Run Hacks: How to improve the GPS accuracy of your Apple Watch

Our simple tip to ensure your tracked runs don't suffer from accuracy issues when you run with the Apple Watch and your phone.

Music: Scott Holmes

[harveydonald]

Thank you for this! - Going to try it next run. Did my first half marathon yesterday and it turns out instead of running 21km I ran about 24km due to some really bad examples of Apple Watch cutting corners.

[lincolnsmith]

Are you able to share with us your workoutdoors settings that you find gives the best GPS accuracy? For example:
- use calibrated distances: on or off?
- source for distance and average pace: apple or GPS?
- source for current pace: pedometer, Apple or GPS?
- smoothing of current pace level: high or low?

[Menudaesmiberza]

This may sound silly but i guess turning off your iPhone but having it with you will obtain the same results?

[os]

And what about Keeping your iPhone with Bluetooth off and the Apple Watch with Bluetooth ON to keep using Airpods and listening to music? I am using WorkOutDoors App and I love it... but I like the running feedback on my Airpods... I'll wait for any reply. Thanks.

[OllyShawlive]

So runkeeper uses the watch's gps exclusively?

[higdolini]

Sorry, but that doesn't help at all... I've run several distances from 10-20 k during different weather conditions. And the Apple Watch is nowhere near a correct mileage counter. I mean, how is this even possible. A bit, ok. But on a 9k (measured with Garmin, Polar and Suunto), the Apple Watch comes to 8.55??? wth??? It's useless for distance running. And I mean, really useless. I've modified everything, activated what I could and turned it off again - to no avail. It's just crap, plain and simple. Useless for everything with distances.

[os]

It would kill the battery… this a message from the future… 2022 November 22.