Can You Wear a Fitness Tracker With a Pacemaker? (2026)

The short answer: for most people with a pacemaker or ICD, wearing a wrist-based fitness tracker is generally considered low-risk — the heart-rate sensor itself doesn’t interfere with these implants. But there are two real cautions worth understanding: the magnets found in some watch bands and chargers, and bioimpedance (body-composition) sensors. Below is what current guidance from the FDA and heart charities actually says, and the simple precautions that follow from it.

How the two technologies work

A pacemaker or ICD constantly monitors your heart’s electrical activity and steps in when needed. Many also have a “magnet mode” — a safety feature designed to be triggered by a clinician’s magnet — which strong nearby magnets can switch on by accident.

A fitness tracker measures heart rate optically (shining light into the skin to detect blood flow — called photoplethysmography). This optical method, and the Bluetooth a tracker uses to sync, are not known to interfere with implanted cardiac devices.

The real cautions

Magnets (in bands and chargers)

This is the main, evidence-based concern. The FDA warns that consumer electronics containing high-strength magnets — including some smartwatches, certain bands, and magnetic charging cables/docks — can make an implanted device switch into magnet mode and temporarily change how it works. Their recommendation:

• Keep phones and smartwatches at least six inches (15 cm) away from your implanted device.
• Choose a non-magnetic watch band where possible.
• Don’t keep the watch or its magnetic charger on your chest, including resting a hand on your chest in bed — remove a magnetic-band watch before sleep.

Following these steps, the FDA says a clinically significant problem is unlikely.

Bioimpedance / body-composition features

Some trackers and smart scales use bioimpedance (a tiny electrical current) to estimate body composition. Research published in Heart Rhythm found this electrical signal could interfere with implanted cardiac devices, and the FDA has not cleared any consumer bioimpedance device for people with cardiac implants. If your tracker offers a body-composition or bioimpedance feature, the safe course is to avoid using it unless your cardiologist says otherwise.

ECG features

Many modern watches include an ECG app. These are designed for the general public, and an ECG taken on a watch is not a substitute for your device checks. Don’t rely on a watch ECG to assess a pacemaker/ICD, and check with your cardiologist before using ECG features so you understand what the readings do and don’t mean for you.

Phones, headphones, Bluetooth

Per the American Heart Association, Bluetooth headsets don’t appear to interfere with implants, and everyday electronics rarely do. But many headphones and earbuds contain magnets, so keep those away from your chest too.

Practical precautions (a simple checklist)

1. Ask your cardiologist first — about wearables in general and any specific model you’re considering.
2. Keep the watch (and phone) 6+ inches from your implant, and on the wrist further from the device side where practical.
3. Use a non-magnetic band; remove a magnetic-band watch and its charger from your chest, especially overnight.
4. Avoid bioimpedance/body-composition features unless cleared by your doctor.
5. Treat ECG features as consumer wellness tools, not implant checks — and clear them with your care team.

When to seek medical help

A wearable should never replace your scheduled device checks. Contact your physician if you notice possible signs of a device problem — and call emergency services for anything severe or sudden:

dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, palpitations, prolonged hiccups, an unusually slow or fast heartbeat, or twitching muscles in the chest or abdomen.

The bottom line

A fitness tracker can be a genuinely useful way to stay active and watch general trends if you have a heart condition — and for most people, with the magnet and bioimpedance precautions above, a wrist tracker is considered low-risk. But implants and wearables both evolve, so the single most important step is to confirm with your own cardiologist for your situation and device.

Sources

• FDA — Magnets in Cell Phones and Smart Watches May Affect Pacemakers and Other Implanted Medical Devices
• American Heart Association — Devices that may interfere with ICDs and pacemakers
• British Heart Foundation — Do smartwatches stop pacemakers and ICDs working properly?
• Heart Rhythm / NIH — Interference by modern smartphones and accessories with cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Always consult your cardiologist or device manufacturer about your specific situation.