What's the criteria for workout detection?

[nickdalzell1]

Today I went for a 2-mile walk as I try to do each day. Only about 15 minutes into it, I realised my Series 5 didn't detect crap and wasn't alerting me that "You are doing a workout--start outdoor run?" even though I was panting by that time (was walking into a 30 mph wind out of the North). I had to start it manually and lost 15 minutes since it starts at zero when I have to force it to start manually. Meaning to get the 2 miles I had to walk 3. Not fun. It showed the heart rate so it's not like it had no idea what I was doing, and my exercise Ring was half filled too, so it knew I was exercising!

Earlier this week it was working but inconsistent when it'd trigger. Yesterday was the first time it was triggering as it should have since I bought it. It often triggers 9-10 minutes into the walk. Lately it's been 10-14 minutes before it triggers--if it does at all.

GPS and Wifi are on, but what does it need to trigger a workout? Why is it so inconsistent? The idea of starting a workout manually is so, well, 2013 Galaxy Gear deja vu.

 

[harriska2]

I find that I have to do a very fast walk of 15 minute miles to get my 1 to trigger. It only happens when I jog under open walk. I almost always forget to start so it shorts me daily.

 

[gigatoaster]

Check the Health app, where it is written: you need to walk a bit faster than a brisk walk.

 

[nickdalzell1]

Actually, today I walked a bit slower than normal (was tired) and it somehow tracked the workout right at the 10-minute mark as it's supposed to. Speed doesn't seem to matter. I don't get it.

Does it need an accurate GPS signal? I walk without my phone so I'd assume yes. It just seems all over the place lately.

 

[gigatoaster]

Then, no idea. You can call Apple if you want.

 

[cdcastillo]

Today I went for a 2-mile walk as I try to do each day. Only about 15 minutes into it, I realised my Series 5 didn't detect crap and wasn't alerting me that "You are doing a workout--start outdoor run?" even though I was panting by that time (was walking into a 30 mph wind out of the North). I had to start it manually and lost 15 minutes since it starts at zero when I have to force it to start manually. Meaning to get the 2 miles I had to walk 3. Not fun. It showed the heart rate so it's not like it had no idea what I was doing, and my exercise Ring was half filled too, so it knew I was exercising!

Earlier this week it was working but inconsistent when it'd trigger. Yesterday was the first time it was triggering as it should have since I bought it. It often triggers 9-10 minutes into the walk. Lately it's been 10-14 minutes before it triggers--if it does at all.

GPS and Wifi are on, but what does it need to trigger a workout? Why is it so inconsistent? The idea of starting a workout manually is so, well, 2013 Galaxy Gear deja vu.

I sincerely have no idea, however, mine consistently starts a walkout workout after about 10 minutes of "energetic walking" and a running workout after 3 minutes of running.

 

[nickdalzell1]

There has to be some place where there is point-to-point what the watch needs to detect something as simple as an 'outdoor walk'

Even the old Gear S2 could do that consistently. I bought an Apple Watch expecting it to 'just work' without needing to understand why. But since I've had to half the time start workouts manually I might as well go back to the original Galaxy Gear since it needed manual workouts started. It's not a hard feature to have 'just work'.

The Watch Series 5 is perhaps the most half-baked piece of crap I've owned from Apple. None of my other devices are faulty. The Series 5 took a lot of work just to get Siri to function, for Homekit to work, and lastly, my playlists to sync. I just can't fix workout detection.

Today it failed again. Didn't do jack. Detected exercise (was closing the ring fine) but no walk data. That always bothers me. I want data to go with the exercise. So again I had to walk three miles to achieve 2.12 today. Because after 13 minutes I gave up waiting for it to detect and started it manually which doesn't account for the prior data.

I'm about to take a hammer to this thing. I really hate it. Can't find a Series 4 anywhere. They should have waited another year to release it.

In the interim, while it remains on my wrist (for however long I decide it to) is there any way to 'edit' the workout data? I walked 3 miles for the 2.12 it recorded.

I walk the exact same pace and speed I always do. One day or two in the week it is dead-on perfect. The rest nothing. I shouldn't have to run in order for it to know I'm walking.

If I call Apple, please tell me they don't have folks in India who read from a script? I dealt with that enough recently regarding one of my extra backup phone lines. I ended up having to program that one manually because they refused to read outside their script and their english was terrible.

 

[nickdalzell1]

UPDATE:

Well, workout detection still broken. But I've worked around it by using Siri to start it manually. Saves some fingerprints at least. Maybe I'm expecting too much from this watch? The Series 3 was great. But I got tons of apps on my 5 that might be running it out of memory?

