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Stopwatch bug WatchOS 4 ?

D

drasl

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 3, 2014
59
43
Just checking if anyone is experiencing the same thing as I am in regards to the stopwatch function.

I often run a stopwatch and then return to a watchface, and let the stopwatch run in the background (or have a complication that shows the elapsed time)

After updating the stopwatch always pops up after a few minutes

Example : I start the stopwatch and return to a watch face, next time I look at the watch I don't see the watchface anymore I just see the stopwatch, and I again have to press the crown to go back to the watchface.

I often run the stopwatch in the background to time sessions with people I interview, and having the stopwatch pop up with all its movement is not cool.

(it takes at least one minute of "screen off time" for the stopwatch to take over the watchface)
 
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I’m having the exact same issue. It seems to have stopped by closing all open apps and restarting the watch
 
Unfortunately, that does not work for me.

Back to Casio until this gets sorted out :)
 
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drasl said:
Just checking if anyone is experiencing the same thing as I am in regards to the stopwatch function.

I often run a stopwatch and then return to a watchface, and let the stopwatch run in the background (or have a complication that shows the elapsed time)

After updating the stopwatch always pops up after a few minutes

Example : I start the stopwatch and return to a watch face, next time I look at the watch I don't see the watchface anymore I just see the stopwatch, and I again have to press the crown to go back to the watchface.

I often run the stopwatch in the background to time sessions with people I interview, and having the stopwatch pop up with all its movement is not cool.

(it takes at least one minute of "screen off time" for the stopwatch to take over the watchface)
Click to expand...

Same issue. It’s annoying. Was not happening with OS 3.
I filed a bug report and they said they are aware of it; but it was not fixed with 4.1. Annoying!
 
A few update later and Apple cant fix the basic stopwatch bug that prevents the stopwatch from running in the background but instead always opens the stopwatch again and again when the screen goes to sleep.

Why have a stopwatch complication if the watch always defaults to the stopwatch app a minute later when you just want the watch face.

A few hundred dollars and the thing cant run a background stopwatch like any 10$ watch.

Casio solved this 34 years ago

—

Just to give a little context to why this is important to me.



I need to take interviews with people at work, but there are certain time restraints.

In the fist WatchOS versions it was possible to launch the stopwatch and close it, and view the elapsed time in the stopwatch complication (a small window on a watch-face that was barely noticeable) hence ……a complication.

In the last few WatchOS versions its not possible to close the stopwatch and only see the watch-face. After a minute the stopwatch app has launched again and you can see the entire stopwatch movements (that are very obvious) and that is not something I want clients to see.

Back to my 30 year old G-Shock
 
I agree this is a really frustrating change if indeed it is a "feature" and not a bug. The only thing I can think is if Apple intended this change for people using it for fitness related uses and want the stopwatch to always be open.

I think they need a "never" setting for showing the last open app on raise to wake.
 
I've considered selling my watch because of this, still not fixed in 4.2.

Can't believe so few of us are complaining about it, don't people use the stopwatch?
 
Same thing with them removing the option to browse the iPhone music library and almost no one complains. I bet most people just use the watch for time and notifications.
 
I have just upgraded to 4.2.2 and the behaviour is still the same. Does anyone else see the same behaviour?

There doesn't seem to be any option/configuration to change this at this stage. Please post here if anyone has any ideas!!
 
brevell said:
I have just upgraded to 4.2.2 and the behaviour is still the same. Does anyone else see the same behaviour?

There doesn't seem to be any option/configuration to change this at this stage. Please post here if anyone has any ideas!!
Click to expand...

Same problem. Can’t believe Apple hasn’t fixed this yet!
Makes the stopwatch basically useless for my needs.
 
I don't expect a change since it also works the same way for the "Activity" app. It will pop to the foreground when I try to run it in the background. That would match Apple's response about it being a watchOS change since it is consistent across both apps.

Dave
 
dave006 said:
I don't expect a change since it also works the same way for the "Activity" app. It will pop to the foreground when I try to run it in the background. That would match Apple's response about it being a watchOS change since it is consistent across both apps.

Dave
Click to expand...

What you say makes sense Dave. My preference would be for Apple to provide a configuration setting. That way you are not dividing the people who want the feature vs. the people that do not want it; everyone has a choice. Perhaps I am simplifying it some what.
 
barjam said:
I don’t consider this a bug, this is the way it should work.
Click to expand...

That is my point exactly. The functionality worked one way which a portion of users liked and it was changed to work a different way which another portion of people like. Therefore when you change the behaviour from one way to another both upsets certain users and makes others happy. Bottom line is that when you change behaviour it would be a better practice to provide a configuration option to allow both behaviours; both parties are happy.

Understand this is a unique situation however it is easy to implement. If you want the stopwatch to always show on wake, great. Not every does in this instance. "If this is the way it should work" (your words) then configure it that way from the get go, don't change it after having had behave differently for 3+ years.

Long story short, I'm looking for a win / win scenario here :)
 
brevell said:
That is my point exactly. The functionality worked one way which a portion of users liked and it was changed to work a different way which another portion of people like. Therefore when you change the behaviour from one way to another both upsets certain users and makes others happy. Bottom line is that when you change behaviour it would be a better practice to provide a configuration option to allow both behaviours; both parties are happy.

Understand this is a unique situation however it is easy to implement. If you want the stopwatch to always show on wake, great. Not every does in this instance. "If this is the way it should work" (your words) then configure it that way from the get go, don't change it after having had behave differently for 3+ years.

Long story short, I'm looking for a win / win scenario here :)
Click to expand...

That’s not usually how Apple works lol, one of us will be disappointed :)
 
barjam said:
That’s not usually how Apple works lol, one of us will be disappointed :)
Click to expand...

Yes, and that will probably be me given your previous comment! That said, I'm an optimist and always looking for better ways of working.

Seems like Apple are focusing this year on fixing their software. This would be one step in the right direction, however, not sure if they will take this route. Simplicity of the application is paramount to their entire UX so adding an abundant amount of configuration will take away from that simplicity.
 
I started using a third party stopwatch/timer app.

Not as convenient as using the built in apps since there is no complication for the stopwatch, but I can run a stopwatch in the background without advertising to everyone around me that Im timing something.

I did make a suggestion to Apple support but I don't think Apple will make any changes.

It does however seen strange that Apple has different behavior between apps without allowing the user to turn such features/bugs off.

As mentioned before this constant launching of the stopwatch app makes the stopwatch complication and the stopwatch feature on the Siri face useless. Seems inconsistent and disorganized to have these "features" that basically cancel each other out.
 
Same goes for the countdown timer. I think this might be an intentional feature as opposed to a bug though.
 
Nekomichi said:
Same goes for the countdown timer. I think this might be an intentional feature as opposed to a bug though.
Click to expand...
Agree, however to @drasi's point. If you have Siri face and other options to see the timer/stopwatch then provide a configuration to enable/disable the auto-show feature. Don't introduce it one way and then change it to another way; that's the point I guess I'm making.

In the end it is what it is :)
 
brevell said:
Agree @drasi. Out of interest, what is the stopwatch/timer app you're referring to?
Click to expand...

Its called multitimer. It has timers that you can pre set for certain things and stopwatches. Im just using the free version, works fine
 
Jimpeggy said:
Is there any way to go back to 3.0?
Click to expand...

I wish. No, Apple won’t let you downgrade. I’m stunned it’s been more than SIX MONTHS since OS4 was released and Apple still hasn’t fixed this.

I sold my Apple Watch and switched to Android. It’s far far better!
 
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