Apple Watch Stand Goal Problem

Hello Jonathan,

You might remember that this question has been asked multiple times in this forum with you responding with same or similar cookie cutter "Restart/update/play around your watch to make this work correctly" instructions.

It would be really good if you could acknowledge that these instructions don't help. and that there is a bug with the software. It would be even better if you could find out whether someone working on iOS is aware and actively looking at fixing the issue.

Thank you.

Re: Apple Watch Health App Stand Time

Stand goal 50% completed while sleeping following 3.1.1 update

Hi

For the purpose of crediting the hourly Stand achievement, your watch aims to identify when you have stood up and moved around for at least one minute during that hour. It is possible that you had already earned the achievement for that hour before you sat down.

Apple Watch uses an accelerometer to identify movement. If your watch is misinterpreting your movements, the following steps may help:

If you have not yet done so, update your iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest software, starting with your iPhone:

• Update the iOS software on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
• Update the software on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Calibrate your watch by following the instructions in the article linked below:

• Calibration enables your watch to more accurately estimate various fitness and activity-related results. It does this by teaching your watch how your arm moves when you are walking and/or running at different speeds.
• It may first help to reset any existing calibration data and then start this process afresh:
  • On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Privacy > Motion & Fitness > tap on Reset Calibration Data.
• Calibration instructions:
  • Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support

Activity estimations also depend 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 > Health > Edit (upper-right).

Restart both your iPhone and your watch:

• Close the Watch app and Activity app on your iPhone:
  • Double-click the Home button, then swipe up on each app preview to close it.
• Turn both devices off together, then restart your iPhone first:
  • Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
  • Restart your Apple Watch - Apple Support

More information:

Use the Activity app on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

xenopain, if you are experiencing similar issues that have not been resolved by suggested troubleshooting steps and you are concerned about a potential software bug, I suggest that you open a case with Apple Support or make a Genius Bar reservation to raise and discuss your concerns:

• Contact - Official Apple Support
• https://twitter.com/applesupport
• http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

The problem might be caused by the unfortunate terminology - the name "Stand Goal" is misleading.

The goal should have been called "move around" goal.

The Stand ring shows hours in which you've stood and moved for at least a minute. Complete your daily Stand goal by standing up and moving around for at least 1 minute during 12 different hours in the day. Even if you stand all day, you still need to move around.

The watch cannot find out if we are standing or sitting. I can detect if the movement pattern of our wrist corresponds to the motion pattern when walking around. If we let the arm swing naturally like done when walking or running, It suffices for the stand goal to register, even when we are sitting at our desk or lying in bed. I tested this on a long distance flight by doing a bit of gymnastics on my seat, and the stand goal registered nicely. The unfortunate name "Stand goal" makes the users expect that the watch is able to recognize of we are standing, sitting, or lying down.

Thanks, I will do those. Previous communication with apple support chat just told me to submit feedback - which I did. I will try to reach out via twitter and see if I need a genius bar appointment. Though I am a little bit upset about the time I have to spend to just to get someone look at an issue that is reported by multiple users.

I agree with this sentiment and it might have been named a bit more clearly or provided clear explanation more prominently.

I disagree that the watch cannot recognize you are standing or not. If you keep still yes it won't be able to decide whether you are standing still or sitting still, but movement patterns change with the contextual information. Waving arms around while sitting can easily bi distinguished from standing and walking (unless you wave your arms around in such a way that it would match human gait movement). Also transition from sitting to standing and standing to sitting can possibly be recognized too.

However that is not the issue here, If you look at the other linked posts the watch thinks that you accomplished the standing goal for that hour (move around for about a minute), even when you are lying still. It either detects minuscule movements and think that you did move or there is some other bug that marks completely still hours as standing. This is new with the 3.1.1 update, before it clearly worked better.

Also transition from sitting to standing and standing to sitting can possibly be recognized too.

Possibly. But the watch may not move much, when you get up and push yourself up with your hands. The orientation of the watch will change from horizontal with the hands on the desk to hanging down when walking.

But this transition is not necessary for the stand goal to register, or the watch would not give me credit for standing, if I had not had a chance to sit down for hours. The walking around alone does suffice for the stand goal, when I am hiking or when I am giving a lecture and standing in front of an audience. I do not have to sit down and get up again to receive Stand credit. This suggests to me, that the Watch software does not try to detect the transition from sitting to standing.

even when you are lying still. It either detects minuscule movements and think that you did move or there is some other bug that marks completely still hours as standing. This is new with the 3.1.1 update, before it clearly worked better.

I've been testing this with my watch. It will register a successful stand, while I am lying bed, if I wave the arm with the watch rhythmically, like when walking around. It will even credit this as exercise without any workout.app running.

Sometimes the stand ring advances, out of the blue, when I am no longer moving, but I noticed a latency. It may take a few minutes, before the previous activity will be credited. I could not yet find a clear pattern, how long it will take, before the rings are incremented. But it can take up to ten minutes, at least with my watch. This latency is more noticable, when I do not have the iPhone with me.

léonie wrote:

This suggests to me, that the Watch software does not try to detect the transition from sitting to standing.

It does not have to do one way exclusively. I would assume that it would utilize multiple algorithms to detect what a movement means.

You're welcome - good luck.