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Activity GPS issues after watchOS 7 and iOS 14 updates

This morning I upgraded my iPhone XS Max to iOS 14 and my S4 Watch to watchOS 7. I then went for a run, using the Outdoor Run activity on my Watch as usual, holding my iPhone while I ran (as I was listening to a podcast with AirPods). When I finished, everything was recorded as normal, and I could sync the activity to Strava.


Later, I went for a walk. I used the Outdoor Walk activity on my Watch, but this time didn't take my iPhone. When I returned, and attempted to upload the activity to Strava, I received a warning that no GPS/route data was present. I checked the Fitness and Health apps, and sure enough, there was no route on the map - only the starting point.


I spoke to someone at Apple Support and they suggested I turned off/back on a couple of related privacy settings. I have since tried another Outdoor Walk activity, without the phone present, and the problem persists - no GPS/route data.


My wife also tried the same this evening, after upgrading her iPhone X and S4 Watch too. She had the same results - i.e. with just the Watch, no GPS/route information was saved with the activity.


This seems like a bug to me. Has anyone else experienced the same issue, or has any suggestions as to how to fix it?



[Re-Titled by Moderator]


Apple Watch Series 4, watchOS 7

Posted on Sep 17, 2020 1:24 PM

Reply
1,375 replies

Apr 11, 2021 6:05 PM in response to Hageltjes

in my case this bug is intermittent, AW2 has recorded most activities and normally does not interfere with previous activities, the last time I had this problem the route appeared the following day in an unexpected way, I did nothing, just check one more time and it was there. now I have the same problem again, only the starting point is shown, i've done everything but repair (this takes too long for my taste). come on, apple, please solve this issue, it is very frustrating to do your best in a physical activity and not have that effort registered correctly.

Apr 23, 2021 11:10 PM in response to Hageltjes

Exact same issue with my Apple Watch (watchOS 7.3.3) and iPhone XS (IOS 14.4.2).

actually, I have the problem only with outdoor bike, not with running exercise.

sometimes, the route data is empty, only the starting point.

i have always my iPhone with me.


Another thing that is strange, always since iOS 14, when I take a photo, I select the photo in the photo app, and the place under the map is not the good or is not precise but the GPS point is the good one.

i don’t know if it is related to the first bug bug it seems to be around the GPS ....

May 2, 2021 1:02 PM in response to afeng

somebody knows if Apple engineering have fixed the problem? Cause it’s May 2021 and the issue is still there!

I’ve already unpaired my IPhone 11 and Iwatch serie 5, restarted etc...but nothing, only one session on 5 works. Today May the 3rd 2021I’ve run (I had also my IPhone with me) and I cannot see the map of the route but all the data are there (km, time, pace etc.). Is this acceptable for Apple !?

May 4, 2021 12:56 PM in response to Cruteal

Hi,


yes, I'm experiencing this exact same issue. Iphone 11 and Apple watch Series 4 all on newest software. During workouts the location on the phone is only updated very infrequently (every 500m or so). This leads to extreme Rubberbanding and renders the position data transfered to the Watch completely useless. I'm guessing something in the Location APIs in iOS 14 is completely messed up....

May 8, 2021 12:41 PM in response to Pillow1337

Here is a workaround for the GPS issue: Don’t start your workout in the app until your Apple watch is not on wifi. I did this today after I was a few hundred feet away from my house, and sure enough the app tracked the entire workout.


So, I think the cause of the underlying problem is the Apple Activity app is failing to switch from wifi to cellular during a workout session, so with the app started, as soon as you go out of range from your wifi, it loses the gps tracking. You’re welcome, Apple.

May 8, 2021 11:43 PM in response to Cruteal

It also seemed to me, as if turning wifi off on the phone and watch helped. My theory is that the phone doesnt use GPS on an active workout and thus falls back to locating me via nearby wifi SSIDs. This would also explain the extreme rubberbanding of the position indicated in Apple or Google Maps on the phone while a workout is running on the Watch. But some time ago I was pretty sure that I turned Wifi off and still got really low quality of location tracking on a workout....


I think there is something wrong with the phones location API that doesnt want to go into "full power" GPS tracking during a Watch workout so the watch just receives garbage location data...


The only real 100% working workaround is turning on Airplane Mode on the Watch before workouts so it has to use its internal GPS. This has always lead to perfect tracking for me.

May 13, 2021 12:32 PM in response to Pillow1337

Hi, last time with airplane mode it worked, unfortunately today not!

this problem has to be solved by Apple! But to force Apple to do something the only thing is to be many. I think they listen only if many people are complaining, otherwise this issue would be solved already (it’s since September 2020 that somebody posted this problem).

Somebody knows where on Twitter or other “place” is better to put our request for a solution of this annoying problem?

May 13, 2021 12:35 PM in response to jlocke13844

I did as pillow1337 suggest (run in airplane mode). The first time worked, today not.

as I wrote to pilllow1337, this problem has to be solved by Apple!

I think they listen only if many people are complaining, otherwise this issue would be solved already (it’s since September 2020 that somebody posted this problem).


May 16, 2021 1:27 PM in response to Hageltjes

I'm seeing this issue intermittently; two (2) runs in the past two weeks had some GPS data loss. The data loss can be seen as missing GPS location data in a FIT file produced from iSmoothRun. In one case, the GPS data stops for a couple of minutes at a time, in another the GPS data stops altogether partway through the run. I'm running with a Stryd foot pod, so I am still getting distance data, just no location data. I get complete data for all other metrics (e.g. heart rate, distance, cadence, etc.). And this only happens occasionally. My most recent run had all the data I expected.


Details: iSmoothRun (v. 6.2.3 "Pro" subscription, Apple Watch only mode, not carrying my iPhone on the run), Apple Watch series 4 (GPS only, NOT the cellular one).

May 17, 2021 12:28 PM in response to Hageltjes

I contacted apple about this before I knew of this thread. I got a personal genius that called me twice and we reset my phone, reset my apple watch multiple times without success. We were exchanging emails for a few weeks. I then found this thread and sent it to him along with some other info i found, after that I can’t get a reply lol. They obviously couldn’t care less.

Jun 18, 2021 9:19 AM in response to RunFa

Hey Runfa, tired of the neverending gps-mess on my Apple Watch, I bought the Garmin Fenix sapphire about 7 months ago. What a joy! Biking, running, rowing, swimming, hiking, **** even mowing the lawn, it all goes smooth and fast. And correct. No gps delays… And it connects immediately with all sport apps (Strava, runkeeper, MapMyRun) without any fuss. And with a 2 weeks battery! Even though I AM an Apple-fan, I never touched my Apple Watch again. The Fenix is on my wrist almost 24/7. You won’t regret the purchase ;-)

Activity GPS issues after watchOS 7 and iOS 14 updates

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