Apps WorkOutDoors: New workout features

[cfc]

Navigation has been working great using watchOS 26. However, I have experienced abnormalities with routes with repeat loops/laps. In the screen capture below, there is a two-lap loop. At the circle, after the 2nd lap, navigation reset to the first lap, prompting for a left turn instead of a right turn. Is there a modification needed for routes with repeat laps/loops? Also, is it possible to run a route with a target or interval workout simultaneously?

View attachment 2538162

An observation, not related to the WOD beta or navigation. I am a Stryd Nextgen footpod user and noticed after one of the previous WOD updates or perhaps a prior Stryd update that many of the secondary Stryd metrics do not report correctly (e.g., wind power, GCT, vertical oscillation, etc.). For indoor runs on the treadmill, I have been using another watchOS/iOS app called Runcline by Pascal Caieres. Runcline connects with Stryd and does not have issues collecting the secondary Stryd metrics. I mention this as a possible resource that might be able to provide guidance on connecting to the Stryd footpod.

That is interesting. I never considered a repeated loop and no-one has mentioned using one. The app won't handle that properly at the moment and it would be too big a change to make now, so it won't be in the first version. It is the first time anyone has mentioned it so it is probably an edge case. Sorry about that.

To use a route with a target or interval schedule select it in the route settings before starting the workout and then start the workout by choosing the target or schedule.

Some of the minor Stryd metrics have been unreliable since they changed something a while back. Where are they not looking correct? In the WorkOutDoors app or in Apple's Health system, or in Stryd's Powercenter app when exported there via FIT?

At the moment I am focussed on the navigation version but I will look into Stryd at some time, and make a decision as to whether I want to continue supporting it. As the main metrics are working I may just remove the other metrics, or retrieve those that I can from watchOS, but it is tempting just to get rid of it completely.

Even if I could fix it by asking someone else there is always the chance that Stryd will break it again by changing the format of the data again. It is their own format and not public so there is no need for them to inform users when they change it. And their complete lack of help when I repeatedly contacted them a while back makes me think that they don't want other apps connecting to their footpod anyway.

 

[Project Speedforce]

That is interesting. I never considered a repeated loop and no-one has mentioned using one. The app won't handle that properly at the moment and it would be too big a change to make now, so it won't be in the first version. It is the first time anyone has mentioned it so it is probably an edge case. Sorry about that.

To use a route with a target or interval schedule select it in the route settings before starting the workout and then start the workout by choosing the target or schedule.

Some of the minor Stryd metrics have been unreliable since they changed something a while back. Where are they not looking correct? In the WorkOutDoors app or in Apple's Health system, or in Stryd's Powercenter app when exported there via FIT?

At the moment I am focussed on the navigation version but I will look into Stryd at some time, and make a decision as to whether I want to continue supporting it. As the main metrics are working I may just remove the other metrics, or retrieve those that I can from watchOS, but it is tempting just to get rid of it completely.

Even if I could fix it by asking someone else there is always the chance that Stryd will break it again by changing the format of the data again. It is their own format and not public so there is no need for them to inform users when they change it. And their complete lack of help when I repeatedly contacted them a while back makes me think that they don't want other apps connecting to their footpod anyway.

Thanks for the quick response, I do not always run loop/laps but sometimes do and was curious how the App would respond. Makes sense that that accounting for this case would be a significant update. I'll give your suggestion a try for routes with targets, thanks again.

Please do not remove Stryd support, that is my primary running metric and I have found Apple's native power reporting to pale in comparison to Stryd's. If Stryd would be removed from WOD, I would have to look for other Stryd/app solutions. The support metrics are "nice to have" and would prefer those being metrics being removed vs. entire support.

 

[FMUK]

Unfortunately Apple's Fitness apps don't show splits or zones for workouts created with third party apps (or at least I have not worked out how to make them show splits or zones).

However you can see them in much more detail in the WorkOutDoors iPhone app. For example, display a workout in the app and then change Map to Laps. Then tap the Heart tab and change BPM to Zones.

On this.

Is there potentially an option to view ALL workouts in the WorkOutDoors iPhone app?

I can see them all in the 3rd party Healthfit app whether sourced from WorkOutDoors / Runna / Apple / whatever, so technically it must be possible?

Whilst Healthfit (unlike the native Apple apps) DOES give 1km splits on WorkOutDoors generated activities, I'd prefer being able to get at the extra lap data thats seen in the WorkOutDoors iPhone app...even for those activities where for whatever reason I'm using a different app (like Runna).

 

[cfc]

On this.

Is there potentially an option to view ALL workouts in the WorkOutDoors iPhone app?

