What’s my pulse?
Check your heart rate right here in the browser: cover your phone’s camera with a fingertip, or feel your pulse and tap along. No app, no account, and nothing you measure leaves your device.
Measure with your camera
Fingertip over the rear camera, about 25 seconds. Best on a phone with a flash.
Tap along with your pulse
Feel your pulse at the wrist or neck and tap each beat. Works on any device.
Know what your number means
Heart rate zones
Five training zones from your age and resting rate, with five equations compared.
Resting heart rate by age
Where a resting rate sits among 35,000+ people of the same age and sex.
Target heart rate
Moderate and vigorous ranges from the AHA and ACSM, side by side.
Maximum heart rate
220 − age and four research equations, and how far apart they are.
Karvonen formula
Training heart rate from your heart rate reserve, worked step by step.
Zone 2 heart rate
Your zone 2 range and what the latest research says about it.
Walking heart rate
The heart rate to aim for on a brisk walk, by age.
Heart rate by age
Reference values from birth to old age, from three sources.
Why this site exists
Checking your pulse should not require installing an app that asks for an account and access to your contacts. A phone already has what it takes: a camera, a light and enough computing power to read the faint colour change each heartbeat makes in a fingertip. Published studies of fingertip camera apps found that, at rest, their readings were close to ECG on average[1][2]. whatsmypulse does the same in an ordinary web page.
Two things are different here. First, the camera reader is strict: if the signal is too noisy for two independent checks to agree, it shows no number and tells you why, instead of guessing. Second, every figure on the calculators and reference pages links to where it comes from, whether that is a journal article, a U.S. government survey or a guideline. When sources disagree, as maximum-heart-rate equations and exercise-intensity bands do, you see them side by side.
Private by design
All measurements run in your browser. Camera frames are reduced to an average colour on your device and thrown away; they are never recorded or uploaded, and the page’s security policy blocks connections to anywhere but this site. Nothing is stored unless you press “Save to this device”, and then only in your own browser. There are no ads, no trackers and no accounts. Read the privacy policy and the separate consumer health data privacy policy.
What it is not
whatsmypulse is for general wellness: knowing your pulse, planning exercise, satisfying curiosity. It is not a medical device, and it cannot detect or diagnose any heart condition. If you have chest pain, fainting or sudden shortness of breath, call 911. If your heart rate has been slower or faster than usual, the American Heart Association advises telling your health care professional[3].
Questions people ask
How do I check my pulse without a device?
Place two fingertips on the inside of your wrist below the thumb, or on one side of your neck, and count the beats for 30 seconds, then double it. The tap counter on this site can do the timing and arithmetic.
Can my phone camera really measure my heart rate?
Yes, at rest. The camera sees blood volume change in your fingertip with each beat. Studies of fingertip camera apps found good agreement with ECG in resting adults[2]; this site shows a number only when its signal checks pass.
Is it free?
Yes. Every tool is free to use, with no sign-up and no paid tier.
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes, in Safari or Chrome. iPhone browsers may not allow web pages to turn on the flash, so measure near a bright lamp or window. The tap counter works everywhere.
Is my data stored?
No. Measurements stay on your device. Optional saved readings live only in your browser and can be cleared with one button.
Sources
- Coppetti T, Brauchlin A, Müggler S, et al. Accuracy of smartphone apps for heart rate measurement. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2017;24(12):1287–1293. doi:10.1177/2047487317702044. Checked 2026-10-09.
- De Ridder B, Van Rompaey B, Kampen JK, Haine S, Dilles T. Smartphone apps using photoplethysmography for heart rate monitoring: meta-analysis. JMIR Cardio 2018;2(1):e4. doi:10.2196/cardio.8802. Checked 2026-10-09.
- American Heart Association. All About Heart Rate (Pulse) (last reviewed May 13, 2024). heart.org. Checked 2026-10-09.