Is your Apple Watch ECG App Missing? Here is how to get it back

ECG app on Apple Watch home screen

ECG is an app that’s available for all the newer Apple Watch devices such as the Watch Series 4, Series 5, and Series 6. If your Apple Watch ECG app is missing, we may have a couple of tricks up our sleeve that may save you yet.

This little guide should take less than 5 minutes to follow. So, without any further ado, let us get right into it!

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Why is the ECG App not on my Apple Watch?

#1 Check if your home country supports ECG

The ECG app only works in regions that allow Apple and other companies to use such health-related functions.

So, if you can’t find the ECG app on your Apple Watch Series 4/5/6, there is a good chance that you are living in an unsupported region. 

Thankfully, ECG is available for the biggest part of Europe and the U.S as well. 

countries with Apple Watch ECG support February 2021

#2 Make sure your Watch Series supports ECG

Other than that, do keep in mind that only Apple Watch Series 4 and above support ECG. Anything below that doesn’t have the necessary hardware to use this feature. 

The easiest way to know your Apple Watch series is to look on the back–Apple engraves the series number on the back of every Apple Watch. back of Apple watch to find series model info

If you cannot find your series on the back of your watch, follow these steps instead.

How to identify your Apple Watch Series

  1. On your Apple Watch, go to Settings > General > About. About settings on Apple Watch
  2. Scroll down to Model.Apple watch model number in Watch settings app
  3. Review Apple’s model identifier site for Apple Watch.

#3 How old are you? ECG is for adults only

In case you don’t know about it, the ECG app is age-restricted and is only intended to be used by adults. For some countries, that’s over age 18 but ranges from 18 up to 22 depending on your home country.

Obviously, you should be able to get around this by using a fake birthday easily. But whether that’s going to give you accurate readings and whether it’s safe or not is something best left to the health and tech experts.

#4 Look for the ECG app in your iPhone’s Watch app

If you don’t see the app on your Apple Watch, first look to see if it’s installed. 

  1. On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
  2. Choose the My Watch tab. My Watch tab on iPhone's Apple Watch app
  3. Scroll down and tap on the Heart app. ECG app installation using the Watch app on iPhone
  4. Check if ECG is listed as installed, or tap the INSTALL button if you need to install it. 

How do I reinstall the ECG App on Apple Watch? ECG app app store

If the ECG is actually supported on both your Apple Watch and region, but you still can’t find it, there is always the option of installing/reinstalling it from the App Store. To do that: 

  1. Pless the Digital Crown to see the home screen.
  2. Open the App Store.
  3. Search for ECG app or EGC Utilities. App Store on Apple Watch ECG utility app
    1. You must scroll down (sometimes a lot!) to find it.
    2. If you cannot find it, use this link and open it on your iPhone.
  4. Tap GET to install it as you’d install any other app.

#5 Set-up or update ECG in the Health app Update or set up ECG app on iPhone using Health app

  1. Open the Health app on your paired iPhone. 
  2. Look for a prompt to set-up or update the ECG app and follow the steps on the screen. 
    1. If you don’t see the prompt, tap the Browse > Heart > Electrocardiograms (ECG) > Set Up ECG App
  3. After you complete its setup, open the ECG app on your Apple Watch to take an ECG.

Last but not least, there is also a chance that something bugged out in terms of software. Software issues are not uncommon – even for Apple. In this case, a simple re-install or new setup should do the trick.

If you are one of the unlucky few who can’t use ECG, there are a couple of things that you can try that can potentially fix this issue.

Other tips for ECG app missing from Apple Watch

Unpairing and setting up your Apple Watch from scratch may also fix the issue. When you unpair your watch, Apple automatically creates a backup. 

Not to mention you can always try restarting both your watch and paired iPhone. There is a reason why “Have you tried turning it off and on?” is such a cliche in tech support.

To restart your Apple Watch, press and hold the side button and choose power off. Then, press and hold the side button again until you see the Apple logo.how to restart the apple watch (not forced restart)

How to Fix Missing ECG With Jailbreak

If you have an iPhone with Jailbreak, all you have to do to install ECG is: 

  1. Open Cydia
  2. Go to BigBogg Repository
  3. Add “https://apt.thebigboss.org/repofiles/cydia/” to the addresses.
  4. Search and install “ECG Enabler.” 
  5. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
  6. Go to the ECG section.
  7. And try setting up your Apple Watch from scratch.

ECG enabler

If you don’t know what Jailbreak is, now is the time to learn about it. You can think of it as a nice trick for unlocking the full potential of an iPhone.

But it’s worth keeping in mind that this also brings certain risks and downsides with it. Not to mention you need a bit of technical knowledge to take full advantage of such things. 

However, if your phone is already Jailbroken, this is a neat little trick to get ECG on your Apple Watch — even if it’s not supported in your region. 

Apple Watch ECG App Missing Fix: Wrapping Up

That’s about all you can do to get ECG back if you don’t have it.

There are also some other, maybe shady methods of going around it, such as logging in with a foreign Apple ID registered in a supported region.

But logging in with a foreign account means giving the account holder full access to your Apple device. So, that’s maybe not the best idea to get ECG working. 

If you have any other solutions or questions, feel free to let us and everyone else know about them in the comments section down below!

If you liked this article, feel free to stick around as we regularly post more how-to guides, news, reviews, and more!

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