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Apple is celebrating Thanksgiving this year by urging U.S. Apple Watch owners to bag a special achievement by recording a minimum walking or running distance on Thursday, November 28.

thanksgiving-apple-watch-challenge-2019.jpg

As with past holidays, Apple Watch owners can earn an exclusive badge and an iMessage sticker if they complete the challenge.

To earn the turkey-themed badge and sticker, Apple Watch wearers must clock up a 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) walk, run, or wheelchair workout. Apple's Thanksgiving Day challenge was first spotted by Kyle Seth Gray, who shared his discovery on Twitter.

To record the activity, wearers need to use Apple's stock Workout app or a third-party app that feeds data to Apple's HealthKit. An ?Apple Watch? user's history of achievements can be viewed any time via the Achievements tab on the iOS Activity app.

Apple first challenged Apple Watch owners to get out on Thanksgiving Day in 2016, and then again in 2017, but no challenge was forthcoming in 2018.

Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday, so the challenge obviously won't show up for Apple Watch users set to other regions. The last special activity challenge Apple promoted occurred on Monday for Veterans Day.

Article Link: Apple Watch Owners Challenged to Earn Thanksgiving Day Activity Achievement
 
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Bin Cook

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Jun 16, 2018
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Pretty pointless having achievements outside the US. Just switch them off and don't market them.
 

coumerelli

macrumors 6502
Apr 7, 2003
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state of confusion.
Sounds like fun! I’m up to the challenge! I’ll be in Cleveland visiting relatives for Thanksgiving so my cousins and I can go for a walk after we eat!

I am flying in Thanksgiving morning, get in at 11 am so I’m sure I’ll get a lot of walking at the airports as well..

you have to do an activity of 5k or more to earn the badge.Your airport walking won't count unless you walk/run/wheelchair for at least 5k with the app running. "Total miles" doesn't count.
 
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Fozziebear71

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2014
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Pretty pointless having achievements outside the US. Just switch them off and don't market them.

I learned a long time ago they are pretty pointless anyway. I have many of these "rewards" disappear when I have upgraded watches and/or phones and no one at Apple has ever been able to get them back for me or explain why it happens in the first place.

I am a runner so I get them when they show up regardless. But I mostly ignore them because I know at some point they will disappear anyway.
 

jbachandouris

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Aug 18, 2009
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I always run the Turkey Trot 10k on Thanksgiving, but this year has been rough. I had open incision hernia surgery in April (90 days recovery time, though I started back running on day 46) and laparoscopic hernia surgery 3 weeks ago today. I am cleared to run it, yet I'm not sure how 'good' I'll feel doing it.
 

1sazim

macrumors member
Sep 21, 2014
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I really like the challenges. Love to do this, but am recovering from Achilles surgery. I can do walks, but short ones (<1 mile), so this is not for me this year. I _DID_ get the Veterans' Day badge, but it just about did me in! ?
 
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Alan Wynn

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Sep 13, 2017
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I learned a long time ago they are pretty pointless anyway. I have many of these "rewards" disappear when I have upgraded watches and/or phones and no one at Apple has ever been able to get them back for me or explain why it happens in the first place.

I started with he Apple Watch Series 0 and have received every possible U.S. special badge. I have had several iPhones and Apple Watches since then (Series 3 and now Series 4) and, other than a small problem where they disappeared for a short time, still have them all. Do you keep all your health data when you move from iPhone to iPhone?

I would be very frustrated were they to get lost, so I understand your position.

I am a runner so I get them when they show up regardless. But I mostly ignore them because I know at some point they will disappear anyway.

While I exercise a great deal, I do go out of my way to make sure I do what I need to do to get all of these. A few of the Thanksgiving ones were a bit more difficult (making sure to record a 5K on the holiday was a of a challenge - it was not hard to walk over 5K, just needed to make sure I did it as a workout). My boy friend and I were both a bit sad they did not issue one on Thanksgiving last year. We both made sure to record a 5K, “just in case”, as that was during the period when the badges were having problems.
 

Fozziebear71

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Sep 23, 2014
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I started with he Apple Watch Series 0 and have received every possible U.S. special badge. I have had several iPhones and Apple Watches since then (Series 3 and now Series 4) and, other than a small problem where they disappeared for a short time, still have them all. Do you keep all your health data when you move from iPhone to iPhone?

I would be very frustrated were they to get lost, so I understand your position.



While I exercise a great deal, I do go out of my way to make sure I do what I need to do to get all of these. A few of the Thanksgiving ones were a bit more difficult (making sure to record a 5K on the holiday was a of a challenge - it was not hard to walk over 5K, just needed to make sure I did it as a workout). My boy friend and I were both a bit sad they did not issue one on Thanksgiving last year. We both made sure to record a 5K, “just in case”, as that was during the period when the badges were having problems.

Yeah, the first time I lost awards was when my wife and I upgraded to the iPhone 6Plus I believe. We both did it in store with an Apple "Genius" after first asking if our awards would be saved from our watch. We were assured that they would. We did exactly as the "Genius" told us to do and we still lost some awards. They told us they would eventually show back up. Some did, not all did.

When we updated to the Apple Watch Series 4, I was less than 100 days away from my "1000 Move Goals" badge and it got reset back to "0" towards the badge even though I still had the previous "100", '"365", and "500" move badges. Recently upgraded to the 11Max Pro and I have lost all my previous special edition badges and all of my "Move Goal" badges are now gone also. Like I said, I now no longer even pay attention to them because I know at some point something will happen and they will disappear.

It's not just me either. Just a quick Google search for missing Apple Watch badges and you will see that there are many people who have lost badges that never returned.
 

darkslide29

macrumors 68000
Oct 5, 2011
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Just a heads up after learning this the hard way.. You need to specifically go into the Workout watch app and start an outdoor run/hike etc. You simply don't just go on a 5k/~3 mile walk or hike, as it's not the cumulative movement in your day.

Oh yes, that 5 mile hike on National Parks Day was nice, but I didn't start a 'workout' so I didn't get the badge.
 

Alan Wynn

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Sep 13, 2017
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Does it have to be completed in 1 session or is it cumulative of multiple sessions?
Sorry, did not see this until now, but the badge says it is for completing a 5K walk, run or wheelchair workout, so I am pretty sure they mean in one event. If you wanted to do it in several, you could start a workout, pause it when you wanted to stop and restart it when you restarted. Alternatively, you could just let it run until you hit 5 KM (3.1 miles).
 

B4U

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Oct 11, 2012
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Sorry, did not see this until now, but the badge says it is for completing a 5K walk, run or wheelchair workout, so I am pretty sure they mean in one event. If you wanted to do it in several, you could start a workout, pause it when you wanted to stop and restart it when you restarted. Alternatively, you could just let it run until you hit 5 KM (3.1 miles).
I tested that out by making a 1 mile walk and stop.
Did not earn the badge until I walked the 3.1 mile on the second session.
This is dumb.?
 
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