I can see them all in the 3rd party Healthfit app whether sourced from WorkOutDoors / Runna / Apple / whatever, so technically it must be possible?

Whilst Healthfit (unlike the native Apple apps) DOES give 1km splits on WorkOutDoors generated activities, I'd prefer being able to get at the extra lap data thats seen in the WorkOutDoors iPhone app...even for those activities where for whatever reason I'm using a different app (like Runna).

WorkOutDoors only shows workouts created by it. The relationship with Apple Health is one way - it stores every workout in Apple's Health system but does not display workouts created by other apps.

This is party because such workouts would not have the depth of information that WOD stores for its own workouts, but mainly because I don't want to be investigating other apps if there is a problem in the data shown in WOD. The app is more about creating workouts than analysing them. There are plenty of other apps such as HealthFit that are dedicated to analysing workouts but WOD is focussed on the experience during them.

 

[oric1sg]

WOD v6.0 has been released today. After installing on my iPhone, the watch is still on the old version and there's no way I can update it unless I delete the app from the watch.

After that I reinstall the app but now all my workout history on the watch are gone. Anybody know how to reinstate the workout history on the watch?

All my settings on the watch are gone too and I'm went to the Settings tab on the iPhone app and trying to use the "File Management" to send yesterday's watch settings to the watch but I can't seems to find "File Management" option in the v6.0 anymore. Anybody know where is the "File Management" now? Thanks.

 

[cfc]

WOD v6.0 has been released today. After installing on my iPhone, the watch is still on the old version and there's no way I can update it unless I delete the app from the watch.

After that I reinstall the app but now all my workout history on the watch are gone. Anybody know how to reinstate the workout history on the watch?

All my settings on the watch are gone too and I'm went to the Settings tab on the iPhone app and trying to use the "File Management" to send yesterday's watch settings to the watch but I can't seems to find "File Management" option in the v6.0 anymore. Anybody know where is the "File Management" now? Thanks.

Sorry that you lost your settings from the watch app. If the watch app does not update and becomes out of sync with the iPhone app then the best way to update it is to use the App Store app on the watch (not on the iPhone). If you use Apple's 'Watch' app on the iPhone to uninstall and reinstall the app then watchOS does not preserve the data.

To send the data from the iPhone app to the watch app go to Settings and then Storage & Transfer. Then tap 'Send Yesterday's Watch Settings', 'Send Screens to Watch' and 'Send Interval Schedules to Watch'. If you want then you can send workouts and routes individually. They are too large to be sent all at once.

The reason that File Management is now called Storage & Transfer is because I wanted less commonly used menu options to be lower down the alphabetically sorted list so that the Settings menu on the iPhone app looked more like the one on the watch app.

I am hoping that the fact that Apple do not update the watch app at the same time as the iPhone app does not cause too many problems. Their TestFlight beta system does not have the same issue so it isn't a scenario that has been tested much. I have released the app using their system that only releases gradually over a week (1% on the first day, then 2% etc) but it could be a long week...

 

[cfc]

As you can probably tell from the previous post, I released v6.0 of the app a few hours ago. I didn't want to publicise it in case there were problems (which unfortunately is the case!) but now that it is out I want to thank everyone that helped with the testing. I really appreciate it!

As I mentioned above the automatic release will happen gradually over the next week but if you don't want to wait then please go to the App Store on the iPhone and manually update the app from there.

It will be interesting to see if the watch app also updates when you do it that way (go to Settings / More on the watch app to check that the version is v6.0.14), but if not then update that by using the App Store app on the watch. Do not use Apple's 'Watch' app on the iPhone to uninstall/reinstall the WOD watch app or you will then need to send the data from the phone app to the watch app, as described in the previous post.

 

[oric1sg]

Sorry that you lost your settings from the watch app. If the watch app does not update and becomes out of sync with the iPhone app then the best way to update it is to use the App Store app on the watch (not on the iPhone). If you use Apple's 'Watch' app on the iPhone to uninstall and reinstall the app then watchOS does not preserve the data.

To send the data from the iPhone app to the watch app go to Settings and then Storage & Transfer. Then tap 'Send Yesterday's Watch Settings', 'Send Screens to Watch' and 'Send Interval Schedules to Watch'. If you want then you can send workouts and routes individually. They are too large to be sent all at once.

The reason that File Management is now called Storage & Transfer is because I wanted less commonly used menu options to be lower down the alphabetically sorted list so that the Settings menu on the iPhone app looked more like the one on the watch app.

