Apple Watch Stand is Wildly Inaccurate

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Level 1

4 points

Apple Watch Stand is Wildly Inaccurate

I’m a pet groomer, so I stand almost all day long while I’m at work. I work 9 hours a day and only sit when I get the chance to if I have time between dogs. That means I’m standing over 500 minutes a day. My watch however says I stand an average of 5 min/hr. I get the “it’s time to stand” notification at least three times a day. I’ve seen other discussions of people having the same issue even 5 years ago. Why hasn’t Apple fixed this or found a way to make it more accurate? Maybe have the user log their occupation and or average time spent sitting/standing per day so that the watch can more accurately track the differences between when you’re actually standing. If anyone has any suggestions on how to get the watch to track more accurately, please let me know! For reference, I have a Series 9 45mm Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Series 9, watchOS 11

Posted on Nov 10, 2024 4:31 PM

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Answer 1

BobHarris

Level 9

55,109 points

Nov 10, 2024 8:19 PM in response to MxGhostFace

The Apple Watch does not really know what position your body is in.

The Apple Watch uses the accelerometer to determine that your Apple Watch arm is swinging as you are walking.

It takes between 30 and 60 complete cycles of back and forth, normal walking, arm swings in a short period of time before the Apple Watch decides you have accomplished your “Stand” for the current hour.

If you interrupt the arm swinging for a few minutes, it will reset, and you have to start the 30-60 swings over again. Later in the day, it seems to require more arm swings, or if you keep having incomplete stand attempts, in the Apple Watch’s opinion.

In reality, you can just gently wave your arm in a horizontal or downward angle 30-60 times in a short period of time and get stand credit.

Knitters, sitting in a chair, always get their stand credit and huge step counts.

Professional Chefs, on their feet, working in a kitchen all day, miss their hourly stands, because their Apple Watch arm is often holding food being chopped, or carrying something when walking, or holding a pot, pan, etc…

No 30-60 arm swings in a short period of time, then no stand credit.

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