The number of people wearing their Apple Watches on their ankles has increased, with five main reasons cited. One reason is that the watch can be too loose on small wrists during workouts. Fitness influencer Ana Espinal discovered this issue when her fitness app would shut down during exercise due to her wrist’s inability to register her heart rate.
Online, a community of people found similar issues and solved them by wearing their watches on their ankles. Some reported more accurate step counts while walking or running, as the watch’s motion detection is less consistent with arm movement compared to foot movement. Others with tattoos or skin conditions found the wrist area uncomfortable, but the ankle was more tolerable.
Some medical professionals, bound by hospital hygiene rules, wear their watches on their ankles to track steps during long shifts. Unfortunately, this has led to misconceptions about being under house arrest. The trend highlights the versatility of the Apple Watch and its users’ creativity in finding ways to make it work for them.
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2025/02/10/the-five-reasons-some-people-wear-their-apple-watch-on-their-ankle