Apps WorkOutDoors: New workout features

[maurycyorlik]

2 days ago I went on a hike and had my best result ! nearly 20 km and nearly 2.000 active calories but somehow I didn't receive a medal for a new hiking record. It was definitely my longest hike and never had 2.000 active calories burnt in one hiking workout. Can't I get a medal because I didn't use the apple workout app? Is this an error by WoD or apple?

For me, since Series 0 those awards were only for the stock app. It's even described "...with Training app" (in Polish).

 

[cfc]

For me, since Series 0 those awards were only for the stock app. It's even described "...with Training app" (in Polish).

That is interesting. People have told me that they get them with the app, but maybe they were mistaken. I have dozens of awards and I very rarely use the Apple app, but maybe it is only certain types of awards that need their app.

 

[maurycyorlik]

That is interesting. People have told me that they get them with the app, but maybe they were mistaken. I have dozens of awards and I very rarely use the Apple app, but maybe it is only certain types of awards that need their app.

Only "First training..." and "... training record" are tied to the Training app. All other awards work with any app.

 

[Monkswhiskers]

Is there any way to highlight an individual stat with a colour (like you can scroll through in the native app) in the grid view. It is handy when quickly glancing down if I am concentrating on a specific thing during a run (cadence, hr etc.)

 

[xxBlack]

Only "First training..." and "... training record" are tied to the Training app. All other awards work with any app.

Thank you.. that sucks

 

[cfc]

Is there any way to highlight an individual stat with a colour (like you can scroll through in the native app) in the grid view. It is handy when quickly glancing down if I am concentrating on a specific thing during a run (cadence, hr etc.)

Previously the app allowed you to invert a metric so that it was more obvious. However it did that by a long press, which now displays the old force press menu, so that no longer works on watchOS 7. I may reinstate it in the future via some other mechanism.

 

[wineandcarbs]

1) WorkOutDoors allows you to create the intervals you describe, but you will still need the Apple Watch to use the app. It does not run on the iPhone alone.

2) Workouts sent to Strava will show all the intervals. Strava usually shows moving time by default (using it's own pause-detection algorithm), but this can be changed to show elapsed time if you change the Strava run type to "Race". I wish Strava allowed the user to choose which time to show by default, but unfortunately they do not.

I hope that helps.

It helps a ton, thanks!! Sounds like the perfect watch app for my internal work!

 

[xxBlack]

I'm going on a hike tomorrow and wanted to send the map from iPhone to the watch but it doesn't work?? Already closed the app on the watch, switched off iPhone and Apple Watch but without success. What can I else do? Need the route urgent

btw the app is running on Apple Watch

 

[cfc]

I'm going on a hike tomorrow and wanted to send the map from iPhone to the watch but it doesn't work?? Already closed the app on the watch, switched off iPhone and Apple Watch but without success. What can I else do? Need the route urgent

btw the app is running on Apple Watch

Do you mean the map or the GPX route? Please email info@workoutdoors.net and I will see if I can work out what is happening.

 

[xxBlack]

After 15 min it’s transferred. However I tried to delete the route on iPhone and now I have one route on iPhone but on Apple Watch there are 5 routes of the same trail lol. How can I delete it on the watch? Like I said just 1 route on iPhone and 5 on AW

 

[cfc]

After 15 min it’s transferred. However I tried to delete the route on iPhone and now I have one route on iPhone but on Apple Watch there are 5 routes of the same trail lol. How can I delete it on the watch? Like I said just 1 route on iPhone and 5 on AW

To be honest I would leave it as it is. It’s not worth risking losing the route with an important hike tomorrow.

Sorry - It can take a while to transfer large files from the phone to the watch.

 

[michaelb5000]

Workoutdoors is great and I use it regularly and have for years. thank you. My current issue, which happened with my S3 and before upgrading from Os 6 to Os 7, and now continues with my S6 running 7.0.1, is that once I open WODs on my watch, it starts running in the background, as if I started a workout. So it starts showing the little icon at the top of the screen as if it is still running; clicking the icon takes me back to WOD. I understand this is how it works if I start a workout, but why is it happening when I do not, and I just exit back out to the watch face without starting anything? There isn't any way to stop this, so it will run like this for hours, other than to force quit WOD.

Also, did the option to just view the map disappear? I don't have the map view anymore. that used to be one of the reasons I would open WOD and look at it, but not actually start a workout. Thank you.