I am hoping that the fact that Apple do not update the watch app at the same time as the iPhone app does not cause too many problems. Their TestFlight beta system does not have the same issue so it isn't a scenario that has been tested much. I have released the app using their system that only releases gradually over a week (1% on the first day, then 2% etc) but it could be a long week...

Thanks Ian for the quick reply.

I did try to update WOD using the watch App Store, it's showing v6.0 on the App Store and there's no UPDATE option, just the OPEN option, hence, I deleted WOD on my watch and reinstall using the watch App Store.

Ok, I managed to 'Send Yesterday's Watch Settings' to the watch under Storage & Transfer but can I reinstate my workout history on the watch? FYI, luckily all my workout histories remain intact on the phone.

 

[cfc]

Thanks Ian for the quick reply.

I did try to update WOD using the watch App Store, it's showing v6.0 on the App Store and there's no UPDATE option, just the OPEN option, hence, I deleted WOD on my watch and reinstall using the watch App Store.

Ok, I managed to 'Send Yesterday's Watch Settings' to the watch under Storage & Transfer but I can I reinstate my workout history on the watch? FYI, luckily all my workout histories remain intact on the phone.

That's odd. I wonder if it is just a matter of time or if the option to update does not exist on the watch App Store because the release is gradual over the week.

Unfortunately there is no way to send all the workouts in the iPhone app to the watch app because that would take too long. The iPhone app is the main repository of workouts and only a subset is stored on the phone (up to the last 50). However you can individually send workouts by using the Export button on the WOD iPhone app and then tapping 'Send to Watch App'. This is useful for example if there is an older workout that you want to compare your performance against.

 

[oric1sg]

Do not use Apple's 'Watch' app on the iPhone to uninstall/reinstall the WOD watch app or you will then need to send the data from the phone app to the watch app, as described in the previous post.

Just to clarify, I did not update the app using the watch initially.

When I check for apps update on my phone, I noticed that WOD was updated to v6.0.

After that I went to my watch to check but the app on the watch is still the old version.

What I did next was to open the App Store on the watch and search for WOD.

It show that WOD is now v6.0 but there's no UPDATE button, only OPEN button, hence, I deleted the app on the watch and reinstall.

 

[cfc]

Just to clarify, I did not update the app using the watch initially.

When I check for apps update on my phone, I noticed that WOD was updated to v6.0.

After that I went to my watch to check but the app on the watch is still the old version.

What I did next was to open the App Store on the watch and search for WOD.

It show that WOD is now v6.0 but there's no UPDATE button, only OPEN button, hence, I deleted the app on the watch and reinstall.

Thanks for the clarification. It's odd that there's just an Open button instead of an Update button in the App Store on the watch. It's as if it knows that WOD is at v6.0 but thinks that the watch app is up-to-date despite it still being the previous version.

It will be interesting to see if others have the same problem, and if they do then whether it fixes itself after a little time. Either by the watch app updating or by the App Store app realising that the watch app is not up to date.

This "watch app not updating with the iPhone app" issue often causes problems at first but they usually settle down after a week. I suspect that this is because I use the gradual release process, but I don't want to release to everyone all at once because if there are still issues then that would be even harder to handle.

 

[oric1sg]

Thanks for the clarification. It's odd that there's just an Open button instead of an Update button in the App Store on the watch. It's as if it knows that WOD is at v6.0 but thinks that the watch app is up-to-date despite it still being the previous version.

Sometime it does happen on other watch apps too. It doesn't show the "Update" button even though there's a new update.

 

[NME42]

It will be interesting to see if others have the same problem, and if they do then whether it fixes itself after a little time.

Same problem here. AppStore app on Apple Watch does not allow an update though it says 6.0 is there.

 

[cfc]

Same problem here. AppStore app on Apple Watch does not allow an update though it says 6.0 is there.

Did you manually update the iPhone app or did it update automatically?

If you don’t need routes then it’s worth waiting to see if the App Store on the watch realises that it should show the Update button.

If you do need routes then you probably need to uninstall the watch app (NOT the iPhone app) and reinstall it by using Apple’s ‘Watch’ app on the iPhone. But, as detailed above, you would then need to send the data from the phone app to the watch app. To do this go to Settings / Storage & Transfer and tap ‘Send Yesterday’s Watch Settings’, ‘Send Screens to Watch’ and ‘Send Interval Schedules to Watch’.

 

[NME42]

Did you manually update the iPhone app or did it update automatically?

I manually updated the iPhone app. In the past, the AW app was never updated with the iPhone app, always had to update from the AppStore on the watch. This time, it did not work.
Deleted WOD from the watch and reinstalled it.

