Level 1

88 points

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

Top-ranking reply

Pillow1337

Level 1

4 points

Posted on May 8, 2021 11:43 PM

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.

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1,375 replies

tadsmith

Level 1

15 points

Nov 1, 2020 7:13 PM in response to Hageltjes

I parsed my Health Export to try and determine the extent of my data loss. I have data on outdoor walks and runs from 9/24/2018 through 11/01/2020.

Total Outdoor Workouts: 597

Total Outdoor Workouts With Accurate Route Information: 407 (68%)

Total Outdoor Workouts Missing Accurate Route Information: 190 (32%)

Interestingly, the data seems to be almost completely accurate until 02/18/2020...

Total Outdoor Workouts 09/24/2018 - 02/18/2020: 403

Total Outdoor Workouts With Accurate Route Information 09/24/2018 - 02/18/2020: 398 (99%)

Total Outdoor workouts Missing Accurate Route Information 09/24/2018 - 02/18/2020: 5 (1%)

Between 02/18/2020 and when I went through the process to unpair / backup / erase / restore / repair my iPhone and watch on 10/22/2020 (over 8 months), I don't have a single GPS route shown on my phone.

Total Outdoor Workouts 02/19/2020 - 10/22/2020: 185

Total Outdoor Workouts With Accurate Route Information 02/19/2020 - 10/22/2020: 0 (0%)

Total Outdoor workouts Missing Accurate Route Information 02/19/2020 - 10/22/2020: 185 (100%)

After I completed the ridiculous repair process suggested by Apple, new data seems to be being recorded, but none of the missing data referenced above seems to have returned.

Total Outdoor Workouts 10/23/2020 - 11/01/2020: 9

Total Outdoor Workouts With Accurate Route Information 10/23/2020 - 11/01/2020: 9 (100%)

Total Outdoor workouts Missing Accurate Route Information 10/23/2020 - 11/01/2020: 0 (0%)

misskata

Level 1

4 points

Dec 14, 2020 6:44 AM in response to JoycieB39

Mine was fixed after I backed up the iPhone to iCloud then erased all settings then set up from the iCloud backed up and all gps maps routes working normally however I didn’t do anything to the watch as I believe it’s the iOS issues and not watch issues. I still haven’t update the latest watch lawyer as I don’t to risk things not working again.

MayoTom

Level 1

9 points

Jan 7, 2021 10:32 AM in response to travelz7541

Since updated to 14.3 everything is OK, I lost 2 weeks workouts after the 14 update.

I started using MapMyWalk which has much more workout data and backing up using RunGap app which gives me even more information so I'm sticking with that setup.

I've lost faith in Apple.

Will not be updating to 15 until at least 15.5 by which time they'll have hopefully sorted out the bugs.

Not going on the update merry go around wit 15 or ever. How they can release such buggy software is beyond me. Wouldn't have happened under Steve Jobs.

Apple uses their ALL us users now as beta testers I've learned my lesson

Sep 19, 2020 2:40 PM in response to Hageltjes

Unpair the watch an pair it back from backup solved the issue for me - watch série 4

Sep 22, 2020 10:08 AM in response to Hageltjes

I encountered this bug, and a dual restart (phone and watch) restored the map data (heart rate too!) for that ride.

Zlots_

Level 1

4 points

Sep 23, 2020 8:49 AM in response to Hageltjes

https://www.macrumors.com/2020/09/23/apple-watch-os-7-gps-workout-data-missing/

Sep 24, 2020 1:52 PM in response to Hageltjes

There is a 14.1 update available now for bug fixes im just installing it.

Keksz

Level 1

9 points

Sep 25, 2020 2:58 AM in response to juanmfarinas

Unpair and repair the watch from backup solved my problem.

My run today was gps recorded.

iboank

Level 1

4 points

Sep 29, 2020 6:44 AM in response to erikaallen25

unpairing and pairing watch solve the problem (11pro and series 4 watch both latest version loaded)

UweD

Level 1

15 points

Sep 29, 2020 3:47 PM in response to Hageltjes

this worked:

Unpair the watch
Backup phone to iCloud
Erase all content and settings
Restore phone from iCloud backup
Re-pair watch

AreSj

Level 1

8 points

Sep 30, 2020 10:14 PM in response to driver49a

The support article states this is to prevent future data loss.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211865

Can anyone confirm if it restores the historic data? Specifically workout routes?

Oct 6, 2020 3:48 PM in response to Hageltjes

unpair and pair again did the trick for me on my iphone X

Oct 12, 2020 12:39 AM in response to Faymondos

Guys,

get your phone onto 14.0.1, then follow instructions on here.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211865

nightmare but it worked for me.

cheers

Oct 12, 2020 5:03 PM in response to rolf36

WOS 7.0.2 fixed this issue for me!

Амир

Level 1

4 points

Oct 14, 2020 3:54 AM in response to Hageltjes

Backup from iTunes didn’t help me but restore from iCloud backup works well. The problem fixed for me. It sad though I had to spent so much time on it.

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Activity GPS issues after watchOS 7 and iOS 14 updates