 

[cfc]

Workoutdoors is great and I use it regularly and have for years. thank you. My current issue, which happened with my S3 and before upgrading from Os 6 to Os 7, and now continues with my S6 running 7.0.1, is that once I open WODs on my watch, it starts running in the background, as if I started a workout. So it starts showing the little icon at the top of the screen as if it is still running; clicking the icon takes me back to WOD. I understand this is how it works if I start a workout, but why is it happening when I do not, and I just exit back out to the watch face without starting anything? There isn't any way to stop this, so it will run like this for hours, other than to force quit WOD.

Also, did the option to just view the map disappear? I don't have the map view anymore. that used to be one of the reasons I would open WOD and look at it, but not actually start a workout. Thank you.

The app uses the GPS for a few minutes after you use it, so that it doesn't have to reacquire the GPS if you briefly drop your wrist. It seems that watchOS 7 is treating this in the same way as it does a workout, and somehow keeping the app always active. However it only affects a few people.

With watchOS 7.0 you could fix it with the following workaround: Go to Apple's Watch app on the iPhone, or the Settings app on the watch. Tap General, then Wake Screen, then WorkoutDoors. Then select Custom and then Always.

However I have heard reports that this doesn’t work with 7.0.1. If the workaround does not work then please remove the app from the dock (if it is in it) and switch off background app updates for it. To do that go to the Settings app on the watch and tap General and then Background App Refresh, and then switch it off for WorkOutDoors.

If that doesn't work then I suggest killing the app off by the side buttons. To do this press and hold the side button until the power off menu appears, and then press the crown until the app disappears.

I plan to release a version which does not keep the GPS on (or at least where it is optional), but I will wait for a while because Apple are clearly changing the way the background GPS works with each flaky release, so I will wait until things have settled down. Hopefully it is a bug they will fix rather than a deliberate change.

In terms of the map only mode you can display the option by going to the settings on the watch and tapping More then Activity Menus. Then scroll to the bottom and turn on the Map Only option. It will then appear at the top of the menu. I actually removed it by default last year, so you may have been using an old version of the app for a while. It will be easier to access in the next version.

 

[zemacs]

Helping a lady friend look for a fitness watch. Is the Apple Watch 3 with workoutdoors app good enough? (main activity is running, so gps accuracy and metrics like cadence accuracy will be important) Or is there a need to budget more to get the Apple Watch SE.

 

[Monkswhiskers]

Helping a lady friend look for a fitness watch. Is the Apple Watch 3 with workoutdoors app good enough? (main activity is running, so gps accuracy and metrics like cadence accuracy will be important) Or is there a need to budget more to get the Apple Watch SE.

I never had a problem with my 3, I actually prefer the design. I would have stuck with it but was given a 4 as a replacement by Apple. The bigger screen is nice though (44mm), bear in mind the 40mm screen on th SE is the same size as the 42mm on the 3.

 

[justiny]

Workoutdoors is great and I use it regularly and have for years. thank you. My current issue, which happened with my S3 and before upgrading from Os 6 to Os 7, and now continues with my S6 running 7.0.1, is that once I open WODs on my watch, it starts running in the background, as if I started a workout. So it starts showing the little icon at the top of the screen as if it is still running; clicking the icon takes me back to WOD. I understand this is how it works if I start a workout, but why is it happening when I do not, and I just exit back out to the watch face without starting anything? There isn't any way to stop this, so it will run like this for hours, other than to force quit WOD.

The app uses the GPS for a few minutes after you use it, so that it doesn't have to reacquire the GPS if you briefly drop your wrist. It seems that watchOS 7 is treating this in the same way as it does a workout, and somehow keeping the app always active. However it only affects a few people.

With watchOS 7.0 you could fix it with the following workaround: Go to Apple's Watch app on the iPhone, or the Settings app on the watch. Tap General, then Wake Screen, then WorkoutDoors. Then select Custom and then Always.

However I have heard reports that this doesn’t work with 7.0.1. If the workaround does not work then please remove the app from the dock (if it is in it) and switch off background app updates for it. To do that go to the Settings app on the watch and tap General and then Background App Refresh, and then switch it off for WorkOutDoors.

If that doesn't work then I suggest killing the app off by the side buttons. To do this press and hold the side button until the power off menu appears, and then press the crown until the app disappears.

