Heart Rate Monitor Wear API:
Read the beat. Keep the context.

Identify the actual data path

A nearby Bluetooth monitor, a watch framework, and a manufacturer’s cloud export may all expose heart rate, but they have different delivery behavior. Decide whether the application requires measurements during an exercise or can use stored records. Confirm device compatibility and the interface provided by the manufacturer. Do not assume that the presence of a heart rate feature implies access to an ECG waveform or raw optical samples.

Decode the complete measurement

The Bluetooth Heart Rate Service defines a measurement whose flags describe how the payload is arranged. Implementations need to respect the selected heart rate value format and the presence of optional fields. A payload parser should validate length before reading and reject incomplete data cleanly. Optional RR intervals represent a different type of information from a single beats-per-minute value; preserve their meaning and units.

Make gaps and signal context visible

A lost connection is not a heart rate of zero. Track when the last valid measurement was observed and when the connection state changes. Decide how a chart shows stale values and interrupted sessions. If the source provides contact information or other quality context, retain it without inventing fields the device does not supply. Fitness data should not be presented as a medical diagnosis merely because the interface looks precise.

Make your first integration plan

Use the Docs and illustrative record examples to turn these questions into a small data contract. Then review the integration cost checklist before expanding device coverage. The goal is a first implementation whose assumptions are visible and testable.