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November 14, 2020

The New Watch App

Learn what you can do with the new Apple Watch app.

What can you do with the watch app?

The watch app is a companion app to the MX Buddy app on your iPhone. It enables you to record your riding (GPS positions and heart rate) with just your Apple Watch. If you wear headphones while riding, the app also tells you lap times and the remaining laps of your race. When you return to the pits, the MX Buddy app on your iPhone will notfiy you about the new recording from the watch, which you can save and analyze as you are used to. Pretty cool stuff, huh?

But first things first

Installation

The watch app will be installed to your watch automatically, when you install (or update) MX Buddy on you iPhone. If not, check your iOS settings and read this article

Authorization

The first time you use the watch app, it will ask you for some permissions.

✅ Access to your current location

Watch Permission

Heart Rate

If you want to record heart rates, use an external heart rate belt. Just pair it with your watch via bluetooth and you're ready to go!

It is not possible to measure the heart rate directly with the watch. The heart rate measured on the wrist is very inaccurate and wearing the watch on the wrist significantly reduces the GPS accuracy of the watch.

Recording

Before you can start a recording the watch needs to know your current settings (track setup, bike setup, ...). Open the MX Buddy app on your iPhone and proceed as you're used to when you start a recording with your iPhone.

Go to 'On Track' and make your settings for the ride. Then swipe to 'RECORD' and hit 'START'. Now you have two options, 'Start iPhone' for recording with your iPhone and 'Start Apple Watch', which will transfer your current settings to the watch. Select 'Start Apple Watch' and your watch will switch from waiting to beeing ready for recording.

The location symbol should be green. If not, the watch is not yet receiving sufficiently accurate position data. If you want to record heart rate data, the heart symbol should be green as well.

Ready to go

Now hit 'Go Ride!' to start your recording.

Riding Display

When you swipe left on the main screen you'll see the current time of your ride, your remaining laps and a heart rate indicator.

Race View

Unfortunatly the Apple Watch is not able to keep this display active for more than 70 secs to save battery. You'll need to use earphones to receive live updates while riding.

Riding Options

Did you notice the two buttons on top of the watch app? These give access to the following riding options.

Race Distance

Tab on the right button to set a race distance and laps you want to ride.

Sound

Tab the speaker button to toggle the sound on and off. If you use earphones, leave the sound toggled on.

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