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Apple Watch wearers may occasionally notice green lights on the back of their smartwatch. Here's what they mean and how to turn them off when wanted.

Apple Watch wearers might occasionally notice green lights on the back of the wearable. While this is totally normal, it can be worth knowing why they are there, what they do, and how to turn them off. Apple Watch continues to be the best smartwatch for iPhone owners, but getting used to all of the features can take some time. The use of the green light is one such example. The back of the Apple Watch regularly lights up with bright green lights, and if you aren't sure what they are, they can be rather alarming.

The Apple Watch is capable of countless things. The interface is usually simple and easy to navigate, but there can be occasions when things seem less clear. For example, in addition to a green light, Apple Watch wearers may also see a red light on the watch face. Without context, many might assume the red light to be a warning of an issue. In reality, it's simply a way for the Apple Watch to advise the wearer that there’s a new notification.

Related: How To Delete Apps On An Apple Watch

In contrast, the green light on an Apple Watch may seem a little more ominous, especially considering it's on the rear of the device and likely to go unnoticed by the wearer most of the time. In fact, the green lights can sometimes turn on even when the watch is not being worn, adding to their mysterious nature. Despite all that, the lights are simply used to measure people's heart rate. Essentially, an Apple Watch uses these green LED lights to detect the amount of blood flow and then uses that to help determine the actual heart rate. At times when the watch is taking more frequent heart rate measurements, the green LED lights will be even more active.

How To Turn Off Apple Watch's Green Lights

There’s no real reason to turn off the green lights as they are used to measure heart rate. However, there can be times when the watch is inadvertently taking measurements. For example, if the watch is not being worn but the green lights are on, then it could be a result of a workout still in progress. During these times, the Apple Watch will be looking to monitor the heart rate more frequency and causing the lights to activate more often. Simply stopping the workout will also stop the green lights from activating.

In cases where users want to totally disable the green lights, then the only option is to completely turn off the heart rate sensor. To do this, simply open the Apple Watch’s Settings app and then navigate to 'Privacy,' followed by 'Health.' Here the user will find the option to tap on 'Heart Rate' and the ability to disable the feature. Again, this will completely stop the Apple Watch from being able to take measurements, requiring the user to enable the feature (and the green lights) if they want to measure their heart rate again.

Next: What Is The Digital Crown On An Apple Watch & What Does It Do?

Source: Apple

John Finn is a technology editor and writer for Screen Rant. John has been covering technology since 2014 and focuses on where tech meets the movie and TV industry. A Psychology graduate from England who now lives in the US, John previously worked in the aviation industry as an airline reviewer. You can find John on Twitter (@J_Finns) or contact directly at john [at] screenrant [dot] com.