Activity GPS issues after watchOS 7 and iOS 14 updates

Data on my watch that was not reflected in the new Fitness app WAS lost. My health data was being stored in iCloud before IOS 14. My watches are 6.2.8, so no way is this a watchOS 7 issue (or certainly not the cause). I also not long ago increased the iCloud storage so the family devices were being backed up too. Fortunately for me.

Once I reset the phone, it took 2 days to get all my pre IOS 14 health data back including GPS routes, along with rewards, etc. As I said earlier, date that was not reflected on the phone evidently was not backed up to the cloud. Therefore, there is no "lost" data to restore.

My guess is that Apple wanting to prepare the way for their new Fitness + service by revising the Activity app to become the Fitness app screwed up. The data was stuck on the watch, and since they have advised countless customers to unpair and re-pair their watches, that data is forever gone.

Side note, Apple has, so far as I know, always equated a local iPhone backup with the iCloud backup. So is that also affected with IOS 14?

I’d avoid unpairing then re-pairing your Apple Watch. It’s simply frozen activity and workout apps so nothing is being tracked or recorded.

Pretty poor considering this is one Apple’s major selling points for the watch!

Same issue with my series 5 watch. So frustrated. I’ve done everything that has been suggested and still nothing.

PLEASE fix this issue. This is a big deal to athletes that use Strava and their Apple Watch.

I completely reset my phone and watch with no success regarding GPS data. Though, previously pre-iOS 14 workouts wouldn't show the map at all; now they show just the starting point, like new workout since iOS 14.

I'm having the same issue as everyone else with the routes not showing in the Fitness app. All my data seems to show there except for the map.

However, because I've always had the Nike+ version of watches, I always track my walks with the Nike Run Club app that comes pre-installed. If I open that app, all the routes show up, from beginning to end.

I'm just telling you this here in case it helps with figuring out what the issue could be.

Good day.

I have same issue as everyone else on this topic. Before doing the complete unpair-reset phone-restore phone-pair, I did export Health data to have some type of separate backup. The export took much longer than normal and it doesn't seem right. In the workout-routes folder, every .gpx file is 438 bytes and can't be opened by an app that should be able to handle .gpx files - Router. I'm beginning to think all of the past data is corrupted/lost. Can't believe Apple effed up this badly.

From another thread. A user said he did the Apple workaround and he saw the old maps with routes when the fitness app was still syncing. Then he checks an hour later its just the maps with starting point. We think the old maps are there in the health app and this bug is just making it disappear. I remember before i did the Apple workaround i had a bug in the health app in my total walking & running distance. I would go in to show all the dates and the 2020 dates would show up then disappear quickly and then just shows march 2019 dates.

I am going to give Apple a couple weeks to resolve this issue. Completely resetting and repairing the phone seems like a completely ridiculous fix - one that doesn’t seem to work for many people. It seems like Apple does not understand what the problem is (unlikely) or that they will not admit there is a problem.

When you do not understand and listen to your users, you deserve to lose business.

FitBit Versa 3 is a good alternative. I can sell my current watch for likely more than the cost of the FitBit.

How is it no reviewer has had this issue? Fairly sure also Tim Cook said on launch day he had just completed an activity prior to the presentation. Don’t these people use the activities app like the rest of us and then review it? My watch app on my phone says I have an aluminium 6, it’s the stainless version, well that’s what I paid for. Apple just get it fixed please!!

Had same issue since updating to iOS 14 and watchOS 7. All I had to do was unpair watch and then re-pair watch. Issue solved. Route data now appears when I import to Strava. I did not reset my iPhone.

So after going thru the mess of backing up to iCloud and restoring, I can say that my new issue is fixed or appears to be. BUT, all GPS data for my past 4.5 years of walks, runs, and hikes has been reduced to just a starting pin. Not sure if everyone else is seeing this, but I don’t count that as a fix at all. That is years of lost data and if the answer to this is whoops then how can you ever trust keeping your data in their system?

I have the same issue, no GPS data and no heart rate data on outdoor walk. Just shows a pin at the starting point. I un-paired and re-paired the watch this morning, now today's outdoor walk does not even show in activity on the iPhone. I read some where about un-pair the watch, shut it off then back the iPhone, wipe it and restore from a backup. Then re-pair the watch. The thought of wiping the phone and restoring is horrid. The restore never puts back all of the music and requires going back into iTunes and putting GB's of music.

I did the unpaired, backed up, resetting and repair and now for me it works fine via the apple workout app I get the route up so all it’s recorded. Sure hope next updates will keep things as it should be and hope those that haven’t got it sorted will get it right soon.

however I found it the text size and everything else went track to original settings? As was too small and I forgot if I did ever change the text size before all of these step. As I seems to recall that everything looks bigger since the update of iOS 14. Right.

No bother:

Good - I run and cycle and the Strava app auto pauses on both (only pauses on a run for Apple app).

Good - Saves the map and ride without needing to import and sync (I used HealthFit as middleware to handle).

Bad - For rides does not show avg speed, for runs you have to tap the screen to switch between current and svg speed

Bad - Difficult to control music and podcasts as not in built with app like Apple Workout meaning having to operate watch screens when running going back and forth between apps

Bad (and worst) - No always on, so screen dims to just Apple time when using meaning you have to raise to show the Strava screen - a bit hairy on a bike

Picky - There are a LOT of orange icon apps on a watch, meaning I often pick the wrong one

I’m having the same issues here. Apple has started to pushing me from an early adopter to be a laggard. When this issues are addressed, I’m gonna stay a long time in that version, probably until the end of the lifetimes of my last apple devices. Then will move to another brand altogether.