Free HRV Tracker for iPhone — No Chest Strap Needed

Heart Rate Variability tracking used to require $100+ in hardware. Pulse Rate captures it using your iPhone camera — every morning, for free.

7 min read
Beginner-friendly
ESC 2021 sourced
LIVE · 14 / 60s
9:41● ● ●
Measurement complete
Your HRV today.
68 ms
Heart-rate variability
Excellent
RMSSD
68 ms
+6% · parasympathetic
SDNN
91 ms
+3% · autonomic
7-day trend
↑ up 4%
What is HRV

The variation between heartbeats — your nervous system's report card.

RMSSD vs SDNN

Two metrics, one number. Why Pulse shows both — and which to watch.

TRIMP load

Training-impulse: your weekly training load, in one chart.

The protocol

4 steps. Sixty seconds. Done before your coffee.

  1. 01
    Morning

    Measure Each Morning

    Take your HRV reading within 5 minutes of waking, before coffee or movement. Consistency of timing is the most important factor for reliable HRV trends.

  2. 02
    60 sec

    Hold Still for 2 Minutes

    HRV requires a longer sample than basic heart rate. Keep your fingertip steady on the camera for at least 2 minutes to capture enough beat-to-beat intervals for analysis.

  3. 03
    Read

    Track Your 7-Day Average

    Individual HRV readings fluctuate widely due to normal daily variation. Pulse Rate shows your rolling 7-day average — this trend line is far more meaningful than any single data point.

  4. 04
    Daily

    Correlate with Lifestyle

    Log notes on sleep quality, training load, and stress alongside your HRV. Over weeks, you'll see clear patterns in what raises or suppresses your recovery baseline.

What you'll see in Pulse

Your progress, exactly how the app shows it.

The same chart that lives on your iPhone's Progress screen — rebuilt so you know what you're looking at.

Wellness Index trend
82 / 100 Excellent
Last 30 days
100 75 50 25
Excellent (80+) Borderline (40–60) Very low (0–40)
Excellent 80+

Outstanding score. Your key heart metrics are above normal.

Normal 60 – 80

Most healthy adults fall within this range.

Borderline 40 – 60

Not necessarily alarming — but worth monitoring.

Very Low 0 – 40

If this persists, please consult a healthcare professional.

Bonus · TRIMP

Training Impulse, decoded.

TRIMP = duration × intensity. A 60-minute easy run scores about 70 TRIMP. A 30-minute interval session scores 110. Pulse adds them up daily and tells you when your week is too light, just right, or about to overcook you.

80–140
Optimal weekly load
140–200
Stretch (watch HRV)
200+
Overreaching
More guides

Take your first reading.

You've already got the hardware — your iPhone. Pulse does the rest.

Free to download · Core tracking always free · iOS 15+

Download on the App Store