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Heart rate alerts on iPhone

By · ORCID · LinkedIn · Updated

Short answer

A heart rate alert tells you when you cross a line. A ceiling alert fires when you go above it. A floor alert fires when you come back below. A zone alert is a cue as you enter a zone you picked. Beatcast does all three from a Bluetooth sensor, and delivers them by sound, speech, haptic taps, a notification, or a mix. They are training aids, not a safety alarm.

Last checked: 29 October 2026.

Ceiling and floor

A ceiling alert is for going too hard. Set it at the top of the zone you want to stay in. Zone 2 work is the usual case, because the temptation is to creep up.

A floor alert is for having settled. It says you are back down, so the phone can lie face down while you rest. The floor is also where Beatcast's rest coach ends a rest.

Both belong to the zone profile you are using, so a Training profile and a Winding down profile can each have their own. The ceiling can follow the top of your target zone and the floor its bottom, so they move when you edit the zones. Or set either one yourself.

If alerts come too often, set Wait before alert for that profile, from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. An alert then waits until your heart rate has stayed out of range that long.

Zone alerts

Switch on a zone alert for any zone in the profile, and Beatcast tells you when your heart rate enters that zone. Stay for sets how long it has to stay there first, so passing through stays quiet. The zone you start a session in does not alert, and zone alerts hold off while the rest coach times a rest.

How they reach you

Pick one or several, under Alert with on the profile's Alerts page. Each zone profile keeps its own choice, so a winding-down profile can keep to quiet haptic taps while the training one speaks up.

  • A short sound.
  • Speech. The value, spoken. Play sample, under Spoken alerts, lets you hear the voice first.
  • Haptic taps. For when a sound would be too much.
  • A notification. If you wear a paired Apple Watch, unlocked, it shows there too while the iPhone is locked.

With no wait set, an alert fires on the first reading past your line.

During a session, Beatcast on Apple Watch taps your wrist when your zone changes, while it is open on the watch. That tap is on by default, under Haptic on zone change behind the gear.

A time check

Switch on Speak elapsed time under Time check on the same page, and the alert voice says the session time and your heart rate at the interval you pick, from every 5 minutes to every 3 hours. Handy for a long session when you would rather not look.

With music and a locked phone

With a Bluetooth sensor, the session keeps recording while another app is open or the phone is locked. Alerts still reach you with the phone in your pocket: the sound, the spoken value, the haptic taps and the notification. Sound and speech dip your music, and it comes back after. The Live Activity keeps the current number on the Lock Screen. Notifications follow your Focus settings, and alerts need the sensor connected.

Setting one up

  1. Connect a sensor. See how to connect a Bluetooth monitor.
  2. In Settings, open Zone profiles, then the profile, then Alerts, and switch on a ceiling, a floor or both. Add a wait if you want one.
  3. For zone alerts, open Zone alerts on the same page and pick your zones.
  4. Under Alert with, pick how you want to be told.

For zone 2 in particular, see zone 2 training with a strap.

What an alert is not

Alerts are training aids. Beatcast is not a medical device, and an alert is not a safety alarm. Do not rely on one to warn you about your health. If a number worries you, stop and ask a doctor. This page does not cover high-heart-rate notifications from a watch. Those belong to the watch.

Where Beatcast fits

This is one of the reasons to use a strap with a phone. The number and the alert reach you while another app is in front. A sensor is required. Beatcast on the App Store. Fourteen days with the whole app, then a one-time purchase.

Questions

How do I get a heart rate alert on my iPhone?

You need a heart rate sensor and an app that watches the number for you. In Beatcast, open a zone profile's Alerts page and set a ceiling, a floor or both. Then pick how you want to hear about it.

Can it beep when my heart rate is too high?

Yes. Set a ceiling and choose the sound, and it beeps with the phone locked. Add a floor and it beeps again once you are back down. Speech, haptic taps and a notification are there too, alone or together.

Do heart rate alerts work with the phone locked?

Yes. With a Bluetooth sensor, the sound, the spoken value, the haptic taps and the notification reach you with the phone locked, in your pocket too. Notifications follow your Focus settings.

Will an alert stop my music?

Your music dips for the alert and comes back after it.

What if my strap disconnects during a session?

Beatcast reconnects on its own when the signal returns. If the sensor stays lost, a notification tells you.

Do heart rate alerts need a subscription?

No. You get the whole app for 14 days, alerts included, then a one-time purchase. No subscription, no account. More in heart rate app with no subscription.

Good to know

Beatcast is not a medical device. It is built for training and general wellbeing, and it cannot detect, diagnose, treat or monitor any condition. If something about your heart worries you, talk to a doctor rather than to an app.

The Bluetooth word mark is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Apple, iPhone, Apple Watch, Dynamic Island and Lock Screen are trademarks of Apple Inc. Other names belong to their owners and are used only to describe compatibility. Beatcast is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or certified by any of them.

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