 

[fieryjack]

Here is the official definition of a "brisk walk";
Apple defines exercise as “brisk activity.”

According to apple support, for the activity ring to register your workout (for outdoor walk or exercise ring) you need to maintain a speed of approx 3.3 mph or faster,this is their definition of a "brisk walk".If you slow down or pause the watch will stop tracking your movement as exercise credit,it will still measure your steps and calories burnt but will not give you any credit towards the exercise ring or workout app.A brisk walk speed is different for everybody as the watch takes into account your age,sex,weight and heart rate which why it is important to calibrate the watch when you set it up from new,the idea being that you're being encouraged to put more effort in to walk faster and to get your heart beating faster, if you just walk at a slow pace then you are not going to improve your fitness or get all those award badges that we all seek.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I just walked faster today to find out if anything changes. Nope. didn't detect jack. Waited 15 minutes before manually starting the workout and had to again, walk 3 miles to get 2 to record (since it starts at zero if manually started a mile into the walk)

I have noticed one anomaly. Even though my Watch isn't going into 'lock' mode (which I guess relies on the heart rate sensor to determine it's on your wrist) when I have to start a workout manually, the heart rate is 'dashed out' where it shows "---BPM" instead of a reading. If I go to the Heart Rate app first, and allow it to take a reading, then go back to workout, it then shows the live reading properly. So what's probably happening is it's not seeing an elevated 'workout' heart rate. But, of course, I have no idea what metrics it's using to detect a workout. GPS, Sensor data, speed, arm movement? who knows. Doesn't seem to matter if I walk power walk style or calmly. It works whenever it wants to.

Even with workout detection not enabling on its own, my exercise ring still fills. I notice it is 3/4 the way to closed when I give up waiting for the detection to work. I'm usually a mile into my walk when it detects properly. But the exercise ring is closing despite workout detection being really inconsistent.

 

[millerj123]

I just walked faster today to find out if anything changes. Nope. didn't detect jack. Waited 15 minutes before manually starting the workout and had to again, walk 3 miles to get 2 to record (since it starts at zero if manually started a mile into the walk)

I have noticed one anomaly. Even though my Watch isn't going into 'lock' mode (which I guess relies on the heart rate sensor to determine it's on your wrist) when I have to start a workout manually, the heart rate is 'dashed out' where it shows "---BPM" instead of a reading. If I go to the Heart Rate app first, and allow it to take a reading, then go back to workout, it then shows the live reading properly. So what's probably happening is it's not seeing an elevated 'workout' heart rate. But, of course, I have no idea what metrics it's using to detect a workout. GPS, Sensor data, speed, arm movement? who knows. Doesn't seem to matter if I walk power walk style or calmly. It works whenever it wants to.

Even with workout detection not enabling on its own, my exercise ring still fills. I notice it is 3/4 the way to closed when I give up waiting for the detection to work. I'm usually a mile into my walk when it detects properly. But the exercise ring is closing despite workout detection being really inconsistent.

Weird. I started using Runkeeper on my phone, so I always expect to tell my devices when I'm intentionally exercising. My family walks our dog every night, but we don't go fast enough for the watch to register an activity, so I just start a walk on my watch before we walk out the door.

That doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I was relegating myself to asking Siri to start the proper workout which worked great until two days ago, and now it just double tap vibrates and dumps back to watch face. Holding in the crown it sits there thinking for a minute and then says it can't help at the moment. I just went back to my much better and far more reliable Series 3. I don't know why but the Series 5 feels half baked, it stutters, apps crash a ton, and it's so slow compared to the Series 3. Also the Series 3 microphone is so much better at hearing me. Dictation is dead on fast and Siri actually works.

What bothers me is that for $499 I expected at least the workout detection--an advertised feature, to work. Not be manual only like my 2013 Galaxy Gear that was 1/3 its price. The last straw was having to deal with the wifi/bluetooth handoff bug again. It absolutely refused to connect to my 6S once it was using wifi, I'd turn wifi off, watch just disconnected and if I toggled it in the bluetooth settings on the iPhone, it said 'connection unsuccessful--make sure Watch is near iPhone and retry' when it was right next to the darned thing. Rebooted watch and phone, fixed. That one only happens if I have my watch connect to wifi if near the phone. It will get stuck every time remotely connecting via wifi. Also, It detected two 'falls' when I wasn't moving. At this point I no longer trust it.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I was relegating myself to asking Siri to start the proper workout which worked great until two days ago, and now it just double tap vibrates and dumps back to watch face. Holding in the crown it sits there thinking for a minute and then says it can't help at the moment. I just went back to my much better and far more reliable Series 3. I don't know why but the Series 5 feels half baked, it stutters, apps crash a ton, and it's so slow compared to the Series 3. Also the Series 3 microphone is so much better at hearing me. Dictation is dead on fast and Siri actually works.

