Install HRV Flow on your iPhone
Download from the App Store.
2
Grant HealthKit permissions
Allow access to health data on first launch. This is required for reading HRV, heart rate, and sleep data.
3
Confirm the Apple Watch app
The Apple Watch app installs automatically when you install the iPhone app. Check in the Watch app under "My Watch."
4
Wait for baseline learning
The iPhone app analyzes your historical HRV data from Apple Watch to calculate your personal baseline. This takes just seconds if sufficient data is available.
Wearing your Apple Watch regularly helps accumulate HRV data, enabling more accurate stress detection over time.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
A daily score from 0 to 100 that represents your morning condition. It's calculated from three factors:
Don't aim for 100 every day. Steadily staying in the 60–80 range is the real goal. On low days, one minute of breathing is enough to reset.
Yes, that's completely normal. Your score fluctuates based on sleep quality, previous day's activity, stress levels, alcohol consumption, and more. What matters is the trend over a week, not a single day's number. Check the 7-day chart in the Condition tab to see your trends.
The Trends section of the Condition tab lets you switch between 7d and 8w. Choosing 8w shows how four measures have moved over the past eight weeks: wake-up HRV, resting heart rate, sleep duration, and respiratory rate.
You can usually sense a single day or a single week. What is hard to notice is a change that unfolds slowly over weeks. This view exists to make that visible.
The chart has two layers. The faint dots are your daily readings exactly as recorded; the solid line is a 7-day median. Wake-up HRV can swing more than 20% from day to day, so the dots alone would bury any longer movement — while the line alone would hide how much things actually vary. Showing both keeps everything visible.
A single line such as "Your wake-up HRV has been gradually declining over the past 8 weeks" appears only when the movement is clear. If nothing appears, no clear trend was found.
The message makes no judgement about good or bad. It describes how your recorded numbers moved. The same pattern can come from the season, activity, alcohol, travel, menstrual cycle, or a change in how you wear your Apple Watch.
What this feature cannot find (stated plainly):
Very slow or very small changes stay buried in normal day-to-day variation
Periods with few recorded days cannot be assessed (you'll see "too few readings to show a trend")
No message does not mean nothing changed
If you have any concern about your health, please consult a medical professional regardless of what these numbers show.
Under wake-up HRV, resting heart rate, and sleep on the Condition tab, you'll see how much that measure moved over the past 8 weeks — the difference between the start and end of the trend line on the 8-week chart.
It is a number rather than an arrow because the number is a record, and an arrow would be an interpretation. It makes no judgement about good or bad.
It is highlighted only when the trend is clear
Nothing is shown for a measure with too few readings (this does not mean nothing changed)
From v1.9, the wake-up HRV trend uses values measured during that night's sleep (or morning values when there is no sleep record), so numbers may differ slightly from earlier versions.
This appears when the Apple Watch model that measured your HRV changed within the 8 weeks.
Different models measure differently — Series 12, for example, samples HRV far more often than earlier models. So an 8-week trend that spans an upgrade mixes in the difference between instruments, not a change in your body.
During this time, trend emphasis (the one-line message and highlight) and the "8w ±" line under each number are paused. The charts and daily numbers remain. Once 8 weeks have been recorded on the new Watch, the usual display returns.
If you alternate between two Apple Watches on different days, this message may also appear.
From the morning condition notification you can log Heavy / Usual / Fresh with one tap, without opening the app. If you miss the notification, you can also log it from the Condition tab or your Apple Watch.
Your answer appears beside that day's numbers in the daily list. Since v1.8, a "How you felt vs. the numbers" block also counts the days over the past 12 weeks when the two matched or sat apart (see the next item). Neither one passes judgement — they only place the records side by side.
Answers are stored in iCloud and shared between iPhone and Apple Watch. Logging is entirely optional — skipping it affects nothing else.
It appears below the daily list on the Condition tab. Looking at the past 12 weeks, on days where both a morning check-in and a score were recorded, it counts the days that matched and the days that were apart.
Matched: both how you felt and your numbers were high for you (or both were low for you)
Apart: you felt Fresh but your numbers were low for you, or you felt Heavy but your numbers were high for you
"High" and "low" are not general benchmarks — they mean where that day sits within your own 12 weeks of records. Days you answered Usual sit in the middle and are not counted either way.
