A recent report from The New York Times has spotlighted a rising trend where individuals are choosing to wear their Apple Watches on their ankles instead of the traditional wrist placement. This shift is driven by various reasons: some users with small wrists find the watch fits poorly for accurate heart rate monitoring, while others with wrist tattoos believe the tattoos hinder sensor functionality. Additionally, some claim enhanced step counting accuracy and comfort for those with skin conditions or wrist-related professions. Despite this trend, Apple has not officially endorsed ankle usage, and their support documentation lacks acknowledgment of this practice, indicating that the heart rate and calorie tracking features are specifically validated for wrist usage.

Key Points:

• People are increasingly wearing Apple Watches on their ankles instead of wrists.
• Reasons for ankle wear include:
  • Poor fit for small wrists affecting heart rate sensing.
  • Wrist tattoos potentially interfering with heart rate monitoring.
  • Claims of more accurate step counting when worn on the ankle.
  • Comfort for individuals with skin conditions.
  • Certain medical professionals needing alternatives to wrist wear.
• Apple has not commented on this trend nor validated ankle usage for the watch in its documentation.
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