BUG: Exercise app time not showing in Activity app

Thanks Keiron. We walked side by side the exact same distance and pace, so like you say I would expect it to be close. We will try the Sam thing again and see what happens.

I'm puzzled because when I use the Workout app for an outdoor walk my heart rate never gets above the low teens yet I get credit for every minute. Are you using the Outdoor Walk function in the Workout app? Do you have your iPhone with you? Have you calibrated your stride length?

YYes, I am puzzled as well. Yes to all three questions by the way. Will do another walk and see if the results change.

This morning I walked 1.8 miles in 30 minutes OUTDOORS, carrying my phone, using the outdoor walking workout. I only got credit for 6 minutes on exercise ring, but correct calories on move ring. And yes, I swing my arms with every step.

I am having this same issue. I received no exercise credits when I did 40 minutes on an elliptical. I definitely hit the heart rate levels needed and my wrist was moving as I was holding on to the upper body workout poles.

Update: We did another test today. Outside brisk walk using the exercise app on the watch and selecting Outdoor Walk. Phones were taken with us as well. For my walk, I got credit in the exercise ring for most of the walk, I think it was all but 4 or 5 minutes of a 40 minute walk. My wife however only got exercise credit for about 20 minutes. We verified this by ending the walk, looking at her phone which had 40 minutes of walk on the exercise and then going to the exercise ring to see if it increased by this same amount. It did not. Note that her heart rate is lower than mine and stayed below her calculated optimal exercise level almost half of the time. I have really come to the same conclusion as Jwolf74 did earlier in this thread:

"Workout activities don't seem to count either unless your heart rate reaches the target,"

It seems if you are in this target range then it counts as exercise, otherwise it does not. This could be the reason why others see different results. Now, the only thing I am not really sure of is if Apple uses the standard calculation (see below) for target range or has its own method of coming up with a target range (perhaps based on resting or average heart rate over time).

Max BPM = 220 - Age

Target Range = Max BPM * (0.70 to 0.85)

This is not true. I've used work out app for walking. It rarely credits me for my walks, no matter the heart rate, arm swings or even if I jog.

I'm not sure this is true. I've had my heart rate in the target range & work out app rarely credits me on exercise ring

I agree

I have come to the same conclusion. I found the UP app (which I was already familiar with) will import data from the watch. I am really not so interested in HR and all the other broken metrics Apple is using. Sweat will tell me how strenuous my workout is. Until Apple figures out how to allow users to "fix" settings and set goals. Until then, this Activity/Workout nonsense is pretty much useless. I did a hike yesterday using "Outdoor Walk" and only got credit for 9 minutes of an hour hike. Today I did the same hike under "Other" and the whole thing registered under Activity/Exercise.

It's more than disappointing that Genius appts and calls to Apple have not been productive. I have said it before and I will say it again... If I had Apple stock, I would have sold it by now. And that is coming from someone who has been exclusively Apple since 1989. 😢

Yep, I'm mostly disappointed with Apple Watch at this point. I have high hopes that Apple will fix these things when the new Watch OS comes out. My perception is the HR sensor is just not able to keep up with heartrates except within a narrow range. Many times during intense workouts, I've stopped to check my HR, and the thing just wouldn't read. Based on experience, I know my HR was in the high 150s to mid 160s, yet the watch would read some ridiculous number like 85. Also, the apps just don't sync like they should between each other, or between the watch and phone. The Health app usually does have accurate information (as far as whatever the watch sent) but it syncs in its own sweet timing, whenever it feels like it.

All this and the fact that I can't swim laps with it, makes it almost useless to me. The quick response to texts is the only thing redeeming it at this point.

I always used the health app to count my steps. Just started using a Watch and now I get ridiculous amounts of steps in my health app. About twice as much as I normally walk. Any idea? I drive a lot of kilometers in my car. (400-500 per day) Maybe the watch starts counting that?

I am sorry to report that your take is way off base. Please refer to the user manual. The watch calculates indoor activities based on heart rate NOT arm swings. Steps are the only data that is collected using movement. Why this particular bug exists, I do not know as I have experienced the same on my outdoor walk when coupled with iPhone using gps but not with the watch alone. No matter how many times you swing your arm once you begin the workout using the workout app icon, this should translate across all related devices as a workout. Whatever the issue I am hopeful that it is corrected in the next iteration of software. A bike ride does not require arm swings but the app is quite adequate at logging indoor bike rides based on heart rate.

We can all guess but there are no written requirements that you reach any specific heart rate or arm swing to log a workout. To do so would be offering medical advice which the Apple watch is not a medical device.

Same issue-try this-tighten band so that it totally hugs your wrist, then exercise- voila- mine worked.

this is extremely disappointing. the watch is not registering cycling for me AT ALL. I clearly was in my target heart rate for 30 minutes and registered 0 minutes of activity. This bug has to be fixed.