Health Forward Cardiovascular

Mastering the HUAWEI WATCH 5: Your Guide to Quick, Smarter Health Tracking

Beyond the Course: How I Use the HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 Pro Before and After Training

Written by Dr. Ben Buckley

Mastering the HUAWEI WATCH 5: Your Guide to Quick, Smarter Health Tracking

7 min read
Published on 24/12/2025 · 11:30

Introduction – What Is X-TAP?

X-TAP is HUAWEI's new tactile-sensor interaction system, currently available only on the HUAWEI WATCH 5 and WATCH Ultimate 2. Built into the watch’s frame, the sensor works alongside the ECG and PPG modules to detect subtle finger taps and pressure gestures. In simple terms, X-TAP gives your watch an ‘invisible button’ and with a quick tap on the side of the device, you can almost instantly get health metrics at your fingertips without swiping through menus and settings. For users, this means faster access to Health Glance all from a subtle gesture. The HUAWEI WATCH 5 also offers some features that can make life and health tracking more convenient, like real-time ECG checks and continuous SpO₂ readings. This article will go through how you can make the most of the smartwatch to fit into your lifestyle.

About the Author

Dr. Ben Buckley

Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Physiology,
Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, UK

Ben is a Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Physiology within the Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science and a Fellow of the ESC (European Society of Cardiology). His research interests include cardiovascular epidemiology and use of mobile health technology to improve cardiovascular health. He has won the prestigious ESC Young Investigator award for his research in Preventive Cardiology.

In this article

01. Using X-TAP for a Health Glance

02. Tips: Personalise the HUAWEI WATCH 5 for Your Lifestyle

03. What Biometrics Can Tell Us

04. Everyday Use Cases

Using X-TAP for a Health Glance

Health Glance is pre-set to start on the HUAWEI WATCH 5 through the X-TAP sensor as a shortcut. You can also kickstart Health Glance through the regular menu, like with other applications.

To Use HUAWEI X-TAP for a Health Glance:

1. Press the X-TAP sensor on the side of the watch for three seconds.
2. Stay still with your watch face facing upwards.
3. Let the watch complete the reading (around 60 seconds).
4. View the numerous health parameters and related trends over time on both the watch and in the HUAWEI Health App.

To view the health metrics in more detail, open the HUAWEI Health App on your phone. The app consolidates all your sensor data, including ECG recordings and blood oxygen trends, into easy-to-read dashboards.

Good to know: ECG & PPG

ECG records your heart’s electrical signal for a short time and can flag unusual rhythm patterns to discuss with your doctor.

PPG uses light on the back of the watch for continuous heart, sleep and stress tracking in everyday life.

“HUAWEI WATCH 5 does not just track your health, it puts a rapid physiological check on your wrist – helping you recognise fatigue, stress patterns and recovery needs earlier, instead of noticing them only when it is too late.”

Tips: Personalise the HUAWEI WATCH 5 for Your Lifestyle

X-TAP and smartwatch shortcuts become more valuable when it’s tailored to your daily routines.

For example, you can start to track key biometric variables like your ECG (heart rhythm) and stress scores during the working day, exercise, or when you go to sleep or get up in the morning.

Equally, those who prioritise their health and fitness can quickly assign the lower button on the watch (below the X-TAP sensor) t o start a workout, monitor real-time heart metrics or much more. Every user benefits from having a one-tap shortcut to essential information or whichever feature they use the most - whether that’s checking stress levels or launching a favourite app. This supports the design of personalised interventions and stress management approaches, because continuous physiological data allows users to see when stress typically builds up, how the body reacts, and how quickly it recovers [1].

Over time, this makes it possible to tailor strategies to the individual user. For example, scheduling micro-breaks before peak stress times, adjusting training intensity on days with poor recovery, or integrating breathing exercises and relaxation exactly when the watch indicates early physiological signs of strain. From a cardiovascular scientist’s point of view, this data-driven, real-time understanding of stress load is more precise than relying on memory or “gut feeling” alone, and can make preventive care and lifestyle change more targeted and effective.

