Apple Watch workouts missing GPS data for some users

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2020
A number of users on watchOS 7 are reporting that their Apple Watches are failing to record GPS data from their walk workouts, including when using the Strava fitness app.

Some Apple Watches are reportedly not recording GPS route data
Some Apple Watches are reportedly not recording GPS route data


Apple's support forums currently lists over 1,300 people claiming to have found that the Apple Watch Outdoor Walk activity is failing to record GPS data when people do not also have their iPhone with them. In most cases, the Health app reportedly records the starting point of a walk, but nothing for the rest of the route.

In some cases the data is not being sent to the Strava fitness app. However, other people say that route data is not being recorded in Apple's Health app either.

The Apple support thread includes people saying they've had this problem with watchOS 7 from Apple Watch Series 3 to Apple Watch Series 6. Apple has yet to comment publicly on the issue, but a users in the thread claim to have been told different answers from Apple Support.

Some say that Apple has promised a solution in an update to watchOS 7. Others have said that support staff have said that the solution depends on Strava.

In the thread first spotted by MacRumors, some users say backing up, unpairing and re-pairing the Watch fixes it.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    I've encountered this issue too (Watch 3 watchOS 7) and it helped me to "hard restart" the Workout app.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 12
    I have the opposite - no GPS data for outdoor walks prior to upgrading to WatchOS 7, but complete GPS data since then.

    To be honest, I've never looked at the GPS data until recently (I've always relied on Runkeeper for this functionality).

    I assumed that all Apple Watches with GPS recorded this data.
    edited September 2020 watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 12
    I’ve had a problem where workouts are not showing up at all. None of my workouts so far this week are showing up in the fitness app. The last one I see is from Sunday. I am getting the proper exercise time and move data but the workouts themselves aren’t showing up. I just power cycled both my phone and my watch. The old workouts haven’t shown up but we’ll see if one does later today when I work out. I’m using a Series 5 watch on watchOS 7 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max on iOS 14.

    Edit: I also noticed my workouts were missing GPS data and some were missing heart rate data. I just did a full restore on my watch and did a short workout and that workout did show up on my phone. It looks like the issue was with the watch then. We’ll see what happens tonight with my real workout. The two missing days of workouts are still no there though. I’ll have to manually add them.
    edited September 2020 watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 12
    I actually have both issues... since WatchOS 7, my new activities are no longer being tracked by GPS (only the starting point is there on the map)
    AND
    my WatchOS 6 GPS tracks have disappeared (the map is not displaying at all for all my old workouts)


    iPhone 11 Pro and Apple Watch Series 3


    I upgraded to the public beta of WatchOS 7.1 to see if that helped => same result
    battery life (which is also a disaster on 7.0) is greatly improved with the beta version though 
    edited September 2020 watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 12
    larryjwlarryjw Posts: 1,031member
    I'm glad to here others are experiencing problems. I thought is was just me.

    Until yesterday, the last recording of my walks from my Series 4 AW was last Friday. My walks on Saturday through Monday weren't preserved in other apps on the iPhone that I rely on. 

    For some reason, the iPhone now has the information from Tuesday. 

    I also noticed for the first time (maybe it was always there), there are entries in the Health app for V02. Hopefully they are not accurate, since from the number it's giving me, I should be nearing death. When I get the Series 6 early October, I'll likely get a more accurate value -- I hope they're better. 
    edited September 2020 watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 12
    larryjw said:
    I also noticed for the first time (maybe it was always there), there are entries in the Health app for V02. Hopefully they are not accurate, since from the number it's giving me, I should be nearing death. When I get the Series 6 early October, I'll likely get a more accurate value -- I hope they're better. 
    Ha! I'm showing estimated VO2 max data since June 2020 when it was lower than average (I believe this was when I began transitioning from indoor to outdoor activities). It has risen slowly and steadily to the lower end of average as I have increased the length and speed of my workouts over the last few months. I seem to be getting reasonably valid data or at least a trend that reflects my increase in exercise.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 12
    I also noticed this issue when i ran 4 miles this past Monday. The map showed my starting point, but no GPS for the entire run. It did track my mileage, just no map to show my route. I’m running with my Apple Watch 4, without my phone. If it happens again today, i will try the total reboot.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 12
    I also noticed this issue when i ran 4 miles this past Monday. The map showed my starting point, but no GPS for the entire run. It did track my mileage, just no map to show my route. I’m running with my Apple Watch 4, without my phone. If it happens again today, i will try the total reboot.
    Same, but also no heart rate data. 
  • Reply 9 of 12
    My workout tonight showed up in activity but it’s still not reporting GPS data.
  • Reply 10 of 12
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    larrya said:
    I also noticed this issue when i ran 4 miles this past Monday. The map showed my starting point, but no GPS for the entire run. It did track my mileage, just no map to show my route. I’m running with my Apple Watch 4, without my phone. If it happens again today, i will try the total reboot.
    Same, but also no heart rate data. 
    Mmm. Yes, heart rate data is missing from my last run. 
  • Reply 11 of 12
    Followed the advice of some posters on the Apple Support forums and I completely fixed the issue. Unpaired my watch and reset it to factory. Then reset my phone to factory. Restored my phone from the backup and then repaired the watch and restored it from the backup. All the data that was previously there and went missing is now back. Workouts are now properly recording heart rate and GPS data. It looks like the GPS data for that week or so is gone for good though.
    edited September 2020
  • Reply 12 of 12
    I face the same issue for several weeks however the latest iOS update (iOS14.2) resolved this 😀
    steve_jobs
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