What to Know
- On the wearer’s iPhone, go to Apple Watch app > My Watch > Heart and turn on Irregular Rhythm.
- Then open Health > Sharing > Share with Someone, choose a contact, include Heart, and tap Share.
- The recipient accepts the invite, then goes to Health > Sharing, taps the person’s name, and turns on notifications.
Your mom’s Apple Watch just flagged a problem with her heart. What if she missed it? Honestly, I never thought about it until I saw a post on r/AppleWatch where a guy missed his own AFib alert, and his wife caught it on her iPhone instead. That’s Health Sharing. Their irregular rhythm and heart rate alerts show up on your phone too, even if they miss them on their wrist. Here’s how I’d set it up.
Instructions apply to Apple Watch Series 3 and later paired with an iPhone running iOS 26 or iOS 27.
How to Turn On Apple Watch Heart Alerts
Before you can share heart alerts, they need to be turned on. Do this on the iPhone paired with the Apple Watch.
- Open the Apple Watch app on the iPhone.
- Tap the My Watch tab, then tap Heart.
- Tap Irregular Rhythm and follow the setup screens. You’ll be asked whether you’re 22 or older and whether a doctor has diagnosed you with AFib.
- Tap High Heart Rate and Low Heart Rate to choose the BPM levels that trigger an alert (Apple Support).
Note
Irregular rhythm notifications are designed for people 22 and older who haven’t been diagnosed with AFib. If you answer that you have been diagnosed, the iPhone offers AFib History instead, which tracks how often your heart shows signs of AFib rather than alerting you to it.
Important
Apple Watch doesn’t send high heart rate, low heart rate or irregular rhythm notifications while Low Power Mode is on.
How to Share Heart Alerts With a Family Member
Next, share the Health data from the same iPhone.
- Open the Health app.
- Tap Sharing at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Share with Someone, then choose a contact.
- Select the topics to share. Make sure Heart is included.
- Tap Share, then Done.
How to Receive Someone’s Heart Alerts
The person you share with completes setup on their own iPhone.
- Accept the sharing invitation.
- Open the Health app and tap Sharing.
- Tap the person’s name.
- Turn on notifications.
From now on, irregular rhythm and high or low heart rate alerts from the wearer’s Apple Watch also appear on the recipient’s iPhone.
Which Apple Watch Models Support AFib Alerts?
Irregular rhythm notifications work on Apple Watch Series 3 and later, including SE models (Apple). The feature runs in the background, so the wearer doesn’t need to take a reading. It’s only available in certain countries and regions.
Note
The ECG app is a separate feature. It requires an Apple Watch Series 4 or later and isn’t available on SE models.
What to Know Before Relying on Heart Alerts
- The recipient needs an iPhone. Health Sharing isn’t available on Android.
- An alert isn’t a diagnosis. Apple Watch checks heart rhythm periodically, not constantly, and an alert can indicate a different irregular rhythm than AFib. Apple Watch can’t detect heart attacks (Apple Support).
Get help
If the wearer feels unwell or has chest pain, call emergency services. Don’t wait for an alert.
FAQ
Do you need to take an ECG to get an AFib alert?
No. Irregular rhythm notifications check in the background and alert the wearer automatically.
What should you use after an AFib diagnosis?
AFib History. Go to Health > Browse > Heart > AFib History. It estimates how much time the wearer spends in AFib each week, and people they share Health data with can see updates. Setting it up turns off irregular rhythm notifications (Apple Support).
Can you stop sharing Health data later?
Yes. The wearer can change what they share, or stop sharing, at any time from Health > Sharing.
The bottom line
If someone you love wears an Apple Watch, set up Health Sharing with them. It takes a couple of minutes, and their heart alerts will reach your iPhone even if they miss them.
Sources: Heart health notifications on your Apple Watch (Apple Support); Track your AFib History with Apple Watch (Apple Support); Irregular Rhythm Notification Feature instructions for use (Apple).