Exercise minutes missing?

[heavysoul]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum for this - but it does seem to be iOS14 related.

I use my AW to record my walking/hiking activity - but for cycling and rowing I use other apps which then sync with the Fitness app on my XS. I’ve been doing this for years without any issues with minutes and calories syncing correctly.

Since the iOS update I’ve noticed an anomaly. For example - I have just completed a half marathon on my Concept 2 rowing machine (yes, it’s a bit mad) which took just over 102 minutes. Before I started, I had 7 exercise minutes showing - so once synced I should have had 109 minutes - but my activity is only showing 88 minutes total (the move calories seem about right).

I spotted this a few days ago when I did an hour row and got credited around 50 minutes. I’ve done this exact same process literally hundreds of times without any issues like

I’ve included screen shots so you can see what I mean. Anyone else noticed issues with exercise data coming across from 3rd party apps like this?

 

[jz0309]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum for this - but it does seem to be iOS14 related.

I use my AW to record my walking/hiking activity - but for cycling and rowing I use other apps which then sync with the Fitness app on my XS. I’ve been doing this for years without any issues with minutes and calories syncing correctly.

Since the iOS update I’ve noticed an anomaly. For example - I have just completed a half marathon on my Concept 2 rowing machine (yes, it’s a bit mad) which took just over 102 minutes. Before I started, I had 7 exercise minutes showing - so once synced I should have had 109 minutes - but my activity is only showing 88 minutes total (the move calories seem about right).

I spotted this a few days ago when I did an hour row and got credited around 50 minutes. I’ve done this exact same process literally hundreds of times without any issues like

I’ve included screen shots so you can see what I mean. Anyone else noticed issues with exercise data coming across from 3rd party apps like this?View attachment 964271View attachment 964270

Are those other apps you use allowed to write to the Health app? Go there and check... iOS update might have reset that

 

[cdcastillo]

I have seen this on workouts when my heart rate diminishes from certain threshold, and the activity app does not consider them "exercise minutes".

This has happened both with nike run club app and apple's own workout app. For example, when walking/hiking for an hour, if the pace is low/mild enough as to not raise my HR from an unknown limit, the exercise minutes will be less than 60, sometimes significantly so.

 

[heavysoul]

Are those other apps you use allowed to write to the Health app? Go there and check... iOS update might have reset that

Thanks for replying. Yes are ... I checked and all was as before. And it’s writing to the Health app - but not adding the full workout for some reason!

 

[heavysoul]

I have seen this on workouts when my heart rate diminishes from certain threshold, and the activity app does not consider them "exercise minutes".

This has happened both with nike run club app and apple's own workout app. For example, when walking/hiking for an hour, if the pace is low/mild enough as to not raise my HR from an unknown limit, the exercise minutes will be less than 60, sometimes significantly so.

I’d understand if that was the case - but that doesn’t happen on the rowing machine. My HR is over 100 within seconds and at 120 after a minute. Here’s my HR chart from yesterday’s row - from my Garmin. It’s crazy the number of minutes I’ve lost!!

PS ... re the issue when walking - when I go out for a walk on my own I walk briskly enough that my HR is always over 100 and resulting exercise minutes are correct. When I go for a walk with my wife - we may walk for an hour but only 7 minutes might count 😂😂

 

[cdcastillo]

I didn’t specify what the threshold was (because I do not know it) but there certainly is one; and maybe is not only the heart rate but also the speed with which you’re moving or moving your arm: I certainly “lose” more exercise minutes when not running or lifting weights (walk, hike, etc)

Take this, for example: Today I went on a 6 hours hike to a 4,000+ meters little mountain close to home (eagle’s peak, in the Ajusco range of mountains/hills/volcanoes). I did not reach the summit (came close, but couldn’t continue for lack of fitness). I walked about 7k and ascended more than 1 k, and apple’s own workout app showed that during 5 and a half hours I burned 1800 total calories (1k+ active calories), ascending from 2570 to 3717 meters.

However, the activity app shows only 64 minutes of exercise (down from 332 minutes) and 1,300 calories (down from 1800).

Most of the time I was moving really slow, the average horizontal pace was 49 minutes per km, you know, because I was climbing. And although myaverage heart race was 125 bpm (upper range: 156), the app rejected more than 250 minutes of exercise!

So, my point is: it’s not that the app you’re using has not the adequate permissions, or that it “failed” to register your activity, but that “activity” rejected those minutes of exercise. Why? Only heaven (and apple engineers) knows.

I have come to appreciate there is a threshold to counting physical activity as “exercise”, and it almost certainly relates to arm movement speed and heart rate, but I could not give you more specifics.

also, I do not understand why if I went from 2590 to 3700 meters it only counts a 566 meters change, and 73 floors (that do not correspond to either number).

 

[OriginalAppleGuy]

You aren't wrong. There is a serious issue with iOS 14. One, the heart beats are missed. Exercises are not counted - you can see them on the watch, but they don't transfer to the phone. Heart rates are missing. The map is missing - you only get the starting point.

Some say reset the watch to new and re-pair will fix it. Resetting the phone too. But nothings worked for me so far. Apple has taken on what others have stated worked for them - reset and restore your phone and watch. I'm not doing that. Shame on Apple for that recommendation.

Oh - and yes, others have reported the OP's issue too.

This is REALLY bad for apple. They need to patch this ASAP.

