The stopwatch popping up on wake while running is absolutely inexcusable

[GeeDuhb]

This has been extremely irritating to me since watchOS 4 came out. I spent hours trying to fix it when it first came out and with every .x update Apple releases, I have come to realize that this was intended behavior. A change like this is absolutely ridiculous. If you want to make this behavior default after 3 OS versions that didn't operate this way, add a setting so those of us who find it irritating can turn it off.

More than anything though, the fact that this happens when you have a complication (or card on the Siri watch face) which tells you the same information as the app does yet it functions this way is just plain moronic. I want to see the timer/countdown on the Siri face with the rest of the information it displays at the same time.

I have read so many posts the past 8 months complaining about this issue, people have reported it as a bug, submitted the change as a suggestion (I have done both myself) but they refuse to do anything about it. This is just so frustrating to the point that I might not replace my Series 0 if they don't fix it.I just can't understand why anyone could think they way they have implemented this is a good idea.

EDIT: I added a better description of the fictionality I am talking about in post 12

 

[StumpyBloke]

This has been extremely irritating to me since watchOS 4 came out. I spent hours trying to fix it when it first came out and with every .x update Apple releases, I have come to realize that this was intended behavior. A change like this is absolutely ridiculous. If you want to make this behavior default after 3 OS versions that didn't operate this way, add a setting so those of us who find it irritating can turn it off.

More than anything though, the fact that this happens when you have a complication (or card on the Siri watch face) which tells you the same information as the app does yet it functions this way is just plain moronic. I want to see the timer/countdown on the Siri face with the rest of the information it displays at the same time.

I have read so many posts the past 8 months complaining about this issue, people have reported it as a bug, submitted the change as a suggestion (I have done both myself) but they refuse to do anything about it. This is just so frustrating to the point that I might not replace my Series 0 if they don't fix it.I just can't understand why anyone could think they way they have implemented this is a good idea.

I don’t mind admitting I have no idea what you mean, but am interested to find out. Can you give any more information or screenshots?

 

[Julien]

I don’t mind admitting I have no idea what you mean, but am interested to find out. Can you give any more information or screenshots?

Open Stopwatch app and start it. Double tap back to watch face. Let it go to sleep and then raise your wrist and look FOR the watch face. You will see the Stopwatch face instead.

 

[sclawis300]

This is the exact behavior I would expect. What’s the problem?

 

[StumpyBloke]

Yep does the same. But...I would expect it to show the stop watch. I wouldn’t want to have to raise to wake, them find the stop watch again. For me, at least, it’s doing what I want.

 

[Newtons Apple]

If I have a stop watch or timer running, I WANT to see it on my arm raise.

 

[CobraPA]

I don't see the same behavior as the OP complaint. What watch face are you using?

In your watch settings app, what is General | Wake Screen | 'On Screen Wake Show Last App' set to?

Here, when I go back to the watch face, then allow the watch to sleep, then wake it again, it will show the watch face, not the stopwatch/timer (unless a running timer ends and alarms).

Odd, because given that setting I might think it would show the stopwatch/timer, but it shows the watch face for me. I assume the watch face is treated the same as an app.

 

[sclawis300]

I don't see the same behavior as the OP complaint. What watch face are you using?

In your watch settings app, what is General | Wake Screen | 'On Screen Wake Show Last App' set to?

Here, when I go back to the watch face, then allow the watch to sleep, then wake it again, it will show the watch face, not the stopwatch/timer (unless a running timer ends and alarms).

Odd, because given that setting I might think it would show the stopwatch/timer, but it shows the watch face for me. I assume the watch face is treated the same as an app.

Don’t click back to the watch face first. Just cover the face to put the watch to sleep. But your post seems to give the solution that op was looking for.

 

[CobraPA]

Hmm, sometimes it does return to the stopwatch if I wait longer.

I see what you are saying with covering the face, it goes to stopwatch if running on next wake, or watch face if stopwatch is not running.

 

[michaelb5000]

The OP is correct that this was a change in how the stopwatch operated from Os 3 to Os4. So before, the watch would return to the watch face, even if a stopwatch was running. I had one of my faces set up with the stopwatch as a complication, because the stopwatch ran as a complication on the watchface and that was cool. Now with Os4 if you are running a stopwatch, the focus is always on the stopwatch, so on raise to watch it is always the stopwatch.

I use a stopwatch all the time for cooking, so while this is not mission critical for me, I much preferred the old way and would definitely set a setting to go back to old way.

 

[SoGood]

Sounded like a logical behaviour for anyone measuring time by the stopwatch. Surprised Apple took 4 versions to get here. Definitely easier to jump to the watch complication from the stopwatch than the other way round.

Can’t please everyone in this world but Apple may agree to have an extra setting in Settings just for you and others who have the same POV. Let Apple know.

 

[GeeDuhb]

Okay, I probably didn't explain it well enough, so let me show my exact use case. I mostly use the Siri face, but this works the same way with any face (most importantly, those with an active complication on them.) Also, I have the watch app setting set to "On screen wake, show last app within 2 minutes of last use."

