Go to your Apple Watch’s Home Screen by pressing the Digital Crown.
2. Locate and open the App Store.
3. Tap Search, then use Scribble or Dictation to find for the “ECG app.”
4. Tap Get.
5. Your Apple Watch may prompt you to double-click the digital crown button to proceed with downloading and installing the app.
   

After you reinstalled the app, check if the ECG app is now working on your Apple Watch.

7. Setup the Health App.

Make sure that you correctly set up the Health app on your iPhone. The Health app gets health-related data from your iPhone, Apple Watch, and other health apps. To ensure that you set the Health app correctly, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Health app and tap on the Summary tab.
2. Then, tap Heart. After that, tap Electrocardiograms (ECG).
3. Click Set Up ECG App and follow the onscreen instructions.
4. You can now use the ECG app.

8. Reset the Health App Settings.

After trying all the basic and the more complicated methods of fixing the not working ECG app on the iPhone, it may be time to reset your Health app settings.

The process will erase your phone’s settings so you can reconfigure your ECG app to the Health. It is important to note that though this method will not delete any data on your device, other settings aside from the Health app will reset, and you need to re-setup any changes you made to other apps.

If you know the risks in resetting all of your phone’s settings, then let’s proceed.

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings app, then go to the General settings.
2. From the General Settings, tap on Reset.
3. Tap on Reset All Settings.

9. Contact Apple support.

If you’ve tried the previous eight steps and you still have a defective ECG on the Apple Watch, it’s time to get in touch with Apple Support. If your device is still under warranty, you may get the repair or replacement for free.

You just learned nine things that you should do to fix the ECG app that is not working on your Apple Watch. What method worked for you? Do you have your fix that we have not covered yet? We’d love to hear them in the comments section below.

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