heat rate monitor

How to use the Heart Rate Monitor on the Galaxy S5

The Galaxy S5 handles all health-related functions — including its Heart Rate Monitor — in Samsung's S Health app on your phone. Along with giving you access to heart rate monitoring, the S Health app lets you use your phone as a pedometer, track all kinds of exercise and even keep you diet in check.

But we're here to talk about the Heart Rate Monitor, which you can access by launching S Health and tapping "Heart Rate" at the bottom of the app. You'll be taken to a screen that gives you a prompt to place your finger on the heart rate sensor, which can be found on the back of the phone, under the camera next to the LED flash. In order to get the most accurate reading of your heart rate, tap the on-screen button to begin and then place your index finger securely — but not too firmly — on the heart rate sensor on the back of the phone. As the app will tell you, you don't want to move around while the sensor is doing its thing, just sit still and let the phone work its magic.

One of the big hardware advancements that Samsung included in the Galaxy S5 is its built-in Heart Rate Monitor, letting you keep up on your health with no additional accessories required. Even better, Samsung integrated its heart rate sensing technology into the same housing that holds the camera's LED flash, keeping the device slim at the same time.

Whether you're just curious about your heart rate from time-to-time, or you're considering getting more involved with your fitness and want to get solid readings while you're working out, the Galaxy S5's integrated Heart Rate Monitor is a great place to start. Read along with us and learn a bit about how it works.