Discrepancy in how Apple Watch compares Walking Speed data with Walking Exercise data

I work out by walking on a treadmill in the basement of my apartment building. Yesterday my Apple Watch Series 10 recorded that I'd walked 33 min and gone 2 miles. A little arithmetic shows that if you go 2 miles in 33 minutes you're walking over 3.6 MPH. But for Walking Speed my Apple watch says that my range yesterday was 1.8-2.8 MPH. This is a large discrepancy -- 2.8 is about 22% less than 3.6.


I realize I can recalibrate my Apple Watch, but the recalibration appears to require walking *outdoors* for 20 minutes and using the Watch's GPS. (Note: the Watch has always had accurate details about my age, height and weight.) And in any case the recalibration seems unnecessary; if the Watch accurately recorded my treadmill session it knows I averaged 3.6 MPH during the workout, so it ought to use 3.6 MPH as the upper limit of my Walking Speed -- not 2.8 MPH.


Is there any way to minimize the discrepancy between how the Watch displays Walking Speed data and Walking Exercise data? I love all the data my Apple Watch gives me, but this glitch baffles me.



Apple Watch Series 10, watchOS 11

Posted on Apr 7, 2025 1:52 PM

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Apr 8, 2025 12:30 PM in response to Ingo2711

I appreciate the suggestion, Ingo2711, but I don't have a problem with the accuracy of the watch in measuring my time and distance on the treadmill. It's that the watch ought to be able to use that time and distance to measure my max speed -- then repurpose that result as the upper limit when displaying my fastest and slowest Walking Speed.


To be honest, the watch was much more accurate today in displaying both my time and distance on the treadmill as compared to my highest Walking Speed. It says I walked 2 miles in 32 minutes, which works out to 3.75 MPH, then shows my Walking Speed ranging from 2 to 3.7 MPH -- so this time it's off by only .05 MPH.


I guess some days are more accurate than others ...

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Discrepancy in how Apple Watch compares Walking Speed data with Walking Exercise data

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