What bothers me is that for $499 I expected at least the workout detection--an advertised feature, to work. Not be manual only like my 2013 Galaxy Gear that was 1/3 its price. The last straw was having to deal with the wifi/bluetooth handoff bug again. It absolutely refused to connect to my 6S once it was using wifi, I'd turn wifi off, watch just disconnected and if I toggled it in the bluetooth settings on the iPhone, it said 'connection unsuccessful--make sure Watch is near iPhone and retry' when it was right next to the darned thing. Rebooted watch and phone, fixed. That one only happens if I have my watch connect to wifi if near the phone. It will get stuck every time remotely connecting via wifi. Also, It detected two 'falls' when I wasn't moving. At this point I no longer trust it.

Instead of constantly complaining and expecting something to be different, take the watch to the Apple Store. There is something wrong with your watch.

 

[nickdalzell1]

There isn't an Apple Store within a hundred miles of my area. I got mine at Best Buy and the 14-day return period had already expired while I was trying to figure out what was wrong with the thing.

Also since there's no way to get that neat Infograph face on the Series 3 or the Noise app (why I have no clue, since the S3's mic is so much better at noise cancellation) that means yet another Series 5. I no longer trust the 5. The 4 can't be purchased anymore. Apple rushed the 5 to market and forced all retailers to stop carrying any leftover series 4's for some odd reason. I am not even sure if the 4 was any better at working. The 5 is a buggy bug-ridden hardware failing pile of laggy garbage.

 

[Apple_Robert]

There isn't an Apple Store within a hundred miles of my area. I got mine at Best Buy and the 14-day return period had already expired while I was trying to figure out what was wrong with the thing.

Also since there's no way to get that neat Infograph face on the Series 3 or the Noise app (why I have no clue, since the S3's mic is so much better at noise cancellation) that means yet another Series 5. I no longer trust the 5. The 4 can't be purchased anymore. Apple rushed the 5 to market and forced all retailers to stop carrying any leftover series 4's for some odd reason. I am not even sure if the 4 was any better at working. The 5 is a buggy bug-ridden hardware failing pile of laggy garbage.

Call Apple. The watch is under warranty. It makes no sense to keep complaining about problems with your s5, if you aren’t even going to contact Apple about a device under warranty.

 

[nickdalzell1]

Why should I expect another S5 to be any different? All I'm going to do with it is probably keep it as a backup if my S3 breaks. The darned thing was rushed to market. The 4 wasn't out that long. I don't need an AOD, the ECG is stupid (says inconclusive all the time) and fall detection I really don't trust even if mine is broke.

I've just gone back to the Series 3, which despite the lack of great faces such as Infograph or the Earth complication, is far more reliable, faster, and I'm happy with it.

I sure hate the idea of gambling that I wait 6 weeks or so for them to just send it back telling me it's fine, not broken (when it definitely is) or worse, sending me a reconditioned replacement which might be far worse.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Why should I expect another S5 to be any different? All I'm going to do with it is probably keep it as a backup if my S3 breaks. The darned thing was rushed to market. The 4 wasn't out that long. I don't need an AOD, the ECG is stupid (says inconclusive all the time) and fall detection I really don't trust even if mine is broke.

I've just gone back to the Series 3, which despite the lack of great faces such as Infograph or the Earth complication, is far more reliable, faster, and I'm happy with it.

I sure hate the idea of gambling that I wait 6 weeks or so for them to just send it back telling me it's fine, not broken (when it definitely is) or worse, sending me a reconditioned replacement which might be far worse.

Your watch could very well be defective. It happens with all types of consumer goods.

If you want to embrace logical fallacy, have at it. And if that is your choice, stop complaining about a problem you won't take action upon by calling Apple.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I've been down that road before and the amount of times I sent something back to Dell or Cingular or whomever and waited 6 weeks to have it come back 'no work done--everything checks out' is more than I'm willing to revisit.

If we had an Apple Store nearby, I'd be happy to take it in and let them look at it.

I'll say this for the Series 5: For the one thing most seem to complain about, battery life, that one happens to be the best feature of the Series 5 for me. Battery life is excellent.