Apart days are listed with their dates, along with the measure that stood out most that day (such as wake-up HRV). Neither one is the right answer. How you feel and what your body records were never expected to line up perfectly, and having some apart days is normal. Everyone has days of feeling fine on low numbers, and days of feeling heavy on high ones.
This block only counts days. It never concludes anything about you, such as whether you notice your own state. It stays hidden until 14 days of both records exist (until then it says that more records are needed).
HRV measures the variation in time intervals between heartbeats. When you're stressed or fatigued, HRV tends to be lower. When relaxed, HRV tends to be higher. Apple Watch measures this automatically, and HRV Flow uses this data to assess your stress levels.
Apple Watch is required for HRV monitoring and real-time stress detection. Breathing exercises can be tried on iPhone, but heart rate feedback requires running them on Apple Watch.
iPhone: iOS 17.0 or later
Apple Watch: watchOS 10.0 or later
All health data is stored only on your device and iCloud. No data is ever sent to our servers. See our Privacy Policy for details.
HRV Flow sends three types of notifications:
Morning condition: Your condition score and day-over-day comparison upon waking
Stress alerts: When Apple Watch detects a drop in HRV
Scheduled reminders: Breathing exercise reminders at your chosen times
Notifications are automatically suppressed during sleep. Morning condition alerts can be toggled on/off and the notification time can be changed in the Settings tab.
We offer 11 breathing patterns for different purposes: relaxation, focus, emergencies, and sleep. All patterns are available for free.
Choose based on your goal:
Beginners: Start with "Simple Deep Breathing"
Feeling stressed: "4-7-8 Breathing" or "Physiological Sigh" work well
Improving focus: Try "Box Breathing"
Improving HRV: "Coherent Breathing" is scientifically recommended
Better sleep: Try "Sleep Breathing"
Acute stress: "SOS Breathing" helps you calm down quickly
You can see details for each pattern in the breathing list on your Apple Watch.
Yes — on iPhone, adjust it right before you start.
Length: choose Default / ~1 min / ~3 min / ~5 min (the cycle count adjusts automatically)
Rhythm: tune the inhale / hold / exhale seconds individually
Rhythm changes apply to that session only and aren't saved (reopening a pattern returns it to its default rhythm). Apple Watch stays focused on a quick, glanceable session, so this customization lives on iPhone.
Yes. A calm voice leads your breathing (available in Japanese and English).
Phase cues (breathe in / hold / breathe out)
Gentle hints ("let your shoulders drop," etc. — the same text shown on screen)
Start and finish prompts
The audio is bundled with the app, so it plays offline with no network needed, and it's private. To avoid being chatty, the guide alternates between cues and hints.
Turning it on/off: on iPhone, from the pre-session screen; on Apple Watch, from the "Guidance" section of the breathing list. It's off by default (opt-in).
Yes. In the "Guidance" section at the bottom of the breathing list on Apple Watch, you can toggle each one independently.
Voice: on/off (off by default)
Haptics: on/off (on by default) — the vibration feedback during breathing
Turn voice off in quiet places, or keep only haptics before bed — whatever fits the moment.
Yes. You can display real-time HRV values and stress levels on your Apple Watch face. Circular, rectangular, and inline complications are supported.
Method 1: From Apple Watch
1
Long press on the watch face
2
Tap "Edit"
3
Tap on a complication slot
4
Turn the Digital Crown to select "HRV Flow"
Method 2: From iPhone Watch app
1
Open the "Watch" app on your iPhone
2
Tap the watch face you want to edit under "My Faces"
3
Select a slot under "Complications"
4
Choose "HRV Flow"
The HRV value on the complication updates automatically whenever Apple Watch captures new HRV data (typically every 10-30 minutes). Available complication types vary by watch face.
Yes. Breathing sessions completed on Apple Watch are automatically synced to your iPhone within minutes. They will be reflected in the Habits tab for streak tracking and statistics.
HRV Flow is designed to minimize battery consumption.
HRV monitoring: Simply receives data from Apple Watch's regular HRV measurements (every 10-30 minutes) — no additional sensor activity
Complications: Event-driven updates only when new HRV data arrives
During breathing sessions: Runs as a workout session, using battery similar to any workout app
Under normal use, the impact on Apple Watch's daily battery life is minimal.
