Wearing an Apple Watch on the Ankle? New Report Explains the Trend

A report from The New York Times over the weekend highlighted the trend of people wearing an Apple Watch on their ankles, instead of the wrist.

The report highlighted reasons why some people prefer to wear the Apple Watch on the ankle:

• Some people with tiny wrists find the Apple Watch fits too loosely for heart rate sensing.
• Some people with wrist tattoos believe the ink may interfere with heart rate sensing, which is something that Apple acknowledges in a support document. Apple says some tattoos can "block light" from the heart rate sensor on the bottom of the Apple Watch, making it "difficult to get reliable readings."
• Some people believe the Apple Watch provides more accurate step counting when it is worn on the ankle, compared to the wrist.
• Some people with skin conditions prefer to wear the Apple Watch on the ankle.
• Some medical professionals cannot wear anything on their wrists.

Apple has not commented on the report, but its support documents and white papers for the Apple Watch mention that the device's heart rate and calorie measuring functions are validated for wear on the wrist, with no mention of the ankle anywhere. Apple has not publicly come out and advised people against wearing the Apple Watch on the ankle, but it is not something that its documentation acknowledges at this time.