Level 1

17 points

Elevation Gain Problem With Series 4 Apple Watch

My new series 4 Apple Watch will not display any elevation gain in the Workout app. The display for outdoor cycling stays stuck on "0 FT ELEV" despite miles of pedaling up and down hills. The watch is paired to my iPhone X.

My wife also has a new series 4 Apple Watch paired to her iPhone 8 plus. Hers displays the correct elevation gain. I have unpaired both watches and re-paired them to the opposite iPhones - mine to her 8 plus and hers to my X. When I do that my watch works properly when paired to the 8 plus and her watch fails when paired to my X. In other words, both watches display the proper elevation gain when paired to the 8 plus and both watches fail to display this when paired to my iPhone X.

I have tried many things:

The OS is up to date on the phones and the watches.

The activity and health app data is correct.

I have unpaired and re-paired the watch a half-dozen times.

I have powered off and on the watch and phone.

I have taken the watch to the Genius Bar at my local Apple store.

I have spoken to Apple telephone support. That is being referred to an "engineer".

I have installed a third party barometer app on the watch and the phone, and both display the correct altitude.

Any ideas ?

Apple Watch

Posted on Dec 15, 2018 10:12 PM

Top-ranking reply

jwasiak

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Mar 24, 2019 3:01 PM

I was having this same issue. Elevation was stuck at zero when recording activities where there had been elevation change. I also noticed that when away from my phone that the watch on its own would record elevation which seemed to indicate there was no hardware issue with the watch altimeter.

I had also tried many of the things listed above (i.e. updated software, restarted devices, unpairing/re-pairing, etc.).

Solution:

After pairing/re-pairing the I noticed in iphone Settings/Privacy/Motion & Fitness that 'Fitness Tracking' was not turned on. When I turned this on and tested the watch it started recording elevation.

I had previously looked at various settings within Privacy/Location Services that all looked to be set correctly. I just happened to notice the 'Motion & Fitness' setting outside of the Location Services options which, for some reason, was turned off.

Hope this helps!

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44 replies

Swiftharbor Author

Level 1

17 points

Jan 24, 2019 11:14 AM in response to seanfromllanelli

Ta,

I updated the software on my iPhone X to 12.1.3 and my Apple watch series 4 to 5.1.3. I installed the same updates on my wife's Apple watch 4 and her iPhone 8 plus. Neither update had any effect on the elevation gain problem.

I tested them this morning with the outdoor walking and outdoor cycling parts of the workout app. As before, my watch would not record any elevation gain when paired to my iPhone X. If I turned the phone off the watch would start recording elevation gain. When I turned the phone back on the watch stopped recording elevation gain.

Also as before, my wife's Apple watch series 4 works just fine with her iPhone 8 plus. The problem seems to be confined to the iPhone X, or more likely, its software.

Jan 12, 2019 7:41 AM in response to Swiftharbor

Not sure why yours doesn’t work. Try taking the watch out on its own for a work out. Say walk 20mins with some elevations. Ta

Jan 23, 2019 6:54 AM in response to imran_hafeez

I susgest you go Apple Store for them to exam it. As a we have run it’s course with ideas. Ta

Swiftharbor Author

Level 1

17 points

Jan 12, 2019 7:30 AM in response to seanfromllanelli

Thanks Ta,

That's interesting. So the elevation gain feature on the outside cycling workout app works on at lease one iPhone X and watch 4 combination. I don't know where to go from here. Apple has essentially told me to wait indefinitely for a software update fix. I'm considering upgrading to an iPhone XR or XS if I can be sure that I won't have the same problem. Or I may just live with the problem for another year. Right now I am wearing my old Garmin watch on the other wrist to track elevation gain.

Swiftharbor Author

Level 1

17 points

Jan 12, 2019 8:50 AM in response to seanfromllanelli

Ta,

I'm unable to take the watch out alone. Both my and my wife's iWatch 4's are GPS units that must remain connected to an iPhone. Both watches work fine when paired to my wife's iPhone 8+. But neither watch will register elevation gain when paired to my old or replacement iPhone X. I've tried every combination I can with both outdoor cycling and outdoor walking.

Strange.

Swiftharbor Author

Level 1

17 points

Jan 12, 2019 4:09 PM in response to seanfromllanelli

Ta,

I don't how to post a screenshot, but I checked my compass app and it does display the elevation like in your screenshot. I also checked location services and it's already turned on like you suggested. In addition, the health app is recording the flights of stairs that I climb every day which is something like elevation gain. Puzzled.

Swiftharbor Author

Level 1

17 points

Jan 13, 2019 3:40 PM in response to seanfromllanelli

Thanks Ta,

I think you're right. I'm going to try to upgrade to an iPhone ES and pay the difference. Requesting a replacement iPhone X will cost me another $31 shipping and probably get me a refurbished unit with the same problems.

Thank you very much for your help.

Jan 24, 2019 11:30 AM in response to Swiftharbor

My Apple Watch 4 I don’t use with a phone as it has a built in gps and therefore not needed. The iPhone X doesn’t have any workouts from Apple on it so would not record any elevation. If you use a third party app like Strav it does. Ta

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,737 points

Jan 24, 2019 12:06 PM in response to seanfromllanelli

What kind of notifications? Perhaps a few examples.

I just realized that this post is nowhere near the one to which I was responding. With a GPS Watch and no nearby iPhone, what notifications will be missing?

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,737 points

Jan 24, 2019 12:24 PM in response to seanfromllanelli

My Watch is arriving tomorrow so I'm still kinda clueless.

I would expect that Reminder and Calendar entries would transfer automatically when the devices are close. Once the devices are separated, I'm believing that there will be no additional Reminder and Calendar devices in the iPhone because it's not with me.

Am I making sense?

Jan 24, 2019 12:33 PM in response to Philly_Phan

Yes that makes sense. But it doesn’t work that. Think of it as an alarm. It knows the date and time. And with GPS knows your location. Though I not used the location reminders I the Watch. So can’t say even if it works. Ta

Swiftharbor Author

Level 1

17 points

Feb 2, 2019 3:38 PM in response to Swiftharbor

Steeeeep,

Another thought - try switching AW's with your girlfriend. Pair yours to her iPhone and vice versa. That should help narrow down the source of the problem.

If the problems remains with your AW after the switch, does it track horizontal distance accurately? If so I would suspect a bad barometric sensor.

Swift Harbor

Swiftharbor Author

Level 1

17 points

Feb 8, 2019 6:22 AM in response to seanfromllanelli

Sean,

My previous postings describe my lengthy efforts to engage Apple in finding a solution to this problem. Apple support and the local Apple store have both thrown up their hands and told me to hope for some future software upgrade that will fix the problem.

Swiftharbor Author

Level 1

17 points

Mar 27, 2019 4:12 PM in response to Veelia

jwasiak,

It works like a charm. I made the changes you suggested above and went out for a 12.5 mile bicycle ride this morning. The Outdoor Cycle app on my Apple Watch 4 registered 559 feet of elevation change when it was paired with my iPhone X.

Many thanks.

Jan 12, 2019 3:09 AM in response to Swiftharbor

I have iPhone X and watch 4 and the elevation works fine when I out on bike. Ta

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Elevation Gain Problem With Series 4 Apple Watch