HRV Flow calculates a "Personal Baseline" from your historical HRV data and compares your current HRV against it to assess stress in 4 levels:
😌 Relaxed: HRV is above your baseline
🟢 Normal: HRV is near your baseline
🟡 Elevated: HRV is below your baseline
🔴 High: HRV is significantly below your baseline
Time-of-day and day-of-week patterns are also considered, so the same HRV value may receive different assessments in the morning versus evening.
Yes. Tap any pattern in the Breathing tab to try it on iPhone with a countdown timer and phase display. For heart rate feedback, run the exercise on Apple Watch.
Recommendations are based on time of day and stress level. Morning suggests simple breathing, daytime suggests box breathing for focus, and evening suggests relaxation patterns. When stress is elevated, quick-relief patterns are prioritized.
🔧 Troubleshooting
The personal baseline is calculated on your iPhone and synced to Apple Watch via iCloud. If it's not syncing:
1
Open the iPhone app and check if the baseline is calculated in the HRV tab
2
In the iPhone app, go to Settings tab → tap "Sync to Watch"
3
On Apple Watch, tap the "Sync from iPhone" button
Baseline calculation requires sufficient HRV data. Try wearing your Apple Watch for a few days before checking again. Make sure both devices are signed in to the same iCloud account.
1
Open the "Watch" app on your iPhone
2
Scroll down to "Available Apps" and find HRV Flow
3
Tap "Install"
Automatic app installation may be disabled. Check: Watch app → General → Automatic App Install is turned on. Installation works best when your Apple Watch is nearby, charging, or connected to Wi-Fi.
Check iPhone Settings → Notifications → HRV Flow is enabled
Check Apple Watch Settings → Notifications → HRV Flow is enabled
Make sure Focus Mode or Do Not Disturb is not active
Confirm your Apple Watch is being worn and collecting HRV data
Verify HealthKit permissions: iPhone Settings → Health → Data Access & Devices → HRV Flow
Make sure your Apple Watch fits snugly on your wrist
HRV data is measured automatically by Apple Watch (typically every 10-30 minutes)
During breathing exercises, a workout session keeps the app active. However, screen behavior depends on your Apple Watch model:
Series 5 and later (Always On Display): The screen dims when you lower your wrist but remains visible
SE / Series 4 and earlier (no Always On Display): The screen turns off when you lower your wrist. Raise your wrist or tap the screen to wake it
In both cases, haptic (vibration) guidance continues even when the screen is off. You can follow the breathing rhythm by vibration alone without watching the screen.
If a status code appears on the result screen, refer to the guide below:
W-AUTH (Workout write permission not granted)
1
On iPhone, go to Settings → Health → Data Access & Devices → HRV Flow
2
Under "Allow to Write", turn on "Workouts"
3
Run a breathing session on Apple Watch again
If the "Allow to Write" section is not visible at all, delete HRV Flow from Apple Watch and reinstall it from the Watch app on iPhone.
W-START (Could not start workout session)
Restart your Apple Watch and try again
Make sure no other workouts are currently running
W-HR (Heart rate not detected)
Make sure your Apple Watch fits snugly on your wrist
Clean the back of the Watch (sensor area) if needed
Very short sessions (e.g., Quick 3-0-3) may finish before the heart rate sensor fully starts. Try a longer pattern
W-REQ (Permission check failed)
Restart your Apple Watch and try again
Make sure both devices are signed in to the same iCloud account
Confirm both devices are connected to the internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data)
Check that workout reading and writing are enabled: iPhone Settings → Health → Data Access & Devices → HRV Flow
Opening the iPhone app will automatically import any unsynced sessions
Syncing usually takes a few minutes, but may take longer depending on network conditions. Wait a moment and try reopening the iPhone app.
ℹ️ About
HRV Flow is completely free with all features included. No ads.
This is an optional setting that helps us improve the app by collecting anonymous data about which features are used. Health data such as HRV and heart rate is never sent. All features work without consent, and you can toggle it on/off anytime in settings.
📩 Contact Us
If you couldn't find a solution above, please don't hesitate to reach out. We typically respond within 1-2 business days.
⚠️ For your privacy, please do not include specific health data such as HRV values or heart rate in your inquiries. Your email address will be used solely for responding to your message.