I plan to release a version which does not keep the GPS on (or at least where it is optional), but I will wait for a while because Apple are clearly changing the way the background GPS works with each flaky release, so I will wait until things have settled down. Hopefully it is a bug they will fix rather than a deliberate change.

I’m also experiencing the same issue on my S4 running 7.0.1. I tried each workaround to no avail, so the only solution for me is to force quit the app. It’s only a minor annoyance, but one I hope Apple can address as it sounds like background gps is affecting other apps as well. By the way @cfc, removing WOD from my favorites dock is not an option because WOD is one of my favorite apps!

Ian, another nice feature will be to add navigate to the start point of the route at least in the iPhone app. This way you click this button and you can select which navigator will bring you to the star point, for example, Navigon, Maps, Sigyc, etc .,, and you go by car to this point, then you star the route. You can see this feature in Komoot app.

No-one has ever asked for that but it sounds useful and feasible. I will add it to my to-do list (although it won’t be high on the list unless more people ask for it).

Count me in as another user who would love this feature.

 

[NickYanakiev]

Any updates on Stryd compatibility? Would absolutely love to use Workoutdoors instead of the Stryd app! @cfc

 

[cfc]

Any updates on Stryd compatibility? Would absolutely love to use Workoutdoors instead of the Stryd app! @cfc

I have a major release almost ready for testing that I have been working on for months. After that has been successfully released to the wild then I will work on a version with Stryd support and enhanced route functionality.

 

[abijango]

I had an Apple Watch Series 3 for almost 3 years and for some weird reason I had never heard of this app, I am hoping to upgrade to the Series 6 shortly, and this solves almost ALL the problems I had with the limitations on workout apps on the Apple Watch, great work and really looking forward to buying this app and trying it out.

- I love the map features, though I wished they looked more like the Apple Maps small nitpick! I'll take the features over the looks, but wish I could get both ha!
- Really really wanted configurable alerts on HR and pace etc. glad it is here!
Hope to continue to support the app development and hope you continue to improve it! Great job!

 

[cfc]

I had an Apple Watch Series 3 for almost 3 years and for some weird reason I had never heard of this app, I am hoping to upgrade to the Series 6 shortly, and this solves almost ALL the problems I had with the limitations on workout apps on the Apple Watch, great work and really looking forward to buying this app and trying it out.

- I love the map features, though I wished they looked more like the Apple Maps small nitpick! I'll take the features over the looks, but wish I could get both ha!
- Really really wanted configurable alerts on HR and pace etc. glad it is here!
Hope to continue to support the app development and hope you continue to improve it! Great job!

Glad you are thinking of buying the app. The next major version will have the ability to choose the map colour scheme, including at least one scheme that is more like Apple's maps. There will also be monochrome schemes, dark mode schemes and many single colour schemes (for people who want to match the map with their band!).

 

[Significant1]

Where I live the map in workoutdoors is way more detailed and useful than Apple maps on the watch. With the lack of details, satalite view would have been nice in Apple maps.

 

[cfc]

Where I live the map in workoutdoors is way more detailed and useful than Apple maps on the watch. With the lack of details, satalite view would have been nice in Apple maps.

WorkOutDoors uses OpenStreetMap, which is sort of like a wikipedia for maps in that it is maintained by millions of volunteers. Many thanks to them for all their hard work!

I also use a company called Mapbox to host and supply the the OSM data to the app (for which they charge a lot of money!).

If you want to join in then please take a look at the OSM website: www.openstreetmap.org. Any trails appearing on this map should appear in WorkOutDoors, so you can effectively edit the map that appears in the app (and thousands of other apps and websites). Note that it may take a while for updates to get through the Mapbox systems.

 

[NME42]

Feature idea: implement an audio countdown (three beeps or such) during interval schedules before the next interval starts. Garmin has that and it is pretty useful.

 

[andrewstirling]

It gives a voice countdown? What advantage would a beep bring? Not meaning to sound critical. Just wondering what your thinking was.

 

[NME42]

It gives a voice countdown? What advantage would a beep bring? Not meaning to sound critical. Just wondering what your thinking was.

Two reasons:

1) Voice does switch off my podcast listening (Overcast). Very disturbing. Not happening with iSmoothrun.

2) Do not like voice, I prefer sounds as they can accomplish almost as much but in less time. Especially when I do short intervals like 30 secs on/off the watch is speaking most of the time ;-)

Edit: sound and haptics combination of course