Another year means another iteration of the most popular smartwatch in the world with the Apple Watch Series 5. This year brings a similar design with a few new features to bolster the abilities of this awesome watch.
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- How to set up Dual SIM or eSIM for Apple Watch
- How to properly calibrate your Apple Watch for Workouts
However, there are some users stating that the GPS on the Series 5 has been “terrible”. It’s likely that the reason is due to GPS calibration being needed after a product is opened and used for the first time. But luckily, there is an easy way to fix this.
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What’s new with Apple Watch Series 5?
Although the latest Apple Watch sports a similar case design to that of the Series 4, there are some new features here. The biggest of these new features is the Always On Retina Display. This means you no longer have to worry about tapping your watch, or violently twisting your wrist just to get the time.
The Series 5 also brings a built-in Compass which will ensure that you always know which way you are facing. As expected, Apple made it possible to add the Compass as a complication to your watch face, which also provides other pieces of information like elevation, incline, and others.
The final biggest addition to the Apple Watch Series 5 is the customization provided. No, unfortunately, we aren’t talking about custom watch faces. But we are talking about the fact that there is a new Titanium version, and Apple brought back Ceramic. There are also now more than 1,000 different watch combinations between the watch itself and the various bands that are available.
Fix GPS issues on your Series 5 Apple Watch
As we mentioned before, quite a few Apple Watch Series 5 owners have been having some issues with the GPS. For one reason or another, GPS tracking seems to be all over the place, despite previous Watch iterations working perfectly fine.
This could be due to the fact that the GPS was not calibrated properly before leaving the factory. But another, more plausible, reason is that everyone walks and runs at a different pace and the Apple Watch needs to figure that out for each person. In order to do so, that means you will need to calibrate the GPS.
Make sure your settings are right
Before we get to the “fun” part, you will need to grab your iPhone and make sure that the correct settings are enabled.
Here are the settings that you need to check:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone
- Scroll down and select Privacy
- Tap Location Services
- Ensure that Location Services is toggled to the On position
- Scroll down and select System Services
- Ensure that Motion Calibration & Distance is toggled to the On position
Once you have enabled both Location Services and Motion Calibration & Distance, you are ready to hit the next step. Just make sure you have your running or walking shoes handy.
Calibrate your Apple Watch
Now that you have your walking or running shoes handy, throw those bad boys on and get ready for a quick workout. In order to properly calibrate (and personalize) the Apple Watch Series 5 GPS to you, Apple suggests performing an Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run exercise.
In an effort to get the best data possible, you will need to make sure you are in an area with clear skies, with flat terrain, and the area needs to have a good GPS reception. You can double-check this by bringing your iPhone along for the ride just to make sure, but it’s not necessary for the calibration process.
Once you are in the right place, you will need to open the Workout app on your Apple Watch. Then tap either Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run, and you can set a goal if you decide that you want to make it interesting for yourself.
After you have started your workout from your Watch, you will need to either walk or run at “your normal pace” for up to 20 minutes. This will help the Watch calibrate your pace, along with your fitness levels, while also calibrating the GPS. Apple does recommend performing multiple workouts for 20 minutes each if you walk or run at different speeds.
Reset your data
Since many folks use the Apple Watch to keep track of their fitness, it’s important to get the best data possible. Apple recommends resetting your Fitness Calibration Data to get the best feedback possible.
Here’s how you can do that:
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone
- Tap the My Watch tab
- Select Privacy
- Tap Reset Fitness Calibration Data
Once you have completed all of these steps, the GPS on your Series 5 should be re-calibrated and you can go back to properly tracking your walking or running workouts. In the event that you continue to run into issues, we recommend reaching out to Apple support so that they can determine if you need to get a replacement device.
Conclusion
The Apple Watch is truly a magical device and one that we hope to see more and more features packed into in the future. When it comes to Series 5, the addition of Always On Display, combined with watchOS 6 makes for an absolutely brilliant experience.
If you run into more GPS issues with your Apple Watch, let us know in the comments below and share how you were able to fix them. In the meantime, let us know about some of your favorite Watch Apps and Complications so that we can take them for a spin!
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
Alex says
PS: and not to mention the “procedure” Apple wants us to do in order to improve the GPS tracking… I mean…how is that possible? With all their knowhow…When you take a Suunto, Garmin, Polar or anything in that category out of the box, put it on and start running, there’s NO NEED to calibrate anything AT ALL. Can anyone explain how this is possible? Thank you
So I’m running with a new Series 7…I used to run with a Garmin. And no matter what I do, on a professionally measured (by international athletic standards) running loop of 9k, the “smart watch” from Cupertino never gets over 8.5k. Even the splits are completely off. Recalibrated, reset, restarted and what not multiple times. And GPS reception is excellent except as is known on very cloudy days. So I really wonder how a watch can be that bad at measuring distance. I’ve just sold the watch and will go back to a newer Garmin model instead. What a disappointment.
Extremely disappointed with the gps on my Series 5 during workout mode. I have tried resetting my fitness calibration several times to no avail. My
Series 3 watch was extremely accurate. I run the same route everyday and my watch records a different amount every time and the map shows skipping and jumping all over as if a child scribbled. At the cost of this watch I’m so dissapointed and am considering switching to a garmin because these results are detrimental to my training.