What Biometrics Can Tell Us

From a health perspective, the biometrics measured through the HUAWEI WATCH 5’s X-TAP and TruSense System are meaningful: Research shows variations in HRV, resting HR, ECG metrics, and wearable stress scores can correlate with recovery, cognitive readiness, and early signs of fatigue [2]. In high-stress professional jobs such as a doctor, continuous HRV monitoring may offer a viable method for tracking stress and recovery patterns that may contribute to burnout [3]. Equally, in a more general population, results suggest that consistent HRV monitoring may offer meaningful insight into subjective wellness, particularly when contextualised and tracked over time [4].

“Business professionals may appreciate HUAWEI WATCH 5’s gesture controls for answering calls without needing to touch the display.”

Everyday Use Cases

In daily life, X-TAP acts as a silent assistant. Before a full day of work, you might start with a quick tap to open Health Glance. This gives you a snapshot of, resting heart rate, and stress levels - metrics that can help guide you in how to manage your energy and focus. You may also decide to review your sleep score under “sleep ” to analyse how deeply or lightly you slept before starting the day. For example, are you well rested and ready for that planned heavy training session? Or are you stressed and fatigued from a poor night’s sleep? Perhaps an easy zone 2 aerobic session is more appropriate today.

Practically, during commutes, workouts, or even active commutes combining both, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 can help you fit quick actions into your routine. A quick press on the simple press on the upper button activates X-TAP for an instant health glance. For example, when I recently went indoor bouldering, I checked my key health metrics during a short break with just one quick tap.

Multi-sensing X-TAP Technology

One-tap Health Glance

Aerospace-grade titanium/Luxury 904L stainless steel

eSIM Cellular Calling

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The bottom button can begin a run, check your blood oxygen, or start a breathing exercise, depending on what you have pre-set. If you have enabled gesture control, you can even take a call by pinching your thumb and index finger together if your hands are busy riding a bike or holding your morning coffee whilst you board a train.

In the evening, it’s just as helpful for quick ECG checks or stress assessments before winding down, supporting a consistent health routine without multiple steps making it a chore.

There are opportunities for creative use as well. If you cook, you can set a timer and turn it off through finger gestures, or skip to the next song playing from your connected speakers. You can even take a picture from a distance, triggering a remote shutter through gesture control! The key is pairing the gesture with actions that genuinely reduce friction in your day.

Conclusion

More Than Your Regular Smartwatch

The HUAWEI WATCH 5 stands out because the combination of X-TAP with its other sensors can turn health tracking into something intuitive and effortless. This is in addition to features like gesture control which bring convenience to daily routines. By combining tactile sensing with advanced biometrics, it gives users a smooth way to stay aware of their wellbeing without interfering with their day. Real-time health data is now more accessible than ever - empowering you to better understand your body, respond to changes, and optimise both daily wellbeing and training.

The author of this article is Dr. Benjamin Buckley. The views expressed are his own.

The information is to be used as general information only, and is not to be taken as advice with respect to any individual situation and cannot be relied upon as such. A healthcare provider should be consulted when attempting to diagnose a condition or when determining the best course of action for any health-related concern.

The ECG feature is intended to be used by people aged 18 years and over, but is not intended to replace any medical diagnosis or treatment. Data obtained during the use of this feature is for personal reference only. Before using ECG, please carefully read the Instruction for Use

Due to national restrictions on obtaining approval / registration as a medical device, ECG feature only works on watches and smartphones purchased in countries where the service is currently available.

Supported smartphones: Mobile phones with Android 6.0 or compatibles, HarmonyOS 2.0 or compatibles, or iOS 12.0 or compatibles. The Huawei Health app version on your mobile phone must be 11.0 or compatibles. Please make sure that your wearable device and phone are running the latest versions before using ECG.

The Health Glance, sleep monitoring, stress, SpO2, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), skin temperature, arterial stiffness, emotional health and respiratory overview features are not a medical device, and therefore its monitoring data and results are for reference only and should not be used as a basis for medical diagnosis or treatment.

References
1. Lazarou E. & Exarchos TP. (2024): Predicting stress levels using physiological data: Real-time stress prediction models utilizing wearable devices.

2. de Vries H. et al. (2023): Does Wearable-Measured Heart Rate Variability During Sleep Predict Perceived Morning Mental and Physical Fitness?

3. Kane L. et al. (2025): Continuous heart rate variability monitoring, stress and recovery in doctors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

4. Hannon J. et al. (2025): Associations Between Daily Heart Rate Variability and Self-Reported Wellness: A 14-Day Observational Study in Healthy Adults.