Now with improved navigation capabilities including turn-by-turn navigation; waypoint creation; climb and descent detection; and much more.
WorkOutDoors is the most advanced and most configurable workout app for the Apple Watch. It's perfect for running, cycling, hiking and any other indoor or outdoor activity.
Note: WorkOutDoors requires an Apple Watch Series 4 or later. It is not necessary to have your iPhone with you during a workout.
The app uses Apple’s workout system, so all workouts are saved to the Health system. However it also provides many extra features over Apple's app, such as:
- a super-smooth vector map that can be shown during a workout;
- multiple configurable screens with metrics and graphs from a pool of 800+ data fields;
- route files can be imported and used for navigation (including turn by turn directions);
- dozens of configurable alerts (e.g. every mile; high heart rate; low pace; off-route etc);
- interval schedules can be created using the larger screen of the phone app;
- climbs and descents are supported with notifications and on-screen data and graphs;
- waypoints can be created, navigated to, and exported;
- use shortcuts to associate operations with gestures (e.g. double tap to hear configurable metrics);
- compare pace against a target or a previous workout (using metrics and a dot on the map);
- show zones for pace and power as well as heart rate (with optional coloured backgrounds);
- auto-pause is available for all outdoor activities;
- shows GPS and heart rate before starting a workout, so that you can wait for good signals;
- configure distance and pace for running / walking to come from Apple’s pedometer or from GPS;
- workouts can be exported in FIT / TCX / GPX files, or automatically sent to Strava;
- workouts created by the app can be analysed in great depth in the iPhone app.
The app also has many more features. The map is a particular highlight. It uses OpenStreetMap, which provides worldwide coverage and includes the trails necessary for outdoor workouts. It also has several features that help you navigate during a workout:
- maps can be smoothly panned and zoomed, and can rotate according to the compass;
- a breadcrumb trail of your whole route is displayed on the map during the workout;
- topographic data can be shown, with configurable contour colours and hill shading;
- map-only mode is provided for when you don't want to start a workout and just need a map;
- a circular scale is shown when you zoom, making it easy to see the distance to features;
- maps can be stored on the watch for use when offline (they are downloaded as required if online);
- a red compass points north and a green compass points to the start;
- choose a waypoint to see a compass and distance to it in the corner of the map;
- you can also navigate to waypoints on the map, such as hospitals, sights, cafes etc.
If you load a route from a GPX / TCX / FIT file then navigation is even easier:
- your position is shown on an elevation profile of the route;
- the remaining distance, time and ascent can also be displayed;
- you can get alerted when you go off-route;
- when off-route then a compass is shown which points to the nearest part of the route;
- if the route contains turn by turn directions then these can be used like a sat nav;
- if there are no directions then the app can use “bend detection” to generate them;
- the next direction is shown as an icon and distance in the corner of the map;
- the map can automatically zoom in when you are approaching a turn;
- you can use shake gestures to hear the distance to the next turn or the end of the route;
- routes are coloured by gradient: from red for steep uphill to blue for steep downhill;
- you can configure what information is displayed during a climb or descent.
All this is included for a single one-off payment. No extra in-app purchases or subscriptions are required (although there is a completely optional in-app tip jar which was requested by long-term users).
If you own an Apple Watch and do any form of exercise, then WorkOutDoors is the app for you. Give it a go!
How is it possible that an $8 app puts to shame both Apple and Garmin? You can customize your screens (almost) however you want, make them actually functional. You can even replace data fields with buttons. You can create a route in the app of your choosing, export it as GPX and then push it to the watch while the workout is still running. When out in the middle of nowhere, this is what I consider core functionality but neither Garmin nor Apple provide it by default. The app works perfectly with Apple’s Health and Fitness apps (including sharing), so there’s no adoption pains, you just start using a different app for tracking your workout but everything else works the way you’re used to. You may think there has to be a battery life penalty but it doesn’t appear so. During an 8 hour bicycle ride (7:58), the battery of my Watch Ultra went from 94% to 38%, and I was using the watch for navigation for probably half of that time (meaning checking the display at least once every 10 minutes). 14 hours on a single charge is realistic and you can enable low power features to get more. The app is one time purchase with no subscription, but there’s a donation option. I will definitely throw extra money at the devs every once in a while, this app is so worth it.
This is the best app overall I have on my apple watch ultra. I am happy climbs implemented now…
Pajis72
This is the best app overall I have on my apple watch ultra. I am happy that the feature of climbs progress has been implemented and many other new features. It can take some time to learn all setup options available but it is absolutely worth it. Thank you.
Brilliant app!
Tomikulin
This is a fantastic app! Elevating the apple watch user experience to a comparable (or even higher) level as e.g. Garmin premium sports watches. The possibilities of customization seem endless. The user interface is excellent. It works perfectly smoothly without any glitches. Just absolutely love it.Don’t look any further - this is all you need for you workout tracking.
Exceptional app!
AntonSK123
Truly the best app I own. Can’t believe the price-to-value ratio. This app literally makes my Apple Watch useful. I legit don’t why would people even own the Apple Watch without TV is app. As an outdoors person I use it almost every day. The ability of importing gpx files works well but the absolute one-of-a-kind feature is The ability to transfer map tiles from phone to watch for phone-free use. This immediately gives you the feature parity of high end garmin for 5$.Also, the maintainer is really cool dude - sent him bunch of emails when I faced some quirks and he replied literally within couple of hours.Best.App.Ever.
This is a bug fix version which addresses a few issues in the last version. Most notably the inability to set up a connection with Strava is now fixed.
If you are having problems with the action button on the Ultra then please reboot the watch because that often fixes any issues with it.
Note: this version requires watchOS 9.2, which means that it will no longer run on the old series 3 watches which were released back in 2017. Sorry about that. It was a necessary restriction in order to work around an issue in recent versions of watchOS.
Version 6.4
The developer, CCS Ltd, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Health & Fitness
Location
Privacy practices may vary based, for example, on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Size
40.6 MB
Category
Health & Fitness
Compatibility
Requires iOS 12.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 12.0 or later.
iPod touch Requires iOS 12.0 or later.
Apple Watch Requires watchOS 9.2 or later.
Location
This app may use your location even when it is not open, which can decrease device battery life.
