Elevation not working on Apple Watch Ultra 2

Updated my Ultra 2 to 11.1 and went for my usual run. Thought it was fixed until 3.5 miles when the elevation dropouts returned. Have spent around 2 hrs with Apple tech support and a data dump was sent to Apple about 2-3 weeks ago and since then nothing. Again, I have had the same issue with two different Ultra 2 watches and it is not location specific. Not sure Apple is ever going to respond. The tech support person I am working with said he would contact me when he gets a response from Apple. I am using my Coros watch now for running and carry my iPhone with me. I have also used my wife's non-cellular Apple Watch 9 three times and no problems. This problem with the Ultra 2 is now into its second year.

My understanding is when a running workout is started the altimeter takes a reading and another reading at the end. Cell tower information is used the majority of the time with GPS to determine location on run and altitude. Conditions can change and satellite reception be lost. Cell towers can go in and out of range. This produces less than desirable results.

Your reference to climbing stairs, which does use altimeter and arm motion and time measurements is also problematic indoors because of controlled climate, which fails to register the necessary change in altitude to trigger a flight of stairs climbed. The forums have many more posts about climbing stairs than inaccurate running measurements.

Try running with the compass app and see if the altimeter is changing while you run. Several third party altimeter apps also provide the means to calibrate the altimeter for more accurate readings.

Agreed, a dirty sensor can cause this. My dropouts are not because of a dirty sensor or a case. I run ultramarathons and have worn the AWU for 50k and 100 mile races. I often run with multiple watches as I test for Suunto. Using apps other than Apple Workout I never have altitude dropouts so this is specific to the AWU firmware and Workout app.

Having the same issue with my Apple Watch Ultra II on trail runs. Using the Workout app the elevation will be displayed then be replaced by two dashes. I tried using the Workoutdoors app and it always showed the elevation but at times it was way off. Today I used both my Garmin S70 and the Apple Watch and the Garmin was the clear winner. Always fairly accurate elevation display while the Apple watch elevation did the usual appear/disappear behavior. Both watches are dual band GPS so I am wondering if the Apple watch is more cellular dependent. All this was without my iPhone with me. So for my trail runs I am using my Garmin S70 which is also a lot lighter. Love my Apple Watch but not for trail running. Pretty incredible that Apple can't get this right in a watch advertised as the watch for big adventures.

Apple Workout app uses GPS to determine change in elevation from start of workout to end of workout. Ultra watches use dual band GPS, but will use stride if GPS is unavailable.

Altitude is calculated by using barometric pressure and limited use of GPS.

Just not sure if any of that information helps or what the exact issue is.

I would like to receive your feedback. My Apple Watch Ultra 2 has an issue where the altitude does not change; it is fixed at a certain value. This occurs whether I am going up or down stairs or taking an elevator. Only after walking for about 30 minutes in an outdoor area with a good GPS signal does the altitude reset, but when it will show a fixed value again is unpredictable. I have also noticed that even if the altitude reading is incorrect (such as indoors without GPS), starting an outdoor running workout will immediately correct the altitude reading, but once the workout stops, the altitude no longer changes. I sought help at an Apple store and was told it might be a software issue, but the problem still exists even after using the latest iOS and watchOS versions.

First elevation gain cannot be as simple as beginning and end. Routes are complex and have many ups and downs so you are incorrect on this. Second, fitness shows a perfect altitude profile so there is some issue with the display of data but not recording. Yes I have AppleCare.

One more update today. I called Apple support and was on the phone with them for a bit over an hour. The did a lot of remote diagnostics on both my phone and my watch including testing the components of the watch and everything seems OK including the barometer. They are working on the problem and want me to take a screenshot of my watch face when the elevation disappears-maybe I will do a short run on Wednesday. So at least it seems like Apple support is trying pretty hard to understand what is going on. I gave them a lot of information about when the elevation works and when it drops out. They will call me on Thursday.

I've this issue since Apple watch ultra 1. It's a very interesting and frustrating bug because I consistently have my elevation go 'haywire' after around half hour of running. But it seems only some people have this issue, or else it'll be a lot more widely reported. It's not a hardware problem because after I come home and connect to the phone, the issue will solve itself.

Runs are tracked using altimeter, GPS and cell tower information. But cell tower requires triangulation and GPS requires 4 satellites to determine altitude. This leaves altimeter which may not be accurate at times. Various environmental conditions may cause inaccurate or no measurements at all.

The altimeter 'should be able to work on its own' without cell info in the meantime. That's how all garmins etc work (before the advent of cell reception on watches). The vertical error of the gps is also greater than horizontal errow so by right it should defer to data obtained from the altimeter? What is problematic in the 'old days' is the need to continuously calibrate it due to the inherent changes in air pressure. By right a watch like a cellular apple watch can solve this by pinging pressure info as the run progresses (though I'm not sure the algorithm actually uses something like this.)

Anyway the built in altimeter of the apple watch is actually very accurate. That's why one can go up and down the stairs indoors and see the numbers actually changing, to the meter. (The gps is not used in this sort of elevation gain.) My particular issue is that my elevation is correct for around 30 minutes. But after that, it just goes haywire and goes up and down a lot even on flat terrain. In the end the accumulative 'elevation gain' is totally wrong for a say 30km run; something like 1000m which should actually be around 100m.

Interesting, several white papers on GPS and SA (selective availability) state the system was turned off in 2000 or 2001 as I recall. The errors are now, in most cases, reduced to a few feet. Errors now are more related to weather, atmospheric conditions and multipath issues.

Cell towers however have exact altitude measurements and with three or more towers both location and altitude can be determined.

Yes, software and firmware can resolve issues. But the majority of users don’t seem to have issues with altimeter. I know multiple pilots that state their watches are very accurate when the third party apps are calibrated, but Apple altimeter less so, because of lack of proper calibration.

What I find interesting is the Apple Compass app will show continuous altitude readings that appear quite accurate when I compare them to a USGS topographic map and a benchmark. Yet, at the same time the hiking workout is much less accurate. Why? Perhaps lack of cellular signals? You tell me.

I once used WorkOutDoors to measure my run and the altitude never dropped but in places it was off by 300-400 feet which I have not seen with any of my other watches. Other places it was accurate. I will emphasize that I have used two Garmin watches, one Coros watch, one non-cellular Apple Watch 9, and two cellular Apple Watch Ultra 2 watches. I always used Ultra 2 and another watch at the same time. The only watches that dropped elevation were the two Ultra 2s. No other watch has ever had any problems including the Apple Watch 9.

Tried 11.2 today and still have the problem. In fact I had the longest dropout to date and not even on the trails. Elevation display dropped out on a sidewalk in the neighborhood and never came back for the rest of the run so almost two miles. Nothing from Apple support either. I am going to contact them again today. I can only conclude that the Ultra 2 is a defective product as two of them have had this issue and NONE of my other watches have.

Elevation and altitude are two different measurements and achieved through two different methods. Which is the issue?