A heart rate overlay for OBS from your Apple Watch
Horror games, ranked finals, a workout on stream: your pulse tells viewers more than any webcam. Put your live heart rate in your overlay with your iPhone and an Apple Watch, a WHOOP, a Garmin watch or a chest strap.
Vision account required. You build the overlay in the editor. · Updated
How it works
What you need for a heart rate overlay
Install the free 1UP Vision app on your iPhone. In the Vision editor, add a Heart Rate layer to your overlay. In the app, open Sync → Heart Rate Sync, pick the same overlay and your Apple Watch or Bluetooth monitor, and tap Start sharing. The heart in OBS beats at your pulse and shows your BPM live.
- An iPhone with the free 1UP Vision app
- An Apple Watch (watchOS 10 or later) or a Bluetooth heart rate device like WHOOP, Garmin, Polar or Wahoo
- A Vision overlay added to OBS as a browser source
Step by step
Set up the heart rate overlay in OBS
Install the app and sign in
Install 1UP Vision from the App Store and sign in with the account you use for Vision, or scan the QR code from Vision's settings on your computer. With an Apple Watch, install the 1UP Vision watch app too.
Add the Heart Rate layer
Open the overlay you use in OBS in the Vision editor. Use the + button and choose Heart Rate under Health & Location. Place it next to your webcam.
Style it
Under Heart Rate Settings, choose the Heart Color, turn the background on or off and show a BPM label if you like. Under Font Settings, pick the font, size and colour of the number. For full control, add your own Custom CSS in the layer's advanced settings. Save the overlay.
Start sharing from your iPhone
In the app, open the Sync tab and tap Heart Rate Sync. Under Destination overlay, choose the same overlay. Use your Apple Watch, or turn on heart rate broadcasting on your WHOOP, Garmin or chest strap, tap Scan for Monitors and pick it from the list. Tap Start sharing.
Check it in OBS
The heart now beats at your pulse and the number updates live. If no new value arrives for 15 seconds, the layer shows -- instead of an old number. Change this under Stale After Seconds.
Apple Watch, Apple Health or a chest strap?
With the 1UP Vision watch app, your Apple Watch measures about once per second and sends each value through your iPhone. The workout it runs for this is not saved to your Activity history.
Without the watch app, Vision reads heart rate from Apple Health. That works, but new values arrive less often.
Bluetooth monitors work if they support the standard Heart Rate Service, including WHOOP HR Broadcast, Garmin broadcast HR, Polar, Wahoo and most chest straps or arm bands. Turn on broadcasting on the device before you scan.
Go further with variables
If you want more than the Heart Rate layer, use your pulse as a variable. Choose Overlay → Variables, create a variable with the Vision Companion source and the metric Heart rate (BPM), and insert it into any text layer. Variables need the Basic plan or higher.
That opens up more: a visibility rule like bpm is greater than 150 can show a flame or a panic banner, an expression can turn your pulse into zones, and with Health Stats Sync you can add your resting heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen or steps from Apple Health.
Troubleshooting
If something is not working
- The layer shows --? Sharing isn't running, the app sends to a different Destination overlay than the one in OBS, or the sensor has no skin contact.
- Your strap doesn't appear under Scan for Monitors? Wear it so it detects skin contact, turn on broadcasting and disconnect it from other apps.
- The number keeps switching to --? Without the watch app, Apple Health delivers values less often. Install the 1UP Vision watch app or raise Stale After Seconds.
FAQ
Heart rate overlay: common questions
Does it work with WHOOP, Garmin or Polar?
Yes, over Bluetooth. Every device that broadcasts the standard Bluetooth Heart Rate Service works, for example WHOOP with HR Broadcast, Garmin watches with broadcast heart rate, and Polar or Wahoo straps. Turn on broadcasting on the device, then tap Scan for Monitors in the app.
Does it work on Android?
Not yet. The app is available for iPhone and Apple Watch.
What does it cost?
The app and the Heart Rate layer are free, and so is styling the layer with your own CSS. Only variables, for example to use your pulse in other layers or to have your overlay react to it, need the Basic plan or higher.
Does the stream workout show up in Apple Fitness?
No. The watch app runs a workout only to measure your pulse and discards it when you stop.