 

[heavysoul]

I didn’t specify what the threshold was (because I do not know it) but there certainly is one; and maybe is not only the heart rate but also the speed with which you’re moving or moving your arm: I certainly “lose” more exercise minutes when not running or lifting weights (walk, hike, etc)

Take this, for example: Today I went on a 6 hours hike to a 4,000+ meters little mountain close to home (eagle’s peak, in the Ajusco range of mountains/hills/volcanoes). I did not reach the summit (came close, but couldn’t continue for lack of fitness). I walked about 7k and ascended more than 1 k, and apple’s own workout app showed that during 5 and a half hours I burned 1800 total calories (1k+ active calories), ascending from 2570 to 3717 meters.

However, the activity app shows only 64 minutes of exercise (down from 332 minutes) and 1,300 calories (down from 1800).

Most of the time I was moving really slow, the average horizontal pace was 49 minutes per km, you know, because I was climbing. And although myaverage heart race was 125 bpm (upper range: 156), the app rejected more than 250 minutes of exercise!

So, my point is: it’s not that the app you’re using has not the adequate permissions, or that it “failed” to register your activity, but that “activity” rejected those minutes of exercise. Why? Only heaven (and apple engineers) knows.

I have come to appreciate there is a threshold to counting physical activity as “exercise”, and it almost certainly relates to arm movement speed and heart rate, but I could not give you more specifics.

also, I do not understand why if I went from 2590 to 3700 meters it only counts a 566 meters change, and 73 floors (that do not correspond to either number).

View attachment 964733View attachment 964734View attachment 964735View attachment 964736View attachment 964737

Sounds like a great hike - and very odd you didn't get credit for pretty much all of your 6 hours. When I use Apples workout app for walking - for me, it seems to count every minute if my HR is over 100. It's supposed to count if you're doing the equivalent of a brisk walk. I was away on holiday immediately after the release of iOS14 and AW7. I did a walk every day for 90 mins to two hours. The walks were hilly ... so I had ups and downs. I walked quickly downhill to keep my HR up and I got full credit for the time I was out.

The issues I've raised in my OP is down to the fact that this is the first time I've had this issue since I bought my first AW appx 4 years ago. I have rowed indoors for over 10 years and use Concept 2's own app. I've used it at least 500 times with the AW - no exaggeration (it's probably a lot more than that). Never had the issue before.

Re arm movement - I don't usually use the AW workout app when rowing as I get much more data from the Concept 2 app - which auto synchs with both Apple Health and Garmin Connect. But .... every time I row ... after about 2 minutes the AW has detected I'm rowing and asks me if I want to use the workout app.

This has only been a problem since iOS14 and AW7.

 

[heavysoul]

You aren't wrong. There is a serious issue with iOS 14. One, the heart beats are missed. Exercises are not counted - you can see them on the watch, but they don't transfer to the phone. Heart rates are missing. The map is missing - you only get the starting point.

Some say reset the watch to new and re-pair will fix it. Resetting the phone too. But nothings worked for me so far. Apple has taken on what others have stated worked for them - reset and restore your phone and watch. I'm not doing that. Shame on Apple for that recommendation.

Oh - and yes, others have reported the OP's issue too.

This is REALLY bad for apple. They need to patch this ASAP.

Exactly. I'm particularly gutted that the map is missing. I returned a week ago from two weeks in Crete and did some amazing walks pretty every day I was out there. I love being able to look back at the walks I've done on the map - particularly walks I've done away from home. Sadly I won't be able to do that on this occasion

I'm really reluctant to reset the watch and phone etc as it's such a pain and long winded process setting everything up again ... banking apps ... Apple Pay ... especially if there's no guarantee that it will fix the numerous issues that exist!

I guess with all of these issues it's good - at least - to know it's not just you!! Really appreciate your reply 👍

 

[OriginalAppleGuy]

Exactly. I'm particularly gutted that the map is missing. I returned a week ago from two weeks in Crete and did some amazing walks pretty every day I was out there. I love being able to look back at the walks I've done on the map - particularly walks I've done away from home. Sadly I won't be able to do that on this occasion

I'm really reluctant to reset the watch and phone etc as it's such a pain and long winded process setting everything up again ... banking apps ... Apple Pay ... especially if there's no guarantee that it will fix the numerous issues that exist!

I guess with all of these issues it's good - at least - to know it's not just you!! Really appreciate your reply 👍

Glad I could help in some way. The map is the first thing I noticed myself. I like looking where I've been on walks, bike rides, etc. I was reluctant to reset my watch from scratch too - just go the 6 up from a 4. But, it wasn't that bad. I used what was on my 4 to help rebuild my 6 after the fact and it wasn't too bad. Apple pay wasn't too bad either. Pretty quick as I've done it a few times over the years. What it seemed to do was help, nor perfect, but help ensure heart rate was captured and copied to the phone. But, I had one walk where nothing went over. A patch is what we need to wait for.

 

[heavysoul]

My AW is the 3 series ... the one with the reboot issue, although mine hasn't done so much of that in the last few days. That might be down to us being in quarantine and not leaving the house and the watch switching wifi/networks ... which some think to be one of the issues. I also switched Siri off completely.

So I'll probably leave it as it is and see if there's another update ... as I will probably look at moving to AW6 in the not too distant future - once the updates have sorted the main issues. I'll keep an eye on these forums to see how all that is going.