Tattoo getting in the way of your smartwatch readings? Try this simple fix

Tattoos and wearable gadgets aren’t exactly a winning combination. The ink on your skin can make wrist detection difficult for these devices. While many manufacturers are well aware of this issue, there are plenty of consumers who will pick up a smartwatch unaware that such a problem exists. If this includes you, there is a workaround that could get your device working like it should.

Most wrist-based wearables tend to use photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors for detecting biometric data. Although it’s a good, low-cost, and non-invasive way to obtain biometric data, this technology has some flaws. Simply put, these optical sensors work by flashing light on your skin and seeing how much light is reflected back. Things like skin pigment, veins, arteries, and bones all absorb this light. As you may know, lighter colors reflect more light than darker colors. That’s why PPG sensors tend to struggle with dark skin and ink.