Watch Face>>>>>select stopwatch>>>>start stopwatch>>>>return to face>>>>after sleep, stopwatch returns on wake

The stopwatch displays as a card on the Siri face. Why does it make any sense to go back to the app? What is the point of it showing on the watch face if it just returns to the stopwatch after a few seconds?

I often have a timer/stopwatch running as I drive home from work, and extensively use my watch as a remote for skipping/replaying while listening to podcasts. This also happens when I leave the now playing app open (it will return to the stop watch). Basically, it seems like the timer supersedes everything else. It might not seem like that huge of a deal, but it is extremely inconvenient, counter intuitive, and unbelievable this change was made on the 4th iteration of an OS.

This is the exact behavior I would expect. What’s the problem?

With how I explained it above, why does this make any sense at all?

Yep does the same. But...I would expect it to show the stop watch. I wouldn’t want to have to raise to wake, them find the stop watch again. For me, at least, it’s doing what I want.

I can see it if you don't have a complication, but if it is on your watch face already, there is no reason for it to return to the app. What is the point of the complication in the first place then?

If I have a stop watch or timer running, I WANT to see it on my arm raise.

I do too, which is exactly why I have always had a stopwatch complication on my watch face.

Hmm, sometimes it does return to the stopwatch if I wait longer.

I see what you are saying with covering the face, it goes to stopwatch if running on next wake, or watch face if stopwatch is not running.

I am assuming how it works is, covering the watch puts it to "sleep" instantly, while just turning it away does not "sleep" it for a few seconds, even though the display turns off.

The OP is correct that this was a change in how the stopwatch operated from Os 3 to Os4. So before, the watch would return to the watch face, even if a stopwatch was running. I had one of my faces set up with the stopwatch as a complication, because the stopwatch ran as a complication on the watchface and that was cool. Now with Os4 if you are running a stopwatch, the focus is always on the stopwatch, so on raise to watch it is always the stopwatch.

I use a stopwatch all the time for cooking, so while this is not mission critical for me, I much preferred the old way and would definitely set a setting to go back to old way.

Exactly what I did as well. That seems like the point of the complication. To me, the way the settings are done the current behavior does not make any sense. If you are "waking to the app" in the last 2 minutes for example, then why does the timer/stopwatch completely ignore this setting?

Sounded like a logical behaviour for anyone measuring time by the stopwatch. Surprised Apple took 4 versions to get here. Definitely easier to jump to the watch complication from the stopwatch than the other way round.

Can’t please everyone in this world but Apple may agree to have an extra setting in Settings just for you and others who have the same POV. Let Apple know.

How is it logical behavior when the stopwatch is shown right on the watch face if you have a complication, are using to Siri face, or most ridiculously, using the Chronograph watch face, which IS a timer/stopwatch. There is no way you can say it is logical behavior when it completely breaks the Chronograph face. This was a half baked implementation which broke the behavior that was present for 3 years.

I along with many others have let Apple know, they have acknowledged reports/suggestions, but have completely ignored it since the WatchOS 4 beta.

 

[BarracksSi]

It makes sense because if I've taken the effort to start timing an event with the Stopwatch, I probably want to see it again the next time I look at my watch, because that event is what's on my mind.

That's how it works with every chronograph-style regular wristwatch in existence, after all.

 

[GeeDuhb]

It makes sense because if I've taken the effort to start timing an event with the Stopwatch, I probably want to see it again the next time I look at my watch, because that event is what's on my mind.

That's how it works with every chronograph-style regular wristwatch in existence, after all.

As I said in my posts, it doesn't make any sense at all if you have a complication on your watch face that serves that exact purpose.

 

[sclawis300]

As I said in my posts, it doesn't make any sense at all if you have a complication on your watch face that serves that exact purpose.

I think you are expecting way too much. You want the watch to do different actions based on which face/complication you have running? I can’t imagine it ever happening like that.

 

[BarracksSi]

I think you are expecting way too much. You want the watch to do different actions based on which face/complication you have running? I can’t imagine it ever happening like that.

Even if they make it work, the inconsistency of behavior would really frustrate me.

I'd either think, "Hey, what time is it? Oh dammit, the chronograph is running; thought I was using the Simple face. Oh yeah, I added the chrono as a complication..."

Or, "Why can't I see the chronograph this time? Isn't it running? Did I... oh, that's not the version of Utility where I added it as a complication... well, crap."

 

[Jmausmuc]

I found the solution!

Sorry to wake up this old thread but since it was on the top of google results for me and I have also had this problem, I wanted to let everybody know the solution.

If you don’t want to have the stopwatch or timer every time you raise your wrist even when it is running (maybe because you are using a complication and don’t need it). This is indeed possible but very well hidden. It took me a lot of googeling tinting the solution.

For some weird reason you have to do this on the watch and can not use thewatch settings app on the iPhone.

1) Open Setting on the Watch
2) Go to „General“
3) Go to „Active Display“ (5th from the top)
4) On the bottom, there are sliders for the different apps on your watch. Disable any app you don’t want to have open when it is running and you raise your wrist/turn your watches display on.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I also hate how I have to swipe over to the audio screen in order to increase or decrease volume during exercises.