While Samsung’s latest flagship phones have eliminated this feature, older devices including the Galaxy S10 series have a sensor that can estimate your heart rate and the amount of oxygen in your blood or peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2).
Samsung’s SpO2 sensor works in conjunction with the Health app. As the techniques progress, the sensor can read SpO2 levels by sending and receiving a beam of light through the skin and blood vessels of your fingertip. The data obtained is then displayed in Samsung Health .
How to measure heart rate and SpO2 levels
Step 1: Launch Samsung Health on your Galaxy device
Step 2: Scroll down to stress and select measure option
Step 3: Place your fingertip on the SpO2 sensor and make sure you’re standing still while taking the measurement
Step 4: Once done, lift your fingertip off the sensor and you can view your data on the Stress screen.
Note for Samsung Health users who couldn’t find these steps: Last year, Samsung changed the way oxygen saturation measurements are taken through the Health app, causing some users to believe that the feature has been completely removed. This was because the SpO2 function has its own separate category in the Health app, so if these changes have not yet been implemented in your market, the above steps will not apply to you. If you are unable to follow the steps above, you can try the older method to read your SpO2 levels in Samsung Health. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Launch the Samsung Health app on your Galaxy Health device Step 2: Scroll to the bottom, tap on Manage items and enable Oxygen saturation if needed Step 3: Tap Measure next to Oxygen saturation from the app’s home screen
Step 4: Keep your fingertip still during the SpO2 sensor and measurement process
Phones with Heart Rate Sensor
To see if your device has a heart rate sensor, see here .
Do you have a Galaxy smartphone equipped with SpO2 sensor? Which of the two methods above works for you? How useful do you find the SpO2 sensor and would you like Samsung to bring it back to newer phones? Let us know in the comment section.