I Went for a 20 minute outdoor walk today using the Workout app, with my phone GPS on And I didn't get credit for even one minute. I had my hands in my pockets because it was cold but given I was using gps, shouldn't it have given me credit in the exercise ring?
So I did end up going to the Genius Bar, and showed them all my data. They agreed it was odd, and sent it to The Depot to have the software reloaded and retested. They sent it back after doing so and said it tested fine. This time, they did tell me that it could take 7-10 days to "learn" my habits, so I should make sure to give it that much time. I gave it a full 14 days, but was having the same issue. I was about ready to bring it back and tell them I wanted a new watch, when I decided to try one more thing in desperation.
I blew up ALL the data. I had to kind of play around and figure out what order to do stuff in, but ultimately I think it's this: You unpair the watch from the phone first, then you restart the watch, and go to the watch settings and reset it so it gets reset as if it's new from the factory. It will say "are you sure you want to delete all of the data from the watch?" and I replied yes. I also deleted the watch app and the activity app from the phone, then shut down the phone and restarted it. After that I erased all content and settings on the phone...yep. Desperate! I did try to remove the watch from the phone without doing that, but it seemed like it kept the data in the phone and wouldn't accept the reset. What's really weird tho, is that I did a restore on the phone data from a back up, and it pulled the watch app back in, but not the data. Anyway after I FINALLY cleared out all the crap data, the watch has worked like a dream. My actual activity time has been spot on every single time from the very first day, down to the minute.
There may have been an easier way to do this, but at least it works. Too bad Apple couldn't get to this solution with me.
You are correct, you can't change it. I did a bit of searching online and wasn't able to find out how. so tried impairing it and setting it up as a new watch. I knew it would pull the old data back in in terms of the prior walks, but I couldn't remember if it would let me set up new parameters for myself or not, and unfortunately it doesn't. I would have been ok losing that prior data, as I haven't had the watch that long, just to get it working correctly. On the other hand, it's also possible that all it needed was 7-10 days of consistency. I'll keep tracking my results for a while, and what variables I'm throwing at it, to see what I'm getting. Worst case I go back to the store and make them send me a replacement, in case the accelerometer is bad.
Thanks , unfortunately it did not continue as it suppose to work , sensor is inconsistent, I’ve bent in contact with Apple tech for that last 2 weeks , more than 6 hours already spent on that 4 hours in one day , issue was handled with Apple engineers , no soloution yet , we tried everything thing including wearing watch where is no hair on wrist and shaving hair on wrist 😂
If you thinking judging you or being critical of your lifestyle and are truly shocked, then your reading comprehension needs much work. You believe you should get credit for everything you deem exercise; Apple believes their standard of a brisk walk must be met for an Outdoor Walk to count as exercise.
Jonathan gave you an option. I don't agree with such an option. You have a decision to make. You chose to take offense. Oh, well. Your choice.
I'm very disappointed that my activity rings aren't accurately tracking my workouts. I have walked 5.2 miles for almost 2 hours. I unpaired my Apple Watch as suggested, but it didn't fix my problem. The last few days worked perfectly. Today, I met all my goals twice over. Please help fix this glitch.
Hi
To credit progress towards the daily Exercise goal, the Activity app aims to identify activity that equals or exceeds the intensity of a brisk walk. This requirement applies both during general daily wear and when recording workouts via the Workout app.
The definition of a brisk walk depends on your personal information. To check that this is accurate (and to update it over time):
On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Health > Edit - tap and adjust items, then tap on Done.
If you have not yet done so, it may also help to update your iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest software (starting with your iPhone). After updating from earlier software versions, some users reported seeing increases in the proportion of their activity that was credited as Exercise.
During general daily wear and when using the Workout app to record Indoor Walk, Indoor Run and certain outdoor workouts when the iPhone is not taken along, the Activity app and Workout app rely on arm motion (measured by the accelerometer) to track movement for the purpose of estimating results including Exercise credit, distance and pace.
For the best results, allow the arm on which you are wearing your watch to swing naturally as you move around and, where relevant, during workouts. If the iPhone is also taken along during outdoor workouts (with Location Services and Bluetooth enabled), the watch can also access GPS data to help inform estimations.
Calibrating your watch can improve the accuracy of estimations made by the apps by teaching your watch how your arm movements relate to your stride lengths at different speeds when walking and/or running. It does this by comparing data from the accelerometer with GPS (Location Services) data from your iPhone. Instructions for calibrating your watch are available via the link below. The article also includes instructions for resetting any existing calibration data and starting the process afresh. For the best results, calibrate for at least 20 minutes at each of the speeds at which you typically run and/or walk.
Also ensure that you wear your watch snugly on the top of your wrist during workouts. Apple suggests that you consider tightening your watch band before workouts and loosening it again afterwards.
If you would prefer to receive Exercise credit for workouts regardless of their intensity levels, track them via the Workout app using Other as the activity type. This will credit one minute of Exercise for each full minute of the workout. Active calories will be estimated at a rate equivalent to a brisk walk or based on data recorded by the heart rate sensor, whichever is higher.
More information:
Use the Activity app on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
Use the Workout app on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support
Your heart rate. What it means, and where on Apple Watch you’ll find it. - Apple Support
Hi TahoeC,
I'm sorry to see that your Workout activity was not tracked with your Apple Watch. In order to help resolve this issue, I'd like you to please check the settings outlined in the steps below, and also calibrate your Apple Watch for better tracking results.
- Bring your iPhone and your Apple Watch.
- Find an open, flat area outside that offers good GPS reception and clear skies.