I walk/ jog on a track and my series 5 watch is about 40 meters off each lap .25 miles. So after 4 laps I’m off about 200 meters. Tried resetting as mentioned above but same issue. Please help. Love my watch with the exception of the gps issues.
I have the same problem that everyone here is talking about. If I walk in my neighborhood with my iPhone the gps is fine. But with just my series 5, it jumps all over the place like crazy! I have tried resetting and recalibration. I know it’s not my neighborhood because I live like 5 miles from Cupertino and the Apple Maps here are crazy good!
My series 5 GPS tracking is terrible. I’ve tried the settings/clearings of history shown here multiple times in the 6 months I’ve ownded this and am still very disappointed. Mine always shows extra distance (typically 5 – 10%) because it finds samples significantly off my real track. Sometimes these even loop backwards. All this translates into extra, incorrect, distance. Running with my phone works great, but the beauty of the 5 to me is in leaving the phone home while tracking distance and listening to music. Do I have a bad unit, or is this to be expected?
My series 3 was had really accurate GPS workout route tracking. My series 5 is abysmal. The route looked like a small child drew on a map in crayon. Tired watch resets, replacing the watch under warranty, tried resetting my phone and watch, then repairing. All to no avail. I’m convinced now there is something wrong with the series 5.
Hi,
I have an Apple Watch series 5. Due to the lockdown I am doing the same run all the time and have noticed that on one particular section of the run, the GPs tracking is terrible – loops, large deviations etc which vary from run to run. The run distance and pace therefore vary.
I have followed all the recommendations that you have suggested – this morning I recorded the same run on Apple workout run it try to calibrate it again. The GPS signal for the first 20 mins of the run is good, so I assume this will have been sufficient. Again this last section of the run is looped and off track. I did the reset calibration yesterday too.
The thing that puzzles me is that I walked the same route and the GPs was completely accurate. Do I need to keep trying to calibrate it? Should I do reset between each attempt? It seems to see the GPS signal fine when walking!
Thanks.
I have a Nike series 5 an outdoor cycle doesn’t track my distance. It works fine for running or walking
Hi, I don’t really have a comment but more of a question. Do you or have you used the cycling section in workout? And if so do you have to have GPS on for it to track your workout?
Hi Keith,
I do cycle with my Apple Watch Series 5–and it usually automatically picks up my cycle workout. I tend not to remember to manually start it.
Your Apple Watch Series 5 will use its built-in GPS to track your bicycle workout and uses that data to show you a map of the route on your iPhone.
My Apple Watch 5 gps is not accurate I walk on main roads but when I check it after my walk it’s showing I have walked through fields and houses why is this?
Hi Craig,
Let’s check some settings to ensure GPS is working as it should.
Open Settings > Privacy > Location Services
Turn on Location Services if it’s off
Scroll down to System Services
Toggle on Motion Calibration & Distance–if it’s already on, toggle it off, restart, and toggle it back on
You might also try resetting calibration data
On your iPhone, open the Watch app
Go to My Watch > Privacy > and choose Reset Fitness Calibration Data
The problem could also be with Apple Maps not having accurately rendered your neighborhood.
so – I have the Apple Series 5 watch and the iPhone 11 Pro – there is not a System service location on the 11 Pro and no Motion calibration.
my watch consistently under-represents distance – significantly – by 25% or more when compared to my husband and I walk faster!
This seems to be a consistent problem with women and I believe Apple has discriminated against women in its algorithms…….so there!
Hi LC,
You should have those settings! Do you see any of the options in System Services in (Settings > Privacy > Location Services)?
One thing we have discovered is that Screen Time often causes certain settings to “disappear.” This seems to happen most often when Share Across Devices is enabled.
So you may want to try temporarily disabling Share Across Devices in Screen Time or turn Screen Time off entirely as a test. Go to Settings > Screen Time to make these changes.
I am very frustrated with the GPS on my series 5. If I carry my phone with me when I am running the distance is usually accurate. However, when I just wear my watch the distance is always off. It usually shows that I ran farther then I did. It can be anywhere from .15 to .25 off per mile. I can run the same 5 mile loop and it will show I ran 5.25 one day and the next may show 6 miles. When I run with my brother he wears a Garmin and his is very accurate so I am considering going with a Garmin for my next watch if I can’t fix this. I love my apple watch for everything else.
Most helpful article. Thank you for posting this information. I am now able to view the elevation and latitude longitude on my Apple Watch series 5.
I have followed these steps but find my watch is not tracking my ocean swims accurately at all. It loses GPS signal it seems and gives ridiculous distances. I am now onto my third watch. Others use earlier watches and Garmin and no one else has this problem. Do you have any other solutions? Is the GPS different in the Series5?
Thanks
Hi,
I have problems with my Serie 5 Watch regarding GPS. Have tried your problemsolving , but my problems still persist. Are now in contact with Applesupport to have my Watch replaced.
Hi,
Is your problem fixed? If so how? What activity are you having trouble tracking?