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watchOS 9 Workout app's new Voice Feedback is bugged

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bviktor

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 19, 2019
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So watchOS 9 has this nifty new thing. Previously Siri would only read out loud your current lap time - to me as a runner in the metric world, this means a readout at every km. Siri tells me my pace (e.g. 6:52), and that's it.

Now in watchOS 9 they apparently extended this to tell you your current lap time AND the overall average. This is all great, except for the fact that Siri uses the last km pace for BOTH. As in,

1 km: 6:52
Average: 6:52

Every. Single. Time. I did a 20k and it did the same - told me the same lap time both for the lap and for the average.

It's not just the voice though, the screen shows the same erroneous data, too. I would've screenshotted it but I didn't bring my phone with me (and I don't have screenshotting enabled on the Watch).

Anyone else having the same issue?

In fact, I'd much prefer if I could actually select the things I want to hear. The workout app has a whole bunch of stuff on screen, why can't I select the things I need? I, for one, would be much more interested in my current heart rate. And maybe avg HR as well. I think Endomondo had this feature in their app, and that was like 5 years ago...
 
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bviktor said:
So watchOS 9 has this nifty new thing. Previously Siri would only read out loud your current lap time - to me as a runner in the metric world, this means a readout at every km. Siri tells me my pace (e.g. 6:52), and that's it.

Now in watchOS 9 they apparently extended this to tell you your current lap time AND the overall average. This is all great, except for the fact that Siri uses the last km pace for BOTH. As in,

1 km: 6:52
Average: 6:52

Every. Single. Time. I did a 20k and it did the same - told me the same lap time both for the lap and for the average.

It's not just the voice though, the screen shows the same erroneous data, too. I would've screenshotted it but I didn't bring my phone with me (and I don't have screenshotting enabled on the Watch).

Anyone else having the same issue?

In fact, I'd much prefer if I could actually select the things I want to hear. The workout app has a whole bunch of stuff on screen, why can't I select the things I need? I, for one, would be much more interested in my current heart rate. And maybe avg HR as well. I think Endomondo had this feature in their app, and that was like 5 years ago...
Click to expand...
**UPDATE**
Today is exactly 1 week since both my devices (iPhone 13 Pro and watch series 6) were updated to the latest OS and during todays workout the correct Siri voice was heard for the voice feedback.
That being said, I have noticed the incorrect average pace issue as the OP has described also on my watch. The average pace is described as basically the same number as the last “lap”. I don’t see the true average until I complete my workout and view the summary that is displayed.

Hopefully this is resolved in the next watchOS update.
//end of update//

I’ve got a similar issue, but the pace average for each km isn’t something I’ve noticed thus far, it’s the voice feedback’s actual voice that wrong.

I’m also in the metric world, but more of a walker than a runner, but the issue I’m having is the Workout Alerts voice feedback is the wrong Siri voice. It’s like the Siri 1.0 voice, but only for the workout alerts. This only started since I updated my devices to the latest software earlier this week. However, while the workout is running in the background on my watch, I can hold the Digital Crown and ask Siri the current time and it responds with the correct Siri voice I have set. Also, when I close my exercise ring during a workout the voice feedback is the Siri 1.0 voice.

I’ve contacted Apple chat support and subsequently spoken to Apple support about my issue and thus far they’re not seeing anyone else reporting this specifically, but instead something else almost the opposite of my issue. The rep did check to make sure I wasn’t in low power mode on my watch, which I wasn’t, and I also made sure I didn’t have my watch set to use low power mode during a workout.

For reference, I’ve got both my iPhone 13 Pro and Apple Watch Series 6 updated to iOS 16 and watchOS 9 respectively. I’ve tried changing the Siri voice under settings and then changing it back again and even restarted both devices but still having the same issue.

The other troubleshooting step I’ve taken so far is toggling the voice feedback off and on again in the workout settings, and I’ve yet to test and see if this has resolved it. I’ve got my doubts it has but I will update here if and when I find a resolution.

Anyone else having this issue?
 
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Yes, after updating to WatchOS 9 I faced the same issue. During the first run a robotic-like Siri 0.5 voice telling me the progress as mentioned above. It was even hard to understand. Today as I was walking the dog the voice was male. Very irritating. Would be great to have the old voice back and an option to adjust the metrics.
 
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same here - I'm now hearing a robotic male voice giving updates during a workout since upgrading to WatchOS 9. Thought it might be a setting that defaulted, but couldn't find anything. Tried toggling Siri settings, but made no difference. Agree it's harder to understand and annoying. Hope they fix it soon.
 