- Make sure that Location Services is on. To check the setting on your iPhone, tap Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
- Make sure that Motion Calibration & Distance is on. To check the setting on your iPhone, tap Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services.
- Hold your iPhone in your hand, or attach it to your body with an armband (preferably) or waistband.
- Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch, and choose Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run.
- Choose your goal, or select Open, and tap Start.
- Walk or run at your normal pace for about 20 minutes.
If you can't accumulate 20 minutes of outdoor walking or running during one Workout session, you can accumulate 20 minutes over multiple outdoor walking or running Workout sessions with your iPhone. If you frequently walk or run at a variety of different speeds, it's best to accumulate 20 minutes of outdoor walking or running in the Workout app with your iPhone at each of the speeds you frequently walk or run at.
You don't need to do anything specific to start this calibration process. It can be done during a regular outdoor walking or running workout in the Workout app when you have your iPhone with you. And, whenever you use Apple Watch and iPhone to walk or run outside in the Workout app, it will continue to calibrate the accelerometer by learning your unique stride length at different speeds, and get more accurate over time.
This calibration process can also help improve the accuracy of your overall calorie estimations in many of the other workout categories in the Workout app, and the calorie, distance, Move, and Exercise estimations in the Activity app. However, it's not necessary to do this calibration process before using either the Activity or Workout apps.
Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support
Cheers,
Alex H.
I have done all the reset un-pair what not for the watch and I still find that I don't understand the metric being recorded here. On my watch whenever I am done with a 2 to 2.5 mile walk and I end and save, the exercise ring will go all the way around and then some. When I check it later it will have backed off and credited me with half the exercise goal for the day. I hope that the Nike+ version works a bit better than the Apple watch does. I loved my Nike GPS watch and only came to the Apple watch for the heart rate function. I have been pretty disappointed so far.
I go to the gym for an hour in the mornings. Spend half my time on the treadmill and the other half on the strength and stretching machines. I noticed it hadn't been counting towards exercise. It was saying that I took so many steps and such speed for such distance, but still not exercise. I tried the workout ap which counted as a work out and did what it was supposed to but still did not count anything towards my exercise goal. This is very frustrating as I switched from the Fitbit to the Apple Watch hoping for more accuracy. Apple needs to find a real fix for this.
Very interesting. I have just travelled from U.K. to India and on day 2 the Exercise mins stopped counting the actual walk mins. Did 51 min walk and it read only 26 mins out of 30 on the daily exercise for that day. The walk itself reads the full 51 mins in its recording. I hope is starts working again when I get back to the UK.
Out of interest when outside the USA did you use just wifi or actually roam on the foreign mobile signal?
I am wifi only in India.
How frustrating that two years have gone by and Apple still hasn't addressed. My husband and I went for a walk this morning. I logged into the workout app, made sure that the motion calibration was on, and started my outdoor walking. My husband didn't use his watch with the workout app but rather just let it count via the steps and get the credit with the rings. We finished with a 33 min walk, my ave BPM was 128, did 1.63 miles on my watch, and on his it was over 2 miles! His exercise ring shows 34 mins, 113%, mine shows 7 min and 23%. We have our goals set exactly the same. I shouldn't have to re-pair my watch, I've had it 4 days! So clearly Apple has dropped a turd on this, as I should have met my goal easily on this and completed the ring, same as hubby.
Apple engineers, you need to think about this like geometry. A square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square.
Exercise is activity, but activity is not necessarily exercise. Very simple. Sheesh, if a lil' ole RN can figure that out...
Apple keep hiding behind their finger, they just using excuses cont to fix this long existing issue , it’s over due they just don’t want to admit fault with outdoor walk , the same exact thing happened with me and my 15 years old son , his BPM average over 120 his watch records perfectl , I average 80-85 bpm I got 1 minute recorded for every 30 minutes of walk ! I’m using runner keeper app , on my iPhone , at the end of Walk it sinks every activity perfectly, if Apple don’t care to fix this issue I will give up their watch !!!!
Today like many many days before , 44 minutes outdoor walk and 2 miles distance , the exercise ring marked 5 minutes only!!! Bpm Average was 98, according to Apple 98 bpm is not enoug to record this activity !!! What are we suppose to do ? Go to Cardiologist and ask for some medication to increase your heart beat , then and only then Apple concider your outdoor walk is really a legitimate exercise!!!! Ridiculous !! At the same time I had my Runkeeper app open in my iPhone recording the out door walk the same 2 miles and 44 minutes were completely recorded on the watch , thank you Runkeeper . Apple keep finding excuses 😂
ok, results are no change. We did a 34 min walk, the workout app says 1.79 miles, Ave BPM 130, ave pace 19'10"/mi. Exercise in the rings shows 10 min, where my husband's shows all 34 min! I think I'll engage support next, at least get it registered.
I know that the Watch uses the prior week's (or weeks') activity to fine tune recommendations to increase your Move goal and possibly change how you earn your Exercise minutes (the latter being my concern).
But I have to think that the Watch would make different recommendations for two people, side by side, with the same basic personal data with the exception of initial Activity Level.
If not, what is the point of telling them your current Activity level in the first place? And yes, something could happen to impair your ability to perform on that level, just as a touch of arthritis might cause you to dial back spinning significantly and permanently. (Note my optimism on achieving all the Power Ups and advancing to the next level of difficulty!) 😀
So I'd really appreciate Apple telling us exactly how they calculate Exercise minutes in a best case scenario (i.e. a perfectly functional Apple Watch and software). They don't have to explain the secret algorithm used, just the metrics involved and how they're used, assuming that's not the secret algorithm. 🙂
Apple watch exercise not counting
