Trailforks Apple Watch: Record an Activity

As a paid Trailforks Pro user, you have access to download multiple regions and can view the map screen on the Apple Watch app. With Trailforks Pro, you are also able to add Traildar and Waypoints via the map screen, and you can view and select previously downloaded Routes on the Apple Watch app. As a free Trailforks user, you are able to download 1 free region on the Trailforks iOS app, but you are blocked from viewing & interacting with the map screen on the Apple Watch app. 

For more information on the free vs. paid Trailforks pro user experience, please see this article.

Record with the Trailforks Apple Watch App

Getting Started

1. If you have not yet signed into your Trailforks account, open the Trailforks app on your phone and sign in.
2. Once you’ve signed in, tap on the Trailforks app on your Apple Watch.

Choose Your Region

3. You will be prompted to choose your region to download as a map on the Trailforks Apple Watch app.
4. Your downloaded regions will appear on the Trailforks Apple Watch app once you have downloaded them on your phone app.

• If you have not downloaded any regions on your Trailforks iOS app, you will be prompted on the Apple Watch app to download a region.
• As a paid user, if you wish to select a different region, please download the region on the Trailforks iOS app. Then, you can select the region on the Watch app.

IMPORTANT: The region download might pause or fail if your Apple Watch screen turns off. To change how long your screen stays on, please see directions here. You can also scroll within the app to keep the Watch face active while your selected region downloads.

Accept Permissions

5. If you just installed the Trailforks Watch app, you will be prompted to accept HealthKit, Motion & Fitness, and Location permissions. Read here about why enabling permissions is important to the functionality of the Trailforks app on your Apple Watch.

Select Your Main Settings

6. After you have chosen your region, you can adjust any MAIN settings you wish to:

• You can choose a previously downloaded Route if you wish to see the route on the map screen during the activity. 
• You have the ability to select ‘Auto-pause’ if you are biking or running. This will stop the recording when the Watch senses that you are not in motion.
• Activity Syncing: All activities are set to sync automatically while online.
• Units: You can choose between imperial (miles/feet) and metric (km).

Note: certain Apple Watches can sync data over cellular reception.

Select Your Activity & Start Recording

7. After adjusting your main settings, you can select which type of activity you wish to record under (example: Mountain Bike, E-Bike, Road Bike, Run).

8. Once you select your activity, the activity recording will immediately start.

9. On the main statistics screen, you will see your total time, distance traveled, speed, heart-rate, and calories burned. You will also see the elevation you’ve gained or lost during the ride.

IMPORTANT: If you have not accepted certain permissions, some of these statistics will not show in your recording. It’s very important that you turn on permissions in order to accurately track your ride or activity. To learn more about accepting permissions, please see this article.

9. After you have started recording your ride/activity, you can swipe to the right to pause, resume, or stop your recording.

If your recording stops for any reason (your Apple Watch runs out of battery or you force-quit the app), when you open the Trailforks app again on your Apple Watch, you will receive a message asking if you’d like to continue your previous recording. You can choose to continue the recording or discard the activity.

View Your Place on the Map

10. Swiping to the left will show your place on the map. You can hit the ‘compass arrow’ icon to center yourself on the map. If you are not seeing your place on the map, or the ‘compass arrow’ is not working correctly, you may need to enable location permissions. You can zoom in/out of the map by scrolling forward or backward with the digital crown. 

11. If you have chosen a route or wish to select a route, you can do so via the ‘Settings’ screen. Your chosen route should appear in yellow on the map screen.

12. You can add waypoints or Traildar via the map screen by long-pressing in the location you wish to create the waypoint or Traildar.

13. Swiping to the left from the map screen will show you any music you have enabled via your Apple Watch.

Stop & Save Your Recording

14. Swiping to the right, and tapping on ‘Stop’ will allow you to complete and save your ride. You can adjust the ‘Hide Map’ toggle and choose your activity’s privacy to Everyone, Followers Only, or Only Me.

The privacy setting that you choose for the first recording made through the Apple Watch app should become your default setting.

IMPORTANT: Your privacy settings set on your Trailforks profile may differ from your default privacy setting on your Apple Watch app. We recommend setting your activity privacy specifically on your Apple Watch for each recorded activity to ensure that you have the desired level of privacy set for your activity.

15. On the activity settings screen, you have the option to ‘Save Activity,’ ‘Go back to recording,’ or ‘Discard Activity.’ Saving the activity will start a sync process from your Apple Watch to your Trailforks account.

Note: certain Apple Watches can sync data over cellular reception.

If you are offline, your ridelog/activity will be ‘unsynced,’ and you will show the number of unsynced rides you have. Once you are back online, your activity should begin the sync process.

16. After you have saved your activity, you will be re-directed to the screen where you can choose to start a new recording. 

To make any edits to your ridelog/activity, including changing the privacy of the ridelog, you must do so through your Trailforks account on web or app.

You can read more about recording activities on the Trailforks iOS or Android app directly in this article.