 

[blimundus]

I was on the testflight and had the most recent testflight version installed. Went into the testflight app to stop the test. Then installed WorkOutdoors from the app store on iPhone. Watch app version is now 6.0.14. But I guess the lastest beta == the new release, and so this does not tell you anything new...

 

[cfc]

I manually updated the iPhone app. In the past, the AW app was never updated with the iPhone app, always had to update from the AppStore on the watch. This time, it did not work.
Deleted WOD from the watch and reinstalled it.

Unfortunately reinstalling the watch app is probably the only thing to do if you need routes. Hopefully the bug in the watch App Store is just something being out of sync and will resolve itself.

 

[cfc]

I was on the testflight and had the most recent testflight version installed. Went into the testflight app to stop the test. Then installed WorkOutdoors from the app store on iPhone. Watch app version is now 6.0.14. But I guess the lastest beta == the new release, and so this does not tell you anything new...

Yes, the version released was the latest beta, so you will already have it on your watch. Thanks for testing it!

I really wish the App Store worked like TestFlight and updated both the iPhone and watch apps at the same time.

I think it is because many years ago Apple offered the option to indicate whether your watch app could run independently from the iPhone app. I enabled that option because it can run independently; there is no need for the iPhone app. However one side effect of this that Apple did not mention is that updating the iPhone app does not always mean that the watch app is updated. Although for some reason it does update for some people.

The worst part is that it is a one-way option: once it has been enabled then you can't change it back. This is terrible design on Apple's part and has caused myself and many other developers a lot of pain. It is particularly bad for WOD because it is more complex than most watch apps so there is more possibility for an inconsistency to cause problems.

So the upshot is that with every release I just have to suck up the pain. Instead of receiving questions about the new features I just get complaints about them not working at all, or about the inconsistency causing crashes.

It usually gets better after a week or so when everyone has updated the app from the watch App Store, but if that is having issues then this could be an even more difficult release than usual.

 

[testcard]

Presumably reinstalling the watch app only (I updated the iPhone app manually) won't affect any settings?

 

[cfc]

Presumably reinstalling the watch app only (I updated the iPhone app manually) won't affect any settings?

Unfortunately if you reinstall the watch app by using Apple's 'Watch' app on the iPhone then watchOS does not preserve the watch app's data so you would need to send it from the iPhone app again, as described before.

This is why it is better to use the App Store app on the watch to upgrade, because that doing that doesn't lose any data in the watch app. However if that is not offering the option to upgrade then reinstalling is the only option.

 

[patsio]

Thanks for the clarification. It's odd that there's just an Open button instead of an Update button in the App Store on the watch. It's as if it knows that WOD is at v6.0 but thinks that the watch app is up-to-date despite it still being the previous version.

It will be interesting to see if others have the same problem, and if they do then whether it fixes itself after a little time. Either by the watch app updating or by the App Store app realising that the watch app is not up to date.

This "watch app not updating with the iPhone app" issue often causes problems at first but they usually settle down after a week. I suspect that this is because I use the gradual release process, but I don't want to release to everyone all at once because if there are still issues then that would be even harder to handle.

Yes, same issue, only the "Open" button on the watch appstore app. By the way, i got AW7 if that matters.

 

[testcard]

Yes, same issue, only the "Open" button on the watch appstore app. By the way, i got AW7 if that matters.

Same on my Ultra 2, watchOS 11.6.1.

 

[cfc]

Yes, same issue, only the "Open" button on the watch appstore app. By the way, i got AW7 if that matters.

You could either wait and see if that changes over time (I have my fingers crossed) or you will probably need to uninstall the watch app (NOT the iPhone app) and reinstall it by using Apple’s ‘Watch’ app on the iPhone.

You would then need to send the data from the phone app to the watch app. To do this go to Settings / Storage & Transfer and tap ‘Send Yesterday’s Watch Settings’, ‘Send Screens to Watch’ and ‘Send Interval Schedules to Watch’.

 

[patsio]

You could either wait and see if that changes over time (I have my fingers crossed) or you will probably need to uninstall the watch app (NOT the iPhone app) and reinstall it by using Apple’s ‘Watch’ app on the iPhone.

You would then need to send the data from the phone app to the watch app. To do this go to Settings / Storage & Transfer and tap ‘Send Yesterday’s Watch Settings’, ‘Send Screens to Watch’ and ‘Send Interval Schedules to Watch’.

Yes, that's what i did, everthing is fine now!

 

[testcard]

You would then need to send the data from the phone app to the watch app. To do this go to Settings / Storage & Transfer and tap ‘Send Yesterday’s Watch Settings’, ‘Send Screens to Watch’ and ‘Send Interval Schedules to Watch’.

Thank you - followed your instructions and all worked flawlessly.