kurtfromcharlotte

Q: Is there any way to pair a third party GPS for use with Apple Watch?

I would like to use a GPS other than the one in my iPhone connected to my watch.  For example, I'd like to use a GPS running watch instead of my iphone while running (easier to carry).  Could I pair something like that to my apple watch?  I've tried the calibration routine several times on my watch and it's just not accurate enough for me without a GPS and I don't like carrying my big 6+ when I run.  I have an old Garmin running watch....would be great to pair it's GPS feature with the Apple Watch....

Apple Watch

Posted on Mar 2, 2016 11:05 AM

Close

Q: Is there any way to pair a third party GPS for use with Apple Watch?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Meg St._Clair,Helpful

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Mar 3, 2016 8:05 AM in response to kurtfromcharlotte
    Level 9 (58,414 points)
    iPhone
    Mar 3, 2016 8:05 AM in response to kurtfromcharlotte

    Other than the fact that Garmin is notorious for not playing nice with other devices, especially the older Garmin devices that were ANT only, no, that's not currently an option with the Apple Watch.

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Mar 2, 2016 11:43 AM in response to kurtfromcharlotte
    Level 5 (7,485 points)
    Notebooks
    Mar 2, 2016 11:43 AM in response to kurtfromcharlotte

    kurtfromcharlotte wrote:

    I have an old Garmin running watch....would be great to pair it's GPS feature with the Apple Watch....

    Contact Apple & request that they allow other device to work with their products.

    http://apple.com/feedback/

     

    Apple are even worse than Garmin for locking down what is allowed to connect to their devices, that is why you can't connect the Apple Watch to anything else. The Apple Watch has Bluetooth & Wifi but you can't use those for anything besides what Apple allows.

  • by deggie,Helpful

    deggie deggie Mar 3, 2016 3:34 AM in response to Drew Reece
    Level 9 (54,434 points)
    Mar 3, 2016 3:34 AM in response to Drew Reece

    Apple just doesn't use a lot of Bluetooth profiles, notably the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) profile. Garmin has gone beyond what Apple does and even blocked devices within their pairing profile.

  • by kurtfromcharlotte,

    kurtfromcharlotte kurtfromcharlotte Mar 3, 2016 8:14 AM in response to kurtfromcharlotte
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 3, 2016 8:14 AM in response to kurtfromcharlotte

    Thanks for all the replies, everyone.  I'm bummed that it's not possible to pair a GPS other than my iPhone to my Apple Watch. It seems weird that they would allow other 3rd party devices to pair, like heart rate sensors, but not a GPS.  I was ok that the watch didn't have GPS when I bought it and I still love the watch.  But, hey, if you're gonna make something without a function, why not at least allow accessories with that function to pair to it? I mean what good is it to me that I can pair 3rd party heart rate sensor?... the watch already has a heart rate sensor.  I need to pair functionality that the watch does not already have on its own.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Mar 3, 2016 8:18 AM in response to kurtfromcharlotte
    Level 9 (54,434 points)
    Mar 3, 2016 8:18 AM in response to kurtfromcharlotte

    Using a heart rate strap is more accurate and they use the Low Power Bluetooth which the Watch Supports. I don't know of any GPS devices that use this profile.