Apple released the watchOS 7 software update last week and some Apple Watch owners are now reporting problems such as missing GPS mapping data when using the built-in Workout app to record specific workouts that track distance covered.
Tim Hardwick, MacRumors, reported today that several of their readers have been in touch to highlight the problem. The issue manifests itself after affected users upgrade their iPhone to iOS 14 and Apple Watch to the watchOS 7 software.
The vast majority of reported cases involve people leaving their iPhones at home before going out to record a workout on their watch. The GPS map that’s normally attached to the workout entry in the Activity app would only show the starting point.
One such user wrote the following:
Later, I went for a walk. I used the Outdoor Walk activity on my Watch, but this time didn’t take my iPhone. When I returned and attempted to upload the activity to Strava, I received a warning that no GPS/route data was present. I checked the Fitness and Health apps, and sure enough, there was no route on the map – only the starting point.
I spoke to someone at Apple Support and they suggested I turned off/back on a couple of related privacy settings. I have since tried another Outdoor Walk activity, without the phone present, and the problem persists – no GPS/route data.
My wife also tried the same this evening, after upgrading her iPhone X and S4 Watch too. She had the same results – i.e. with just the Watch, no GPS/route information was saved with the activity.
The issue is also discussed in a 16-page thread on Apple’s support forums.
On a related note, some folks appear to also be having various other problems with the watchOS 7 update, ranging from syncing issues with Strava to inaccurate heart rate information. It seems like these problems stem from bugs in the initial release of watchOS 7, meaning they’re likely to be fixed in Apple’s upcoming watchOS updates.
Are you suffering from the same issue? If so, we’d like to hear about your experience in the commenting section down below.