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Apple Fitness+ disconnecting from device

For the second day in a row this has happened. Both days it happened on the 2nd workout selected. First workout was fine, connected to the watch, status updated all in real time. During the 2nd workout immediately after, it started fine and was updating the stats but about halfway through the workout the stats onscreen on the Apple TV stopped updating even though the workout was still going, both on the watch (with accurate stats) and the Apple TV with progressing workout, but not the up to date stats from the Apple Watch. A few minutes later an error message popped up saying the connection to the device was lost and the workout stopped. You can't pick up or continue a workout where you left off. Has anyone else had this problem?

Apple Watch

Posted on Dec 15, 2020 2:03 PM

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Posted on Dec 21, 2020 11:56 AM

I've experience the same problem. About half of my workouts get interrupted this way. It's very frustrating to say the least.


Apple, the UI around this disconnections is terrible and way below your standard. At minimum, you should:


1) Allow workouts to continue where they were interrupted. Right now, you must start again from the beginning.

2) Allow fast-forwarding of the workout video using the AppleTV remote. Why isn't this supported?


You have a killer product here, just get the fine tuning patch done ASAP!


Thx!

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214 replies

Jan 28, 2021 4:19 AM in response to riche348

I, too, have been struggling with this issue since the AppleFitness+ release, and have done all the trouble shooting, as husband himself is an app developer and has helped me try to come up with solutions, but to no avail. I’ve unpaired and repaired my watch and updated all my devices. I don’t use AirPods for workouts, so the AirPods are unrelated. This is definitely not just an issue with the AppleTv either; I’ve gotten the same error with my IPad Pro and IPhone as well, both during Yoga and Rowing workouts at varying times into them (hence the screen shot). The only temporary solution I’ve come up with is to turn Bluetooth off in the setting of my IPad and choose the “Workout Without Watch” option. I then set an independent workout on my watch, and play the workout without being able to see my metrics or burn bar on the screen, without being able to play and pause with my watch, and without being able to see the record of the specifics workouts I’ve done, making it essentially a basic workout video.

It can be very jolting and even dangerous to abruptly end intense cardio, like with rowing, where my heart rate is at 170BPM. The intention to not be able to scrub through the workouts is a (stupid) intentional one on their part, not an accident. If they want to push people to Peloton, where you can scrub through a video, this is a great way to do that (though I *really* don’t want to go the Peloton route!) The fact that you can’t resume where you left off when you get the disconnection error is just mind boggling, and shows that they shipped this too soon. It’s a shame because the teachers are excellent! They and the users, especially the paying ones, deserve better.

Feb 2, 2021 5:00 AM in response to Hanlouiselynch

There’s no real fix that I’ve seen. I believe it is a bug that Apple has to fix with the watch since it is definitely not just an issue with the AirPods or AppleTv. However, I’ve been able to successfully run through a workout by turning Bluetooth off on my phone or iPad settings (in your case, phone.) When you go to start the workout, the device can’t find your watch and gives you the option to tap “Work Out Without Watch.” If you tap, it will not display your heart rate or burn bar on the screen, and you can’t pause and play with your watch, but the workout video will play with no risk of a disconnection error. You can set a workout on your watch independently (as you would without using AppleFitness) and the movement will still be counted towards your rings goal.


Hope this helps and that they fix it soon.

Dec 17, 2020 9:59 AM in response to mrtob

I have done 2 workouts that both had issues.

1) Apple TV HD - 4th Gen

2) Apple Watch series 6

3) AirPods Pro connected to Apple TV


On the first workout I noticed that I was unable to control the video from the watch and often the heart rate/calories did not update on the TV.

The second workout the watch randomly disconnected from the TV and halted the workout.

Dec 20, 2020 4:41 PM in response to mrtob

I had same issue with my Apple TV. Done a dozen workouts on my iPad Pro with my AirPods Pro and Apple Watch 5 with absolutely no issues. Tonight setup a TV with ATV 4 HD and the stats kept freezing. Solution for me was to pause my watch and using remote pause the ATV. Wait a couple seconds and then unpause using my watch, the tv started again and everything went back to normal. Happen 3 times in a 30min workout.

Dec 22, 2020 9:40 PM in response to mrtob

Same problem here. Since I kept having Paring Cancellation problem with Apple TV HD, I had to use airplay on iPad Pro 2020 or iPhone 12 Pro Max in order to have Apple Fitness on bigger screen. All devices are with latest OS (Apple Watch 5), either with iPad or iPhone, I kept having "Device Connection Lost" after about 10-20 min in the total 30-min workout (rowing, strength, running and etc). AirPods is NOT connected. Very annoying. Any fix, apple! please be quick! (sorry for the yelling)

Dec 25, 2020 4:04 PM in response to mrtob

I don't use AirPods--just speakers on my stereo system directly connected from Apple TV to HDMI. Watch is consistently lost during workouts to the point that they're barely even do-able. Plus, I'm in a small room. My watch is no more than 5 feet from the Apple TV box MAX.


Apple, PLEASE add the ability to resume an interrupted workout OR to continue the current workout without stats from the watch rather than just the abrupt end OR add the ability to fast forward/rewind workouts OR even better FIX THE ISSUE WITH BLUETOOTH SO IT WORKS PROPERLY.

Dec 27, 2020 7:15 AM in response to mrtob

I suspected the issue being two Bluetooth devices connect to the Apple TV as well and saw others comment to that on this thread.


Today I had my first successful 20 minute run without having a “Device Disconnected” error and having to start over. I did not connect my AirPods to my Apple TV and it worked!


A bug for sure, but least you can finish a workout without it dying in the middle.

Dec 29, 2020 1:11 PM in response to mrtob

I'm having the same issue as everyone else. I'm working out with my Series 6 Apple Watch, listening with my AirPods Pro (paired with Apple TV), and watching Fitness+ on Apple TV. During the workout, my heart rate will stop updating on the upper left of the screen and soon thereafter, I get the "device connection lost" message and the work out stops. When I try to start the workout again, I have to begin at the start. My Apple Watch is only about 6-7 feet away from the Apple TV and there is a direct line of sight. Also, the software is up to date as of December 29th.


My Apple TV is connected to the internet via an ethernet cable. Tomorrow, I'll try and work out without the AirPods Pro and see if the dual bluetooth connection is the problem. I'll also try pairing the AirPods Pro to the iPhone and airplaying the workout to the Apple TV.

Apple Fitness+ disconnecting from device

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