A growing number of people are wearing their Apple Watches on their ankles instead of their wrists. This trend has emerged as a workaround for various issues that users have experienced with wearing the watch on the wrist. While Apple has stated that the watch is calibrated for the wrist, some users have found that wearing it on the ankle provides them with a better experience.
Reasons for Ankle-Wearing
There are a few key reasons why people are choosing to wear their Apple Watches on their ankles:
- Small wrists: Some people with small wrists find that the watch is too loose to accurately track their heart rate and fitness data. For example, fitness influencer Ana Espinal found that her fitness app would shut down during workouts because her watch was too loose on her wrist. By moving her watch to her ankle, she solved this problem.
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Inaccurate step counts: The Apple Watch relies on the swinging motion of the arm to track steps. However, in some situations, this can lead to inaccurate readings. For instance:
- When pushing a stroller, the watch may not record steps if the arm is not swinging freely.
- Those who use walking pads at standing desks may find that their steps are not registered.
- Placing the watch on the ankle can provide a more accurate step count in these scenarios.
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Skin conditions and tattoos: Some individuals have skin conditions that make wearing the watch on their wrist uncomfortable. Others have wrist tattoos that may interfere with the watch's sensors. In these cases, wearing the watch on the ankle can be a more comfortable and effective option.
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Medical professionals: Some medical professionals cannot wear anything on their wrists due to hygiene rules in hospitals. For these individuals, wearing the watch on the ankle allows them to still track their steps throughout their shifts.
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Comfort and preference: Some people simply prefer wearing the watch on their ankle for comfort or other personal reasons.
The Ankle-Watch Community
These issues have led to the creation of a small online community of people who wear their watches on their ankles. These users have found that wearing their watch on their ankle can be a useful solution to their problems. Many have also turned to social media platforms such as TikTok to share their experiences and tips.
Misconceptions
One common issue reported by people wearing their Apple Watches on their ankles is that they are sometimes mistaken for wearing an ankle monitor. This can lead to awkward conversations and misunderstandings, as some people assume that the user is under house arrest.
For example:
- Hughley Beasley says she often feels the need to assure neighbors that she is not under house arrest.
- Jason Rogers, who has had experience with real ankle monitors, has turned those experiences into TikTok videos.
Apple's Stance
Apple has not officially endorsed the practice of wearing an Apple Watch on the ankle. The company has stated in consumer support materials that the watch is specifically calibrated for wear on the wrist.
The Apple Watch uses LED lights paired with semiconductors to detect the amount of blood flowing through the wrist at any given moment. Because the biological makeup of the wrist and ankle are different, the watch may not work as accurately on the ankle.
Accuracy Concerns
While wearing the watch on the ankle may solve some problems for some users, it can also lead to inaccuracies in data collection. For example:
- A test with an Apple Watch Ultra on the wrist and an Apple Watch Ultra 2 on the ankle showed variations in:
- Blood oxygenation readings (98% on the wrist, 93% on the ankle)
- Heart rate (75 beats per minute on the wrist vs. 63 on the ankle)
- The blood oxygenation and heart rate features will not work through a sock.
- The ECG feature does not work on the ankle.
- Step counts may still be inaccurate in some cases.
- The Apple Watch’s algorithms are trained for wrist movements, not ankle movements.
Practical Considerations
Wearing the Apple Watch on the ankle can be impractical in other ways:
- Reading the display is difficult when it is on the ankle.
- Apple Pay is not easy to use when the watch is worn on the ankle.
Future Solutions
Apple may be working on alternative solutions for some of the problems that have led to the trend of wearing an Apple Watch on the ankle. There have been rumors of Apple working on adding sensors to AirPods, such as temperature and heart rate measurements. These sensors could potentially give users an alternative to the Apple Watch for fitness tracking. However, there is no information about when or if these features will be released.
Conclusion
While wearing an Apple Watch on the ankle is not officially recommended, it has emerged as a practical solution for some users with specific needs. From small wrists to skin conditions to medical professions, there are a variety of reasons why people have chosen to relocate their watches from their wrists to their ankles.
The practice may come with some drawbacks in terms of accuracy of data collection and social awkwardness, but the user-driven trend seems to be growing.