Apple Watch indoor workout accuracy after iOS 27 and watchOS 27

Concern About Fitness Tracking Accuracy After iOS 27 and watchOS 27

I’m posting because I’m experiencing what appears to be a similar issue to what others have reported with Apple Watch fitness tracking.

The issue started immediately after updating both my iPhone to iOS 27 and my Apple Watch to watchOS 27. Prior to these updates, I did not have this concern with my fitness tracking.

I rely heavily on my Apple Watch to track my daily activity, walking, running, workouts, distance, and calories. Since updating, I’m concerned that the accuracy of my indoor workouts, particularly indoor walking, has changed.

I have already completed the recommended fitness calibration process, and I am continuing to do outdoor walks and runs to give the Watch additional opportunities to calibrate. I have also confirmed that the appropriate Location Services and Motion Calibration & Distance settings are enabled.

Despite doing this, I’m still concerned about the accuracy of the measurements.

My indoor walking routine is fairly consistent, so I have a good baseline for what I would normally expect the Apple Watch to record. The measurements I’m now seeing do not appear consistent with what I was getting before the iOS 27 and watchOS 27 updates.

I understand that Apple Watch measurements are estimates and that indoor workouts can be more difficult to measure accurately. However, because the change occurred immediately after the software updates, and I have already completed the recommended calibration process, I’m wondering if something changed with the fitness tracking or calibration system in iOS 27/watchOS 27.

I’m also seeing other Apple Watch users reporting similar issues following the update, which makes me concerned that this may be more than an isolated calibration issue.

I would appreciate some clarification from Apple:

Did iOS 27 or watchOS 27 introduce any changes to indoor walking/running distance calculations?

Did the update change, reset, or otherwise affect existing fitness calibration data?

Is Apple aware of reports of inaccurate indoor workout distance following the updates?

How long should users realistically expect the Watch to take to recalibrate after updating?

If completing the recommended calibration workouts does not resolve the issue, what additional troubleshooting does Apple recommend?

I’m continuing to use the Apple Watch normally and complete the recommended calibration workouts, but I would really like to know whether this is an expected adjustment period or something Apple is currently investigating.

I’m hoping others experiencing the same issue can share their Apple Watch model, iPhone model, and whether they noticed the change immediately after updating to iOS 27 and watchOS 27.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleWatchFitness/s/0ZLJtQTpxB

Posted on Sep 19, 2026 12:50 PM

21 replies

Sep 28, 2026 8:39 AM in response to happyladi

Glad you’re having a nice experience! Agreed, it’s going to feel weird for a heavy Apple user to buy something that’s “Google,” lol. I’m right there with you—I have one in my cart, ready to order and pick up.

Quick question: When you finished your indoor workout and did the outdoor trail, did you wear it around your ankle to track your steps? That’s been my biggest issue lately with my Watch and OS 27. I tested it again today with my Ultra 3, and it barely picked up any distance compared with the 3.1 mph I was walking on my walking pad. My walk distance made it seem like I was moving at a sloth’s pace, but my legs say otherwise. I finally gave up and put it on my wrist. It seemed to work better, but it’s hard to work when I have to keep my hands off the keyboard and swing my arms naturally like I’m walking.🙃

I miss when it just worked in watchOS 26. I reported it to Apple again through the feedback link, but I still haven’t heard back.

Sep 28, 2026 1:14 PM in response to JustAnAppleUser_1

Well, I just turned in my last complaint via the link. Told them I purchased a Fitbit to get accurate readings. I feel they’ve abandoned us and aren’t listening to us and to have fun with their faceless algorithms. I’ve apgraded my Apple Watch yearly since 7. I’ll no longer be doing that. Hope I wasn’t too blunt!🤣🤣 Ahh, they won’t care.

Oct 1, 2026 5:31 PM in response to JustAnAppleUser_1

I can’t figure out how to post here, so I’m replying to your . Ever since updating my Apple Watch, the step and distance tracking has become completely inaccurate.

Every morning, I walk on a walking pad while I work. I do this every single day, for an hour and a half to two hours, and I consistently hit 4–5 miles without fail. This routine has been the same since I bought the walking pad, and my watch has always tracked it correctly — until this latest update. I consistently hit 10,000 steps plus. I’ve been doing this for months now

Because my arms aren’t swinging while I work, I wear my watch on my ankle. This has always given me accurate step and distance counts. After the update, the watch is barely registering anything. Today I walked for 1 hour and 25 minutes, and it didn’t even show one mile. That is nowhere near my actual distance.

This is extremely frustrating because I rely on accurate step counts for my workplace well‑being app. Being under my steps every day — when I know I’m walking the same 4–5 miles I always do — directly affects my reporting and progress.

I need to understand:

Why the update changed step and distance tracking so drastically
Whether ankle tracking is now being filtered out
If there is a fix, rollback option, or calibration method to restore accurate tracking
How to ensure my steps and mileage are counted correctly while using my walking pad

I also read somewhere that if you shake your arm, then it will give you steps. This is like the old Fitbit days when people used to cheat on their steps by just shaking their arm. I’m just frustrated

Sep 19, 2026 1:57 PM in response to JustAnAppleUser_1

And for device context I have an Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch 10. Tested both same scenario.

JordBrit

Level 1

14 points

Sep 20, 2026 5:11 AM in response to JustAnAppleUser_1

Same for outdoor too, my regular 11.5km run came in over 1km short 🤷🏼‍♂️

Sep 28, 2026 12:42 PM in response to JustAnAppleUser_1

I wear it on my wrist, but know some do wear it around ankle and say they get better accuracy. I swing my arms naturally. It does very accurate sleep also. Hope that helps.

Apple Watch indoor workout accuracy after iOS 27 and watchOS 27