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Apple Watch randomly ends exercise during outdoor run

I’ve only had my watch for about a week now, and have taken three runs. Each time the run on my watch is randomly ending at different points in the run, typically this happens twice so in a 3 mile run I’ve got three individual runs because I have to stop and turn it back on. It’s not pausing, it’s actually ending the run and I’m looking at the summary on my watch with the only option to stop the exercise. And then have to start a new run and move on. My running routes have intermittent and we can GPS connections, but this never happened with my Fitbit. If the Fitbit lost a connection, when it backed it back up it would just connect the dots.


i’ve looked at other posts where people have had this issue, and they were often times suggested to make sure they weren’t accidentally pausing it but I’m certain that that’s not happening with me.

Apple Watch SE

Posted on Apr 27, 2023 3:55 AM

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Posted on May 25, 2023 3:14 PM

This happens to me while hiking or during an outdoor walk. I know I'm not pausing the activity or ending it by pressing those icons on the dial. I do wear long sleeve shirts when out in the sun and it seems if the shirt rubs across the watch dial, it can move from the activity data to the add/paus/exit screen.


Can a random tap by my shirt end the session? I would not think it possible but if I roll my sleeve up high enough on my arm to prevent it coming in contact with the watch face, I don't see that problem. Resetting the watch does not bring back the session that was ended prematurely. This is not to be confused with the watch asking if the session should be paused.


Thanks.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 25, 2023 3:14 PM in response to dinman

This happens to me while hiking or during an outdoor walk. I know I'm not pausing the activity or ending it by pressing those icons on the dial. I do wear long sleeve shirts when out in the sun and it seems if the shirt rubs across the watch dial, it can move from the activity data to the add/paus/exit screen.


Can a random tap by my shirt end the session? I would not think it possible but if I roll my sleeve up high enough on my arm to prevent it coming in contact with the watch face, I don't see that problem. Resetting the watch does not bring back the session that was ended prematurely. This is not to be confused with the watch asking if the session should be paused.


Thanks.

Jan 28, 2024 3:49 PM in response to dinman

Mine does it all the time (when out walking), it’s really annoying. I think any sweat or moisture that forms on your clothing can swipe the screen and tap the stop button. I expect the health app then calculates heart recovery rate incorrectly, if it thinks we’ve stopped exercising, but heart rate is still up around 130bpm because we’re still running or walking.


I wish there was some way to prevent inadvertently stopping or pausing via the screen, unless the crown or side button is pressed to unlock it.

Apr 29, 2023 9:09 AM in response to dinman

Hey there dinman,


While multiple people may be reporting the same thing, there are different possibilities for what may have caused this particular issue. We understand wanting this to work as expected, and we'd like to help by learning more about what's happening, along with ruling out some possible causes:


  1. When did this start to occur with your running workouts as you mentioned having used your watch for a week, or are three running workouts the only ones you've tried since getting your watch?
  2. Sometimes unexpected behavior can be resolved with a restart: Restart your iPhone and Restart your Apple Watch
  3. If you have a compatible iPhone model, the latest version is iOS 16.4.1. You can verify this within Settings > General > About. In case you needed it, this link shows how to first back up, then Update your iPhone or iPad.
  4. If you have a compatible watch model, the latest version is watchOS 9.4. You can verify this within Settings > General > About. In case you needed it, this link shows how to Update your Apple Watch.


Cheers!

Apple Watch randomly ends exercise during outdoor run

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