mar0364

Q: Apple Watch Activity App Calibration Question

Is it correct to say that as long as I run with my watch and phone that the watch will constantly improve? I've been doing that for about a week of runs (5) and it's not improving much. The first time I used it, it said it would calibrate so I walked for 23 minutes. Next I tried to calibrate the run. I did that for 30 minutes. Do I need to redo the initial calibration? If so how do I do that?

Apple Watch

Posted on Aug 25, 2015 5:41 PM

Close

Q: Apple Watch Activity App Calibration Question

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Jonathan UK,Helpful

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Aug 26, 2015 12:21 AM in response to mar0364
    Level 7 (31,031 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 26, 2015 12:21 AM in response to mar0364

    You do not need to redo the initial calibration.

     

    Whenever you walk or run outside using the Workout app (not the Activity app) with both your watch and your iPhone, it will continue to calibrate the accelerometer and get more accurate over time. You need to start and end a workout each time in the Workout app.

     

    If you often walk or run at different speeds, it is best to accumulate 20 minutes of outdoor walking or running using the Workout app with your iPhone at each of those speeds. Each of those 20 minute calibrations can be accumulated over multiple sessions.

     

    Ensure that you have configured your iPhone as directed by Apple:

    - Settings > Privacy > Location Services - on

    - Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Motion Calibration & Distance - on

     

    More info:

     

    Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support

    Use the Workout app on Apple Watch - Apple Support

    Use the Activity app on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

  • by nick101,Helpful

    nick101 nick101 Aug 26, 2015 2:17 AM in response to mar0364
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    Aug 26, 2015 2:17 AM in response to mar0364

    It's worth remembering that, when you walk/run *without* the phone, the watch only has your number of steps and average stride length to work with. It's smart enough to know the difference in stride between running and walking, but if your stride length changes significantly, the watch will struggle to maintain accuracy. Reasons your stride length might vary include: speed (faster commonly means longer strides); tiredness/unwellness (is that a word?) commonly mean shorter; terrain - shorter strides uphill, longer downhill, varying stride on rough terrain.

     

    The more you walk/run with the phone, the better the watch will get at estimating, so take the phone with you from time to time. If the results you get without the phone are very poor indeed, you can start calibration from scrathc by unpairing/re-pairing but, as already posted, that shouldn't be necessary

  • by mar0364,

    mar0364 mar0364 Aug 26, 2015 5:22 AM in response to mar0364
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 26, 2015 5:22 AM in response to mar0364

    Thanks!

    I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing and the calibration will sort it self out.

     

    Regards!

    Rich

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Aug 26, 2015 5:23 AM in response to mar0364
    Level 7 (31,031 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 26, 2015 5:23 AM in response to mar0364

    You're welcome!

  • by football96,

    football96 football96 Sep 6, 2015 7:45 AM in response to Jonathan UK
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 6, 2015 7:45 AM in response to Jonathan UK

    Hello,

    I've done walking and running calibration and keep the setting for GPS and "Motion calibration and distance " always on, when I use the workout app, but it seems to be not successful.

    During a running distance of 12km, the measured distance differs from the real distance by more than 500m to 1000m.

  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 Sep 6, 2015 10:22 AM in response to football96
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    Sep 6, 2015 10:22 AM in response to football96

    Is this happening when you run without the phone? Or with the phone?

     

    Without the phone, the Watch has only the number of steps you take, and a stride length estimated from your calibration runs. If, for any reason, your stride length varies (injury, tiredness, different terrain), it will affect the Watch's calculations of distance and pace.

     

    If you're running the same terrain as your calibration run, and similar pace, and you still get these odd results, try doing some more calibration.

     

    Having said all that, there do seem to be some issues with the way the Watch deals with this stuff - hopefully, future software updates will improve things.

  • by football96,

    football96 football96 Sep 6, 2015 10:52 AM in response to nick101
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 6, 2015 10:52 AM in response to nick101

    Currently, I'm running always with the phone, active GPS and active "Motion calibration and distance". The running terrain is flat, sometimes trees along the route. Is a sometimes bad GPS reception (which I can't check during my run) the reason for wrong distance measurement?

     

    How does the workout app measure the distance, if GPS is permanent available, based on GPS or sensor information? 500 - 1000m difference shouldn't be a GPS issue.

    Due to the Apple description, the sensor calibrations should improve over time and my assumption was, after 2 month and  min twice per week usage, collected data of my movement should be more than enough.