Is your Apple Watch not recording walks or runs properly? There is a solution for this: calibrating your Apple Watch. This sounds more difficult than it is.
Calibrate Apple Watch for accurate sports results
Every now and then the Apple Watch is upset. For example, the watch thinks you have only run for 15 minutes, when in reality you have been busy for half an hour. Fortunately, it is very easy to get the clock back on track. Calibrating an Apple Watch consists of three steps and takes about 20 minutes.
Step 1: Start with a clean slate
The Apple Watch uses all kinds of sensors, such as an accelerometer, to check what your walking or running pace is. Before you start, it is therefore important to clear the current data and start with a clean slate:
- On the paired iPhone, go to the Watch app;
- Select ‘Privacy’ at ‘My Watch’;
- Tap ‘Recover Fitness Calibration Data’ at the bottom and confirm.
Step 2: The correct settings
The actual calibration begins in step 3. Before that, it is important to make sure that the watch is properly receiving all the necessary data. Therefore, check in advance whether the settings are correctly configured:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone;
- Tap on ‘Privacy’ and go to ‘Location Services’;
- Turn on ‘Location Services’ so that the box turns green;
- Scroll down and make sure that the switch for ‘Motion Calibration and Distance’ is also on.
Step 3: Calibrate Apple Watch
Calibrating your Apple Watch takes twenty minutes. Because the watch needs a constant pace, it is important to stop at traffic lights and pedestrians as little as possible in between. Are you abroad? Do not go hiking or running in the mountains, because calibration works better on a flat surface.
- Put on your Apple Watch and go outside. If you have a first-generation Watch, you must bring the paired iPhone with you. If you have a Series 2 or newer model, only the watch is needed;
- Open the Workout app on the watch and choose ‘Walk outside’ or ‘Run outside’;
- Tap the three dots to set a time goal of at least 20 minutes (but longer is allowed);
- Run or walk at a steady pace;
- Are the twenty minutes over? End the Workout session to stop the calibration.
When you do interval training, where you jog slowly for a minute and then sprint at full speed for half a minute, it is useful to repeat the above process a few times. The Apple Watch assumes a constant pace, so it has to get used to your irregular pattern.
Don’t have the time or energy to walk or run for twenty minutes in one sitting? Then you can divide the calibration process over several sports sessions. It is important to maintain the same pace continuously.
Exercise with your Apple Watch
On iPhone we regularly pay attention to all the ways in which the Apple Watch can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle. For example, check our overview of the best running apps, or try to watch your nutrition using calorie counter apps. Are you completely new to the world of sports with your iPhone and Apple Watch? Check out our Activity app guide to start flying (or jogging).
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