You’re Invited to Test the NEW Gaia GPS Apple Watch App
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Hello all,
The new and improved, stand-alone, Gaia GPS Apple Watch app is now available for Beta Testing. This totally revamped watch app has been in the works for many months and we are eager to get it into your hands --- er, wrists.
If you’re interested in joining the beta test group, please follow this link from your iOS device to get started: https://testflight.apple.com/join/ssEufmcy
Here’s what to look forward to:
The Watch app is designed to work independently from the iOS app. You no longer need to be running the Gaia GPS app on your phone to use Gaia GPS on your Watch. Features include:
- Record tracks on Watch
- Mark waypoints on Watch
- Turn by Turn navigation on pre-planned routes with offline maps on Watch.
- Health Kit integration
Note:
Routes must be sent to the Watch before use. To send a route to your watch:
- In the iOS app, open the route in the Saved tab
- tap the “...” button in the upper right
- select “Send to Watch”
Any feedback can be submitted directly through TestFlight and will go straight to the developers working on the project.
If you have any issues installing the beta, you can find more thorough instructions in the Help Center.
Thanks in advance for all your help!
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I installed the TestFlight app on my iPhone. When I followed the link to join the beta, it joined me to the beta for Gaia GPS Hiking,Offroad Maps. It says: "This beta is specifically to test the new Search tab and improvements to interacting with objects on the map." There is no mention of the Apple Watch app.
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https://testflight.apple.com/join/ssEufmcy should take you straight to the Apple Watch build, but it's possible you may see other builds if you're also in another testing group.
To find the correct Watch Beta build follow these steps:
- Open TestFlight
- Select Gaia GPS
- under App Information, tap "Previous Builds"
- Select "2020.1010"
- Select "Install" next to 2020.1010 (20201027)
That will install the most recent Watch Beta build of the app.
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Hey @mushumax,
Can you try installing the beta version again by clicking on this link from your phone?If you continue to have any issues, please contact Support here.
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@derek.bowen
Thanks for using Gaia GPS and for reaching out.
I've passed your feedback to the Watch team.
In the future you can send feedback directly to the Watch team like this:
Snap a screenshot in the beta version of the app > tap Done > and then use the "Share Beta Feedback ..." option.
If you have any further questions, please contact Support here. -
@shutts
We don't have an exact timeline, but we are actively working on further building and testing the Apple Watch app.
You can expect an announcement via email and on social media when the first production version is released.
If you have any further questions, please contact Support here. -
I'm curious what your plans are to allow the phone app to sync to the Apple Fitness along with the watch app. The watch app, in its current form, doesn't make good recordings on a consistent basis. To be honest, it doesn't make make good recordings often at all. While I believe you'll resolve this problem, I've resorted to record my hikes with the phone for accurate tracks. But then this leaves me with no reporting to the Fitness app that I've done a hike. So I have to use the Fitness app on my watch to record a hike as well, which completely negates the point of having an iOS version of GaiaGPS.
I'd love for which ever app I'm recording to report to the Fitness app. Only having the watch app report to the Fitness app results would be great if its recordings were accurate.
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@Jim and @Melanie -
Is the standalone Apple Watch App out of beta now?
What do you recommend for preserving battery life, while getting the most accurate track? I was thinking of turning off cellular data and wifi on both the phone and the watch. Should I turn bluetooth off so the watch is getting its own GPS signal or better to leave it on to work with the phone? I'm typically asking for a place that has no cellular or wifi, so fine to turn those off.
Also, I see that the Watch app has a calories calculation? How do I get that to work? It didn't seem to calculate any calories, not that I'm overly concerned about this.
Lastly, does the Watch app record heart rate?Thanks, Charlie
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Hi Charlie,
I've answered your questions inline below:
Is the standalone Apple Watch App out of beta now?
Yes, it is out of beta now. The first production release of the watch app was along with version 2020.13 for iPhone/iPad.
What do you recommend for preserving battery life, while getting the most accurate track? I was thinking of turning off cellular data and wifi on both the phone and the watch. Should I turn bluetooth off so the watch is getting its own GPS signal or better to leave it on to work with the phone? I'm typically asking for a place that has no cellular or wifi, so fine to turn those off.
As long as your Apple Watch has a GPS chip in it, the watch app will work independently of your phone, so you could turn Bluetooth off and only transfer items between the watch and phone when needed. You can turn off Cellular and Wifi, as the GPS chip can record your location.
Also, I see that the Watch app has a calories calculation? How do I get that to work? It didn't seem to calculate any calories, not that I'm overly concerned about this.
Lastly, does the Watch app record heart rate?
The Watch app integrates with the Apple Health kit to provide calories, heart rate, and other measurements.
The first time you record a track on the watch you will see a Health Access prompt. Follow the prompts to allow Gaia GPS to access and update your Health data.
If you didn't set it up the first time, you can allow Health Access with these steps:- On your phone, tap Settings > Health > Data Access + Devices > GaiaGPS.
- Select "Turn All Categories On"
Once you set up Health Access, the watch app records workouts alongside tracks. Workouts are viewable in the Fitness app on iOS. Also, when you finish recording a track in the Gaia GPS watch app, you can scroll down to see heart rates and calorie information.
If you have any further questions, please contact Support here.
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