Does the Bluetooth chest strap not share its data with Apple’s own Health app? If it does, can you describe what it does or doesn’t do that’s leading you to look for an alternative? My heart rate data is coming from an Apple Watch so I don’t know how things work with other hardware; I would think most would work with the Health app by virtue of being written to use iOS’s HealthKit.
Hi Curtis - I’m not sure. When I look at heart rate data in the Health app, it shows me different apps. I do use Sleep 24/7 and that transfers to Health, but it’s a manual HR check which is not what I’m interested in.
dianed143 Diane D
January 30
I cannot find any way for the strap itself to talk to the Health app. I wonder if that’s only a feature with the Watch.
So I remembered that I do have a Bluetooth HR monitor, a Scosche Rhythm 24. (My Garmin belts are ANT+ only, and I always use the Scosche in ANT+ mode.) Paired to my iPhone XS without difficulty (also showed up on my Apple Watch 3LTE, but didn’t pair it because of the limitation of Bluetooth that makes me use ANT+ all of the time). It shows up as a Source in Sources with the ability to write HR, but not in Heart Rate->Data Sources & Access for some reason. Vitals->Heart Rate is updating (took my AW off), so it looks like it’s working.
As for the apps, you need an app that has indoor mode, so it turns GPS off (my Garmins have it and recently I’ve been using it nearly every day on the trainer). I checked Strava and RunKeeper on my phone and neither seems to have one. But check again to see if you can get Health to do what you want.
it’s not in Sources and I don’t see a way to add it. It’s in Bluetooth settings of course.
I assume there’s no way to manually add something as a source? The only device listed is the phone itself, otherwise I just have a few apps.
I have MotionX GPS which shows heart rate and I can turn GPS off with it, but for some odd reason it doesn’t record heart rate. I contacted them and they added it to their feature list but that doesn’t help now.
I’d prefer to have an app that doesn’t require an account, so Strava and RunKeeper are out. I downloaded FITIV Pulse this morning and was able to get around the account. The only way to track heart rate there is to setup a workout for the day without GPS, so that’s a distinct possibility. I’ll try it while shoveling.
You haven’t said what strap you’re using, but my guess is that it implements the protocol incorrectly so it doesn’t identify itself as a heart rate monitor to your phone. (If there even is a Bluetooth HR protocol; one great advantage of ANT+ is that this stuff is all defined, and the other is that it doesn’t tie a sensor to one receiver.) Probably nothing you can do about it except to try a different HRM. The Scosche works, but because it’s optical it’s more expensive than your typical chest belt. The other thing you might try is to borrow another head unit (Android phone, recent Garmin’s, etc.) to check whether the strap is working right with it.
dianed143 Diane D
January 30
It’s a Trek (I work with a shop so it was a good price).
The phone calls it Trek HRM and it only shows up when it’s on me. The other apps that see it call it a Trek HRM too. Except MotionX, that says 3051E
I would think they are using someone else’s technology. I know they have a Garmin marketed under their name.
Garmin just today released a dual ANT+/Bluetooth strap (DC Rainmaker has a review), so I doubt it’s Garmin.
Anyway, if you work at a shop you can probably find one that actually works pretty easily. I hear good things about the Wahoo straps.
It connected to my Edge 705 with no problem but I’m not sure if it called it anything.
Probably just identified by the ANT+ id.
I’m using a 1000 now. I still have my 705 (got one when they first came out), but it’s been years since I used it for anything. I’m very fond of the quarter turn mount, so I won’t be going back.
This one is dual also, that’s why I got it. I’m looking at a new Edge and they didn’t have one). It was the only one they carried but they may have others available to them. I am kind of a part time remote worker so I don’t have access to the cool backend stuff daily.
I don’t have an issue with my current slide mount, except we just shortened the stems on all my bikes so it doesn’t fit on most of them there anymore. Still working on that.
I’ll take a peek at the Garmin one just released, maybe it will be worth doing an exchange.
I had two 705 mounts break on me while riding during the 4 years I used the 705. The first one I only noticed when I heard my 705 hit the road after it fell off. The second time I actually noticed my 705 jumping around on the mount, so I caught it as it fell and stuffed it into a jersey pocket. Several companies sell out front mounts for the quarter turn. I use K-edge on two of my bikes and Garmin on one. I’ve seen people complain that the tabs on their Edges that hold the Edge into the mount broke off, but it’s never happened to me. Never had any problems with the quarter turn, and I love how quickly you can get the Edge on and off.
The out front ones scare me as I primarily mountain bike. I have 3-4 of the mounts and have yet to break a tab luckily! I used to wrap my Forerunner around my stem and lost that once - found it but it wasn’t a few 15 minutes looking through leaves!
I should probably stop since this no longer has anything to do with Apple, but I use an out front mount on my mountain bike and have no problems. I don’t do much (any, really) single track any more so getting whacked by branches isn’t a concern. My Garmin Epix dropped off my arm last week when I was out cross country skiing. I wear it outside of my clothing and the band is barely long enough for that (and the band extension I have makes it a little too long without a lot of fussing). I had checked it at the turnaround, and then started the long descent back to the car. I had gone about a mile when I looked at my arm to check the altitude and it wasn’t there. Had to turn around, ski back up (few percent grade), and finally found it about 20 ft from the turnaround point lying on the unplowed gravel road I was skiing on. So the track has about 15 minutes of no HR and random walking around a fixed point on the road. Not the first time it had dropped off, but the other times I noticed right away.