Google smartphones’ cameras will soon be able to measure users’ health vital signs

Google is turning the cameras in its smartphones into tools that measure key health vital signs, such as users’ heart rate and respiratory rate. 

Google Health’s Director of Health Technologies Shwetak Patel said Wednesday that the new features for Android phones will start for Pixel phones using the Google Fit app next month, but ultimately expand to more Android devices. 

“To measure your respiratory rate, you just need to place your head and upper torso in view of your phone’s front-facing camera and breathe normally. To measure your heart rate, simply place your finger on the rear-facing camera lens,” Mr. Patel wrote on Google’s blog. “While these measurements aren’t meant for medical diagnosis or to evaluate medical conditions, we hope they can be useful for people using the Google Fit app to track and improve day-to-day wellness. Once the measurements are made, you can choose to save them in the app to monitor trends over time, alongside other health and wellness information.”

Google’s heart rate algorithm uses the color changes in someone’s fingertip on the screen, while also factoring in lighting conditions, the users’ skin tone and other inputs, Mr. Patel said. A users’ chest movements, measured at a pixel-by-pixel level, help determine the respiratory rate.

“With continued advances in hardware and software, sometimes the device that could be most helpful to your health and wellness is already in your pocket,” Mr. Patel wrote.