Two devices, one place
How do I use a Polar H10 with Apple Watch?
Updated · 6 min read
- Steps
- Cardio
- Heart
- Sleep
Short answer
Wear the strap, pair it on Apple Watch Settings then Bluetooth then Polar H10, then start a workout. Polar says the H10 usually works with one device at a time.
Apple Watch can take heart rate from a Polar H10 chest strap once you pair the two in the watch's Bluetooth settings and start a workout. Apple says the watch connects to Bluetooth chest straps, and Polar says it has not tested every watch from other makers, so it asks you to try pairing.
Choose where the H10 sends its heart rate
Follow one row of this table, or use Apple Watch and Polar Flow together with steps 11 to 16. Polar Flow is Polar's app for iPhone.
| Pair the H10 with | What reaches Apple Health | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch (steps 1 to 6) | Your Apple Watch heart rate readings. Step 6 checks whether they came from the strap | Polar says you can usually use the H10 with just one device at a time, so live heart rate in Polar Flow may not be available during that workout |
| Polar Flow on iPhone (steps 7 to 10) | Polar Flow's workout with its average heart rate, and heart rate during the workout | For the same reason, an Apple Watch workout at the same time may not get the strap's heart rate |
Polar asks you to start by pairing the H10 with Polar Flow (steps 7 and 8). Polar says this gets you the latest firmware updates: the software inside the strap. Polar then asks you to pair the H10 with any other device as well. To follow Polar's order, do steps 7 and 8 first, then go to step 1.
Pair the H10 with Apple Watch
- Put on the H10 strap. One member on Apple Community found that Apple Watch pairs with the H10 only while they wear the strap.
- If a Polar Flow training session is running on your iPhone, tap Pause. Tap and hold Stop to save the session. One member on Apple Community disconnects the H10 on the iPhone before connecting it on Apple Watch.
- On Apple Watch, go to the Settings app. Tap Bluetooth. Tap the H10 when it appears. In one member's 2017 post on Apple Community, it shows under Health Devices, and the label may differ on your watch. Apple gives these Bluetooth steps on its page for headphones and speakers.
- Go to the Workout app on your Apple Watch. Turn the Digital Crown to the workout that you want to do. Tap the center of the screen to start it.
- When you finish, swipe right. Tap End.
- To check that the heart rate came from the strap, open the Health app on your iPhone. Tap Browse then Heart then Heart Rate. Scroll down to Options. Tap Show All Data: the list of every reading that Health recorded. Tap an entry from the workout. One member on Apple Community reports that Device Details, at the bottom of that entry, names the H10 for readings from the strap. In the same thread, one member reports that 60 readings a minute show that the heart rate came from the H10.
Step 6
In the Health app
- Browse
- Heart
- Heart Rate
Pair and record with Polar Flow
- Open Polar Flow on your iPhone. Sign in to your Polar account. Wear the H10. Go to Start in the main menu.
- When the Bluetooth pairing request appears, check that its sensor ID matches the number on the side of the H10. Tap Pair. Your heart rate then shows at the top of the Training view.
- To send Polar Flow's workouts to Apple Health, tap More in the bottom right of Polar Flow. Tap General settings. Turn on the Apple Health toggle.
- To record, go to Training then Start at the top of the page. Select a sport profile by tapping the sport icon. Tap Start. To end the session, use the Pause and Stop taps in step 2. Polar's pages give this path in two ways, Training then Start and Start then Training, so use the order that your app shows.
Step 4
Where to tap
- Training
- Start
or
Where to tap
- Training
- Start
or
Where to tap
- Start
- Training
Use the H10 with two devices at once
Polar's page on using two devices names gym equipment and a Polar device, not Apple Watch. Polar says that Polar Beat's dual Bluetooth setting lets you see live heart rate in both devices. Polar Beat is Polar's training app for its heart rate sensors. The same page gives the steps below for the 2 Bluetooth devices option in Polar Flow. It does not say whether Apple Watch can be one of the two, so try pairing.
- In Polar Flow, go to Start then Training.
Step 1
Where to tap
- Start
- Training
- Wear the H10.
- Tap the Settings cogwheel. Tap Pair.
- Once paired, tap the cogwheel again. Turn on the 2 Bluetooth devices option.
- On Apple Watch, pair the H10 with step 3.
- Start a workout with step 4. While it runs, look for your heart rate at the top of the Training view in Polar Flow. End the workout with step 5. Check the readings with step 6.
The two devices work together if step 6 names the H10 and Polar Flow still shows your heart rate at the top of the Training view. If not, follow one row of the table.
If it still doesn't work
- Apple Watch does not find the H10
Wear the strap, as in step 1. Then end any Polar Flow session, as in step 2. If the H10 still does not appear, disconnect it from the iPhone, as one member does in step 2. That member does not say how. Polar's way to remove the H10 from the iPhone's list is in the last bullet, and you then pair it again with steps 7 and 8 if you use Polar Flow.
- Bluetooth on the watch says Not Connected during a workout
One member on Apple Community reports that the strap still worked for the whole workout. Check the readings with step 6. The same member reports that forgetting the device and adding it back usually fixes the message.
- Step 6 does not name the H10
Wear the strap, as in step 1. End any Polar Flow session, as in step 2. Pair it again with step 3 before you start the workout.
- You paired the H10 in the iPhone's Bluetooth settings
Polar asks you to pair the H10 in Polar Flow, not in your iPhone's Bluetooth settings. To remove it from the iPhone's list, open Settings then Bluetooth. Tap the "i" next to Polar H10. Tap Forget This Device. Then pair it again with steps 7 and 8.
Why use a chest strap with Apple Watch
Apple says motion affects the watch's own heart rate sensor: rhythmic movements, such as running or cycling, give better results than irregular movements, such as tennis or boxing. When you cannot get a consistent reading, Apple suggests an external heart rate monitor such as a Bluetooth chest strap.
Questions
Can Polar H10 record heart rate without a phone or a watch nearby?
Yes, for one session at a time, but you must start the session in Polar Beat. Polar says the H10's internal memory records heart rate once per second, for a session of 30 hours or more, as Polar gives it. In Polar Beat, open the menu in the upper right corner of the Training view and select Save HR with sensor. Polar Beat offers to download the session when you are back in Bluetooth range.
How far can Polar H10 be from Apple Watch?
Polar gives a range of at least 5 meters (16.4 ft) in optimal conditions, and typically 10 to 35 meters (32.8 to 114.8 ft). Polar says the human body weakens the signal, so a device held behind your back near your skin can lose the connection.
Sources
- 1Get the most accurate measurements using your Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 2Connect Apple Watch to Bluetooth headphones or speakers, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 3Start a workout on Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 4Check your heart rate on Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 5Manage Health data on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 6What third-party apps and devices are compatible with Polar products?, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 7Can I pair H10 with several devices?, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 8Polar H10 User Manual, Pairing, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 9Connecting Polar Flow with Apple Health, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 10Recording training sessions with Polar Flow app, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 11Compatibility of Polar H9 / H10 / OH1 / Verity Sense Heart Rate Sensor, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 12Can I record my heart rate without a training device or a training app?, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 13How long a training session can I record with H10?, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 14What is the Bluetooth transmission range of Polar H9/H10 HR sensor?, Polar Supportsupport.polar.com (opens in a new tab)
- 15Apple Watch Ultra + Polar H10 continuously disconnects via bluetooth, Apple Communitydiscussions.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 16Polar h10 and Series 3, Apple Communitydiscussions.apple.com (opens in a new tab)