I’d like to be able to create a watch face that displays either a complication, or a text object with the [HR] tag, depending on whether the watch is a Pixel Watch (for complication) or a Galaxy 4/5 (for [HR] text object).
The reason is because of the fact that Pixel Watch users can change any complication to be a real-time heart rate, but Galaxy users cannot add a heart rate complication, they can only use an [HR] tag for manual heart rate measuring.
If I could detect the watch model, I could conditionally load one or the other in the same watch face rather than have to create a separate version for Galaxy users that has a baked-in [HR] tag. And by the way, I considered just using the [HR] tag for both, but it does not work well on Pixel Watches, and it would actually dumb down the Pixel experience (not real-time).
The short answere is Watch Face Studio cannot do watch brand differentation.
A longer answer my pet peeve.
There is no such thing as realtime heart rate as I believe the watch face is updated every second but there is a continual heart rate API that is most likely what you are talking about it has something like the last 6 seconds heart rate.
Watches normally only monitor continual heart rate during activity as to do it all the time would chew up a battery quickly. I think this is something they are working on with Samsung Health as it also uses Wear Health Services. So maybe it will be possible in a future update. I know that and steps goal is a highly requested feature.
Thanks. I figured as much. But just to let you know, the Pixel Watch DOES have a real-time heart rate complication that I can swap into any complication from WFS, and it shows the heart rate updating every second, since that is what the Pixel Watch does.
Actually, Samsung Health does have working Heart Rate Complication, just like the Pixel Watch. Because of some ‘Data Privacy’ reasons, HeartRateComplicationService supported complication type of SHORT_TEXT is commented out in AndroidManifest.xml. That’s why users can add heart rate complication but only as an Icon (type.ICON).
I just want to know one reason why Google, Mobvoi and Fossil don’t have a problem with a simple HR complication and Samsung does…
‘Private API - Data protection’ is a silly excuse, since S Health forwards the Heart Rate information to Health Services, and the information obtained in this way can be easily retrieved - see this - Heart Rate Complication: SETUP (Wear OS App) - YouTube
When Samsung releases the Galaxy Watch 6 in the future and it won’t have this basic thing working again. It will be really embarrassing.
I wish this would reach someone in management and they would start looking into it.
Edit: It’s not just Heart Rate, same thing applies to Distance, Calories, Floors, BP, Water, etc.
The data privacy was with Tizen Watch / Android Health API. That should not be an issue now with Wear OS Health.
I heard from someone outside of Samsung that Health data sharing was changing. I hope that is so. I need to do some testing again after this latest updates for Galaxy Watch and Wearable app yesterday.
I tested it and that isn’t true after the recent update. You can add it as a short text and customize it to Heart Rate. Then when you tap on it on your watch it asks for the layout and you can select Text and Icon. You can also do a heart rate for ranged value I don’t know if you can set a target heart rate.
It still isn’t updated continually. Samsung Health only does that when you are actively exercising.
Hmm, can you elaborate on how to do this? My watch faces with complications don’t allow heart rate as one of the options when editing it on the watch (Galaxy 4). If I create a short text with the [HR] tag, it’s not a real complication that can be edited. Or am I missing something here?
I don’t know if @r.liechty_SDR wrote about completely new Heart Rate Complication by Samsung Health
or my own Heart Rate Complication →
Samsung Health Currently allows only Steps Complication →
All Samsung needs to do with S Health app is to add SHORT_TEXT to AndroidManifest.xml. I don’t know if it’s possible to do without updating app. Maybe this new Heart Rate Complication is part of the system. Everything is possible, I don’t have latest update / GW5 to test it.
The tags still work “awkwardly” only report the last actual read. You can’t set it to continuous either.
Default providers are only those required or the WFS team knows is provided on all Wear 3 watches. So the user has to set the complications to Heart Rate.
There is a software update it may just be for Samsung watches it involves the Wearable App and Samsung Members apps being updated as well as the watch software update.
I get that, but still not understanding how a user can set a complication to heart rate. When I try it on my Galaxy 4, heart rate is not listed as an option for the complications.
Check for watch software updates I think this is just in the most recent update. As @amoledwatchfaces said before it was just an icon. I think there were Samsung Health options in earlier versions that I don’t see now.
