Watch records Workout properly, but activity app doesn’t record Exercise time

Choose "other" when starting a workout instead of "brisk walk...treadmill etc"

Then whatever you're clocked time is, it will go towards your activity rings.

Somebody on here figured out that choosing the "other" workout instead of what we are actually doing makes it track the minutes properly.

I sent my watch in and they checked it out. Nothing was wrong. It consistently shorts me up to 20% of the walk or run time. I started using Strava to track and import it back to Apple. The amount it is off seems less frequent with this but I still get inconsistent results. I have talked to a couple of Apple service representatives and they can’t seem to help. I have given up! Hopefully the fall software updates will fix it.

Well Apple has still not resolved this problem. This is a software issue - no question. I did a 1:07 hr indoor bike workout on a kicker using Zwift. The transfer from the watch to the activity ring was 50 min. This is not related to heart rate. Spoke to Apple about the issue they recommended doing what is reviewed in this tread. Disappointed.

I have this issue as well and it started after the latest Apple Watch update, 6.2.5. I walked this morning at a brisk pace for 27 minutes. The watch exercise app said 27 minutes of exercise, but in the end the Health app only says 20 minutes. Over the past couple of days, I've restarted my phone and watch, factory reset my watch, and it's still the same. I checked all of my settings in the Health app and they are all set correct. Nothing different than I did prior to the watch update. Seems to be a software glitch with communication between watch and phone. I hope they fix it soon.

Apple watch exercise ring does not track exercise unless cardio. Other will track but you lose other options (I ride a bike 5 miles a day - like to track distance - my choice use "Other" and get credit but no distance or use "Outdoor Bike" and get no minutes for activity minutes. Obviously a younger fit person who is an ableist made this design decision. The Exercise ring would be better if we had option to remove it or use it to track Exercise minutes tracked.

I have the same problem. I have had an Apple Watch since version 1 and have the latest at this time. I regularly walk 30 - 45 min and have always had my atcha register anywhere from 28 - 40 min of exercise. After update to os 6.2.1 it registers 1 - 7 min. I updated my IPhone 11 to lates os before doing the watch as recommended. It's really annoying.

Appreciate any ideas for what to do.

I too am having this problem. I do a boot camp workout that is high intensity for 45 minutes. Everything seemed fine with my watch and recording my exercise properly until the recent update. It’s frustrating as I work my butt off and see i only exercise for 12-13 minutes. I am one of those that like to see my rings close and it’s just my personal goal. Any help would be great!

There must be more to it than time above 75%. My wife and I walk together. I'm 69, she's 63. We walk the same time, same distance. I'm in better shape. My heart beat range never exceeded 102 BPB but I got 13:30 exercise minutes. My wife heart beat range reached 107 BPM and she got 4 minutes. She had the same problem crop up after a couple of years of wearing an apple watch 1. What else is involved? We reset the calibration before the walk, and did the same the previous walk. Same range of results - I got minutes comparable to the time I spent, she didn't.

Have you experienced the problem, or are you writing on the basis of what you have learned about the watches? Thanks.

I would love an answer to this as well. I use the indoor walk app when I walk in the treadmill at a fairly brisk pace and it will register only a few minutes of exercise when I walk for 30-40 minutes. I could walk around the house doing nothing for 30 minutes using the “general” workout app and it will register 30 minutes of exercise. But with the indoor or outdoor walk app it would register just a few minutes. Super frustrating

Exactly the same for me. I’ve taken the same walking route for a couple of years, the watch always completed my exercise ring during the walk, now it registers 2-5 minutes. Only change has been the software update, or perhaps my heart became super efficient at the same time 😀

Please fix this soon, it’s become a real disincentive to exercise.

FieryJack, you keep restating the same thing. The information has to wrong. I walk with my son who is half my age. He is not reaching 75% Max heart rate. He gets full credit for time, I get about half. Heart rate does not seem to matter. Apple has checked the watch and it is working within parameters. BS. Somewhere something is not working as they advertise. I have been wrestling with this for months now. Done all the resetting and calibration they direct you to do. This is very frustrating. I never had this issue with my version 2, only with my new 5.

I am having the exact same issue, all of a sudden the Activity app is not recording my workouts properly. I did a 10 mile bike ride for an hour today and it counted only 16 minutes of exercise. Completely off and I’m super frustrated as I’m on a 38 day goal reaching streak that is now going to be broken thanks to this glitch!! Please help. Have done all recommended suggestions to fix and nothing is working.

This happens to me too, and I resent the fact that Apple decides for me if I am exercising or not. I routinely walk 1.75 miles everyday with a 17 or 18 minute mile.

I am 72, have a-fib, and am on a heart rate suppressant to keep me healthy.

That’s not good enough????

I have also noticed a change in exercise recording since the last update. It is very frustrating when you are goal oriented. I also noticed that distance is not accurate as the treadmill records that I have reached 1km long before my watch does. I gave up after 30 minutes of exercise because I figured why bother. I know that not everyone needs a watch to tell them they are exercising, but I do!