Heart rate monitoring apps really works?

There are quite a few heart rate monitoring apps on the App Store and play stores. 

Are they real or just prank?

Check the comparison below

App vs pulse Meter

http://youtu.be/_QXx4Z1AByI

App vs app

http://youtu.be/Z_D5MjCuQrQ

I tested a few of them and compare the result with that from manually count.
Some of them are working quite well. The result is very close.


But how?


Here is the procedures
1. Start the apps
2. Follow the instruction, place your finger tip on the camera.
           - make sure it is the "TIP" of your finger.
             it is the part of your finger that is the easiest to monitor the blood flow.
           - make sure you finger cover the lens
           - make sure your are not pressing the lens too hard
2. Wait for a few seconds before heart rate count to appear on the skill
3. Wait for another few seconds for the heart rate to stabilize.


Theory?

The app uses the camera on your phone and monitor the changes of the red pixel from your finger tip.
When the heart beats, the blood flows to the finger tip. This causes camera to detect changes of the light. And using the waveform of the changes of the red pixel, the heart beat can be counted with some algorithm.
Seeing is believing. Check the video out:
https://youtu.be/zkzYgSPF8Wo




Download the apps here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.supersimpleapps.heart_rate_monitor

✓Tracking your heart rate is never so

                              ★ EASY★, ★INSTANT★ and ★ CONVENIENCE★.

✓Launch the heart rate tracker, put your finger on the camera....

                               ★   START..15,14,13....3.2.1..DONE!  ★

✓Feeling enough with the limitation from other free heart rate apps? Now get this heart rate tracker,
                          
                              ★"FREE" ★ with  ★ALL FEATURES ★ ready.

✓How accurate it is? Watch the video, it shows how close are the reading of the app and that of a sphygmometer.

✓All the data are saved and NICELY displayed to you. They are well organized in categories

                            
                             ★  "REST","EXERCISE" or "POST EXERCISE" ★

 or you can simply use the state "GENERAL"

✓More, Heart Rate Tracker gives you your ★fitness level★ information, the lower your heart rate, most likely, the fitter your are

✓And more, it shows your exercise intensity level calculated based on your personalized maximum
heart rate zone. And shows you which heart rate zone you are in -
 
               ★"Recovery Zone", "Fat-Burning Zone", "Target Heart Rate Zone" and the "High Intensity Zone".★

Perfect for you to monitor your exercise intensity in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) ★

Instruction:

1.Start Heart Rate Tracker App

2.Put the "TIP" of your finger on the camera.
3.Ensure Flash LED is on/environment is well-lit and Don't press too hard.
4.The result should show in a few seconds.

Trouble shooting:

This app is definitely working, if the reading cannot be obtain, try below instructions

1. Ensure Flash LED is on or environment is well-lit.
2. Ensure your finger "TIP" is covering the camera "steadily".
3. DON'T press too hard.

Note: This is not a medical device.