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Toggling Siri might/should help, but you can’t really force the download of the full voice file(s). It should happen some time when the watch is on the charger and has a WiFi connection.
 
I have found a variation of the problem… It reads out the split/lap pace, but it then gives an average pace that is not the same as the split/lap pace but also not the same as the average pace shown on the screen (which seems the more plausible one). So there definitely seems to be a problem here.
 
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bricktop_at said:
Toggling Siri might/should help, but you can’t really force the download of the full voice file(s). It should happen some time when the watch is on the charger and has a WiFi connection.
Click to expand...
I don’t think you’re fully understanding. My watch has the correct voice, this is specifically in the workouts app that the incorrect voice occurs.
 
I have had the error through all the betas - My Siri voice is normal, but had the robotic voice last year when I went for a run straight after unboxing my S7, so it needs to download the voice files.

Regarding the feedback, it would be cool if we could adjust what we want to hear
 
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bviktor said:
So watchOS 9 has this nifty new thing. Previously Siri would only read out loud your current lap time - to me as a runner in the metric world, this means a readout at every km. Siri tells me my pace (e.g. 6:52), and that's it.

Now in watchOS 9 they apparently extended this to tell you your current lap time AND the overall average. This is all great, except for the fact that Siri uses the last km pace for BOTH. As in,

1 km: 6:52
Average: 6:52

Every. Single. Time. I did a 20k and it did the same - told me the same lap time both for the lap and for the average.

It's not just the voice though, the screen shows the same erroneous data, too. I would've screenshotted it but I didn't bring my phone with me (and I don't have screenshotting enabled on the Watch).

Anyone else having the same issue?

In fact, I'd much prefer if I could actually select the things I want to hear. The workout app has a whole bunch of stuff on screen, why can't I select the things I need? I, for one, would be much more interested in my current heart rate. And maybe avg HR as well. I think Endomondo had this feature in their app, and that was like 5 years ago...
Click to expand...
Yes, I have the same issue. The announced average pace is the same as the current mile (not using metric), not the actual average pace for the workout like it should be.
 
Me too — My watch has the correct voice, this is specifically in the workouts app that the incorrect voice occurs 🤷🏻‍♂️ Here is the Apple Watch Feedback page — if many of us offer THIS feedback, it may get resolved sooner… then later… https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch
 
Same here. During the 1 mile split announcement the average pace announcement and the screen that displays the metrics are incorrect. Announcing and showing the same pace as the split pace.

But on the actual workout app after the announcement the correct average pace is displayed.

I contacted Apple Support and they had me reset the calibration data. But that didn’t work.

(Also, Siri voice corrected itself after I confirmed the voice setting on my phone)
 
Also, does anybody know how I can turn the voice alerts off for heart rate zones but keep the other ones? I do hill reps and am constantly drifting between z4 and 5, it is driving me nuts going off all the time while listening to music.
 
I have the same issue. My series 5 had the issue after upgrading to watchOS 9. Just updated to an Apple Watch Ultra and setup as new watch. Still did it, so it can’t be any previous settings causing this. I’m surprised so many more people aren’t reporting this.
 
Same here. It would be a welcome feature, but it appears to be giving the average mi/km pace over the last mi/km rather than the full run. Which is of course useless.

Or as OP suggested, customization of the prompts would be cool as well.
 
I’ve recalibrated, unpaired and re-paired my watch, restarted both my watch and phone and the average miles are still not being announced correctly. I also noticed that in the Fitness app on the iPhone that it is showing incorrect average miles when viewing the splits.

Anyone else having the same issues?
 
I am experiencing the same annoying thing. the same average pace gets announced twice! The overall average pace never does. I used the feedback form posted earlier in this discussion and reported this as an issue.
 
As a temporary “fix” I have begun using WorkOutDoors. This app allows you to set voice alerts for a bunch of different stuff :) just what I need until Apple releases a bug fix.
 
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0FA3C963-9DB5-4B42-94B0-010752433FE3.jpeg
 
I just installed watchOS 9.1 and I can confirm that you now get voice notification for each split only. No voice alert for overall average pace :( that’s a bummer for me
 
Just got watchOS 9.1 and now no voice notification at all…. Only screen notification.. anyone?
 
Yeah, it's not not incorrect anymore because it doesn't even try to calculate the average now :(
 

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I submitted a bug report using this form “https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch/“ and wrote that the overall average pace voice notification is gone. I consider this as a bug because overall average is one of the most important metrics for me as a runner. I really hope they fix it
 
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