Will Apple Watch track some activity (calories) in your pocket?

[powerbook911]

My sister's work is banning smart watches from employee wrists if they have a display (I guess to cut down on talking/email/texting while working).

She wants to know if she keeps it off the band, in her pocket, will it still count some activity (calories) from taking steps, etc. ? What about standing hours?

Or does it demand contact with your skin to record this data?

Thank you!!

 

[profets]

I'm quite sure it'll only record activity/standing/etc while on your wrist and unlocked.

 

[BarracksSi]

It demands contact with your skin to stay unlocked for the purpose of Apple Pay. But, I haven't tried using my AW without Apple Pay, and I'm not planning on testing it because re-adding my card means making another call to my bank to reauthorize it.

 

[powerbook911]

I'm quite sure it'll only record activity/standing/etc while on your wrist and unlocked.

Well, turns out, it records activity/standing if it locked in your pocket!! She came over, and we did some tests. She folded it up into her pocket, it was locked.

Within 30 minutes, she had another stand hour and 35 calories!! Sweet. She is so excited that she will still be able to rack up activity with it in her pocket.

Thanks for the replies/information, and I hope it might help someone else out someday who has the same question.

 

[profets]

Well, turns out, it records activity/standing if it locked in your pocket!! She came over, and we did some tests. She folded it up into her pocket, it was locked.

Within 30 minutes, she had another stand hour and 35 calories!! Sweet. She is so excited that she will still be able to rack up activity with it in her pocket.

Thanks for the replies/information, and I hope it might help someone else out someday who has the same question.

Crazy, I gotta test it out. I only had replied as so often my wife puts her watch on in the morning and forgets to unlock it. Hours later she would unlock it and there was zero activity recorded. Maybe they changed it recently. Good to know!

 

[powerbook911]

Crazy, I gotta test it out. I only had replied as so often my wife puts her watch on in the morning and forgets to unlock it. Hours later she would unlock it and there was zero activity recorded. Maybe they changed it recently. Good to know!

Once you unlock the watch it takes maybe a minute for all the recorded data while it was locked to be processed and update.

 

[PatrickNSF]

It definitely counts steps and gives you create for exercise when in a pocket (or not worn on the wrist). I'm not sure if that has always been the case. I run with a Garmin but don't want to wear watches on both arms, so I started carrying my AW in a Flip Belt (along with my iPhone and car keys) while I run. I've been getting credit for calories, steps, exercise and I think standing.

I don't know how accurate it is, but at least I can close my activity rings without needing to wear two watches