Activity Stand feature is a bit fussy...

[Dave Marsh]

Over the past week I've used the Activity and Workout apps on my Apple Watch a lot. The Move (calories burned), Exercise (time spent), and Stand (number of active hours) features have really helped encourage me to focus on keeping active. That said, the Stand feature developed a quirk today I hadn't really noticed over the past week.

Every hour, if the Activity app detects a period of inactivity, it reminds you to stand and move around for a few minutes (at 10 minutes before the hour). Once its criteria are met, you're rewarded with a chime, and a counter ticks up an additional hour on its daily goal of standing up at least once each hour during the day. The daily goal is 12 stand ups.

Today I was especially busy during the afternoon, but around 5 PM I noticed my Stand counter was only up to 6. When I checked the column chart, sure enough, only six bright blue columns were being displayed on the chart. However, another three very faded out, barely visible blue columns were also visible. Only one column was clearly black up until that hour, and it corresponded to a short nap period. During the faded column hours I was up and about, but didn't get credit for my standing activity.

I checked out an Apple Support Forum to see if others were experiencing this behavior, and they were. I was concerned something had gone amiss with my hardware, because my watch was no longer reminding me to stand to update the counter, and occasionally when it did, it wasn't giving me credit for standing and moving around. One poster suggested I shut down my iPhone, then my watch, then restart my iPhone, then my watch, to basically reset the software cycle. I did this, and the process did help.

I still wasn't consistently getting a stand request, but I was now getting credit for standing again each hour. I'm not sure what Apple's algorithm is for this function, but it clearly does expect some level of activity during its monitoring period. If those criteria aren't met, a faded blue column is generated vice a bright blue one, and the Stand counter won't increment.

I look forward to seeing if the hourly stand feature resumes normally tomorrow, but I wanted to share my experience just in case others are wondering if something is wrong with their new watches. Whatever is happening appears to be software related.

 

[Bigeric23]

Thank you for sharing your story. I haven't had this issue, but I'm sure there are others with this problem. I sure hope Apple fixes some of these bugs before too long.

 

[Dave Marsh]

One of the features of the Apple Watch OS 1.0.1 update today affects the Stand algorithm, so I'll be noting how things change. At the moment I note the Stand counter has incremented one column since the update, with no notice to stand. So, it noticed I was moving about. I'm now settling into a sedentary period, so I'll be giving it a chance to remind me to stand next hour.

 

[Bigeric23]

One of the features of the Apple Watch OS 1.0.1 update today affects the Stand algorithm, so I'll be noting how things change. At the moment I note the Stand counter has incremented one column since the update, with no notice to stand. So, it noticed I was moving about. I'm now settling into a sedentary period, so I'll be giving it a chance to remind me to stand next hour.

Yeah, please keep us updated.

 

[anon(9343851)]

The Stand sensor worked okay for me most of the time before, but there were a handful of instances where I'd been standing and doing chores for twenty minutes, then sat down at :48. Two minutes later, I would get a Stand notification. I hope Watch OS 1.0.1 corrects this.

 

[Dave Marsh]

Well, today Stand has been working fine, including after the Watch OS 1.0.1 update. I ended the day with credit for 13 stands, and only two black columns for when I was napping. I did notice that I no longer heard/felt any confirmation pings/touches after successfully completing a stand up notification, and I automatically got credit for standing up while moving around during an hour. So, it seems to be working fine again, with a little different behavior after the update.

 

[anon(9343851)]

I did notice that I no longer heard/felt any confirmation pings/touches after successfully completing a stand up notification, and I automatically got credit for standing up while moving around during an hour. So, it seems to be working fine again, with a little different behavior after the update.

I got my completion notifications even after 1.0.1.

 

[bamf-hacker]

I have not gotten my  watch yet, but the stand ring concerns me. I have a standing work station and only sit when I am in a meeting or while eating lunch. So will I need to sit every hour to get my stand ring? Sounds kind of backwards.

 

[anon(9343851)]

I have not gotten my  watch yet, but the stand ring concerns me. I have a standing work station and only sit when I am in a meeting or while eating lunch. So will I need to sit every hour to get my stand ring? Sounds kind of backwards.

lol unless it was addressed you would just need to walk around for a minute.

 

[Dave Marsh]

I got my completion notifications even after 1.0.1.

My Stand completion notifications started up for me again yesterday. I have no idea why I didn't notice any the first day I updated to 1.0.1.

 

[IanRip]

I’ve disabled that feature, I think it should be rebranded as % of exercise per hour or something like that.

 

[LVMHgirl]

My stand feature is acting wonky. 😜While I was up walking around it told me it "time to stand!" and twice today while sitting at my desk it told me "you did it" and gave me an hour towards my stand goal. 😝

 

[anon(9343851)]

My stand feature is acting wonky. While I was up walking around it told me it "time to stand!" and twice today while sitting at my desk it told me "you did it" and gave me an hour towards my stand goal. 

I think it simply tells you to stand if you haven't reached a minute yet, regardless of what you're doing at the time. I got that today while I was walking, then a few seconds later, "You did it!"

 

[LVMHgirl]

I think it simply tells you to stand if you haven't reached a minute yet, regardless of what you're doing at the time. I got that today while I was walking, then a few seconds later, "You did it!"

It's so funny. One time it did it while I was doing dishes - and of course I was already standing for a few minutes so I think maybe my watch is telling me to move more, lol.

 

[Dave Marsh]

Yes, it's a bit wonky. Remember, it's using its gyro and accelerometer sensors to determine movement. If you're standing, but not really moving your watch wrist around much, it may fail to notice. I've taken to waiving my wrist around hourly when I'm active, just to be sure it counts. Make sure it's at least 30 seconds of active movement and you should see the counter increment.

 

[anon(9343851)]

It's so funny. One time it did it while I was doing dishes - and of course I was already standing for a few minutes so I think maybe my watch is telling me to move more, lol.

That's the part that's really intriguing to me… A lot of times I'll get the notice, get up to go to the bathroom (definitely not a minute away), and while I'm standing there "waiting," I get the tap. "You did it!" So is there some logic in there that detects that you walked around and haven't sat back down yet, and therefore keeps counting that you're still standing? But if that were the case, washing the dishes should qualify… I don't know, this thing is weird.

 

[LVMHgirl]

That's the part that's really intriguing to me? A lot of times I'll get the notice, get up to go to the bathroom (definitely not a minute away), and while I'm standing there "waiting," I get the tap. "You did it!" So is there some logic in there that detects that you walked around and haven't sat back down yet, and therefore keeps counting that you're still standing? But if that were the case, washing the dishes should qualify? I don't know, this thing is weird.

LOL. It really is weird.

Speaking of bathrooms, I've read some posts where the watch will tell someone "time to stand" just as they um, "sit down". Too funny.

 

[bamf-hacker]

Mine has been pretty spot on. I have a standing desk and as long as I am not perfectly still it has counted my time.