Beatcast
Watches that broadcast heart rate to an iPhone
Updated
Short answer
Many Garmin, COROS, Amazfit and Polar watches broadcast live heart rate over Bluetooth once the mode is on. So do four Suunto models and a Whoop band, and Google lists Fitbit and Pixel Watch models too. Beatcast reads a broadcasting watch like a strap and shows the number on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. For Apple Watch, Oura Ring and Samsung Galaxy Watch, no broadcast mode is documented by the maker as of 11 August 2026.
Last checked: 12 October 2026.
The table
| Watch | Broadcasts to an iPhone app | How to switch it on |
|---|---|---|
| Garmin, newer models | Yes. DC Rainmaker's 2020 test found Bluetooth on most 2019 and 2020 watches. Garmin's manuals say "broadcast heart rate" without naming the protocol. Check your manual or try it. | Broadcast Heart Rate, in the controls menu or at activity start. Older Garmins send ANT+ only. See the Garmin watch page. |
| COROS | Yes | Hold the back button for Toolbox, then Broadcast HR. COROS says only one Bluetooth connection works while broadcasting, so you first have to break the watch's link to the phone: turn off the phone's Bluetooth and remove the watch from the COROS app and from the phone's Bluetooth list. |
| Amazfit, on models that offer Heart Rate Push | Yes | Heart Rate Push |
| Polar watches | Yes | Pre-training mode, LIGHT for the quick menu, Share HR with other devices. The setting is per sport profile, and Polar's manual says it is off by default on recent firmware. |
| Whoop | Yes, with a catch | HR broadcast in the Whoop app. See the Whoop page. |
| Apple Watch | None that we know of | Apple does not offer a broadcast mode that we know of. Heart rate apps for it run on the watch itself. |
| Suunto Race 2, Vertical 2, Race and Race S | Yes | Turn on the heart rate broadcast setting, added with the April 2026 firmware. The Suunto 9 Peak Pro and the original Vertical do not have it. |
| Oura and other smart rings | None documented | Oura does not state that the ring broadcasts heart rate to other apps. |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch | None documented | No documented standard broadcast. |
| Fitbit Air, Charge 6, Pixel Watch 2 or newer | Yes, per Google | Google says they are intended to be compatible with the Bluetooth Heart Rate Profile. You accept a pairing request on the watch. The Charge 6 connects to one device at a time, the Pixel Watch 3 or later to two. |
How to read it
"Yes" means the watch sends the standard Bluetooth heart rate service while the mode is on. Beatcast has no per-brand code and no allow-list, so a watch that broadcasts is a sensor like any strap.
Where a row says none, that is not a verdict on the watch. No mode is documented that lets a phone app read its heart rate live over Bluetooth. The Apple Watch is the one people ask about most. Apps that read it live run on the watch itself. Beatcast on Apple Watch is a display: it shows the heart rate from a strap or arm band connected to your iPhone.
Why watches are fussier than straps
A strap is a radio that sends heart rate all the time. A watch has to save the battery, so it keeps quiet until asked, and many models stop when the activity ends. That is why the first step in nearly every guide here is a setting.
Several watches take one Bluetooth receiver. If a bike computer or trainer already listens, the phone may have to wait. The two devices guide goes through it.
Wrist versus strap
A watch is the sensor you already wear, and that is its charm. For hard efforts, gripping or lifting, a strap or arm band tends to read more steadily. See the sensor table for those.
What Beatcast does with it
Once a watch is broadcasting, the number appears in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen while a session runs, and stays there in other apps.
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Questions
Can an Apple Watch be the sensor?
Not with Beatcast. No Apple broadcast mode is documented. Beatcast on Apple Watch can show the heart rate from a strap or arm band connected to your iPhone.
Does my Garmin broadcast?
If it is a newer model, check for Broadcast Heart Rate in its settings.
Which is simplest?
A chest strap or arm band. Nothing to switch on.
Where do I report one that works?
In r/beatcast.
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, Lock Screen are trademarks of Apple Inc. Garmin, COROS, Amazfit, Polar, Whoop, Suunto, Oura, Samsung, Fitbit and 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.
Got yours working? Report it in r/beatcast and it goes on the list.