Cardio Fitness not working on my Apple Watch Series 6 (or on my previous Series 5)

I have similar issue, although watch (s6) has always shown up as data source. Only owned watch 4 weeks. My 1st. From late January it logged all walks/runs with vo2 showing. Then sporadically missed a couple around 11/12 feb. Now nothing since 14th despite daily workouts. Tried all sorts of fiddling but no joy. Will raise a ticket

I have a series 4 watch with a iPhone 7 that I have been using and recording cardio fitness / VO2 max since Dec. 2018. My cardio fitness / vo2 max level was consistent at 38 for two years.

In Dec. 2020 I noticed a steady decline over about 4 - 5 weeks down to 34. I was doing the same daily workouts of 50 minutes HIIT and a 4 mile walk. I was puzzled that the decline was happening.

I called Apple support several times and there were no answers. On a call last week I was connected to the Health App department.

That is when I was told that in Dec. 2020 the new update changed the program to only calculate OUTDOOR WALKS AND RUNS and it will no longer include any indoor workouts in the cardio fitness / vo2 max graphing.

Apple did not have an answer as to why this was done. I hope they fix this issue to at least let the user decide whether to include the indoor workouts into cardio fitness/ vo2 max graphing.

Please update to me. I am having the same issue. The first time i had it. I am curious whether my Apple Watch is having a problem after i accidentally dropped it or maybe it got something to do with the os. But, after i restart not my iPhone n the watch, it started to give me the details. And later on the other day, it stopped showing the data.idk what is actually happening to the Apple Watch

Finally! yes, Thanks Whetts and Matt_SG

After days of trying I got my first successful Cardio Fitness / VO2 Max reading today and now my Apple Watch SE is showing as a data source.

Not sure which things I tried exactly sorted it. Here’s what I adjusted that I can remember.

I couldn’t figure out how to reset data sync so I didn’t try that.

I tried the steps suggested for resetting calibration but that didn’t seem to work.

I ensured that Location Services were on for 1) Apple Watch Workouts & 2) Apple Maps and that Privacy > Fitness Tracking was enabled on the iPhone and Watch

Also ensured that 1) Compass Calibration and 2) Motion Calibration & Distance were both enabled on the Watch in Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services

The one I noticed wasn’t on that I turned on was Location Services > Compass.

Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Compass

I turned off/powered down both the iPhone and Watch and turned them both on.

checked the various settings suggested in this thread / by Whetts.

and did three just over 20 min “Outdoor Walks” in quick succession.

For the second and third (which were basically playing soccer with my son), I opened Apple Maps on my iPhone which I kept with me. I had to give some permissions when I opened it (I typically use other apps for maps) so, seems like it might not have been tracking even though my previous Outdoor Walks showed map data for the previous routes.

I also ensured I kept a higher heart rate than my typical leisurely walk. First avg heart rate 102 bpm, then 120 bpm, then 122 bmp.

Opened the Health App after I got home following the third walk and there were two new data points in Cardio Fitness & my Apple Watch is listed in data sources. Whew.

Now on to seeing if it continues recording and if I can improve my VO2 Max, one of the main reasons I got this Watch in the first place.

My Apple Watch 6 mysteriously appeared as a data source after having a couple of fairly leisurely walks. While this is welcome other cardio such as indoor cycling has no effect. Not really what I would call a “fitness” watch.

It needs an update very soon.

I rang Apple support yesterday and I told them I was using my Nike run app on my watch and it collected the data in January but he said I should be using the Apple app for the tracking and to go and use that one and see if it works. But I told him I used it on a 20k cycle last week and it didn’t work. He said it doesn’t calculate your cardio fitness for cycling???? The watch is useless. It should be able to calculate no matter what your doing.

copied from above post for Markylux

Also ensured that 1) Compass Calibration and 2) Motion Calibration & Distance were both enabled on the Watch in Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services

The one I noticed wasn’t on that I turned on was Location Services > Compass.

Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Compass

I turned off/powered down both the iPhone and Watch and turned them both on.

checked the various settings suggested in this thread / by Whetts.

I agree with all these posts I am extremely disappointed I bought an Apple Watch 6 for the first time in my life super excited for the cardio fitness feature especially in mind of going through the pandemic and this watch helping me to stay healthy and aware of my health status I tried calling Apple support I was shifted through many people I finally got a woman who insisted that the only way they could find out what was wrong was to download information to my phone which I did not want to do so since then even though I have sent her more information I’ve had no response from Apple. She tried to make me feel humiliated like I was so stupid and they were so smart I sent several screenshots of my workouts and yet their advertisement says that this cardio fitness will monitor your VO max even if you were just walking throughout the day your daily activities not needing to have a special workout . I feel this is faults advertising!!!😡😡 this is not worked from day one!!!😡 I’ve read through this whole thread and I’ve tried all the things suggested and nothing works so essentially this watch is a very expensive watch that doesn’t do anything that it’s supposed to do I’m going to see about sending it back or getting a new one.

Looks like I have discovered a solution to MY particular problem, not sure if this will apply to any others here.

It seems that the only time I DONT get cardio data is when I’ve gone out without iPhone and ended the workout before I get home and before the watch is in communication range of the phone.

If I carry iPhone with me or end workout when back inside house, no problem- I get cardio data.

Not sure if the setup is designed to operate this way, but I don’t think so. I reckon this is still a software design glitch, because all the other data is processed ok regardless of where the workout is ended.

I think you could be right to a point, I think I had my phone with me in January and all was good and I was using my Nike app. Yesterday I had my phone with me and used the Nike app on a 5 mile walk and it didn’t work. Tomorrow I’m going to use the Apple fitness app and bring my phone and I’ll see what happens but I have my doubts. At the end of the day it’s the watch that calculates your cardio fitness and I think Apple has fucked it up. I don’t know if I have a right to return the watch if this is not working but it’s the reason I bought it. Under EU law I may have a case as the watch as advertised isn’t working properly.

Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that although I now get updates (for walking) under “Cardio Fitness” I have “No Data” under the heading “Cardio Fitness Notifications”. There is nothing under “Data Sources”. Not sure what sort of notifications I’m suppose to get.

Update guys, I rang Apple support yesterday and they had a look and had to send screen shots of the stuff in the fitness app, he sent me an email today to download software to the phone so they could have a look at it. Downloaded it and then went on a run and he rang me then straight after but before he rang me I checked the phone and cardio fitness is working. So he went on to my phone to take some logs and some pictures again and then deleted the earlier software. He is going to pass this on to Engineers. So fingers crossed that this is the end of it. Will be running tomorrow again and hope all is good.

I have no idea really. Was it a fluke?? I’ll be running tomorrow and will see if it’s still working. If I was you I’d keep hammering them till it’s fixed or look for a replacement. It’s only a glorified watch if it’s not working. I don’t use the watch for anything else.