Category Archives: Tips and How Tos

“Learn how to use Fitdigits apps, including free versions and those with heart rate monitoring and fitness sensor support.”

Advanced Voice Types

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Selecting the Best Voice for your Training

Personally, my very favorite new feature in the iOS apps is our new coaching voices, and it takes just a minute to make it great! Trust me on this one, it is worth the update. Everyone can use Advanced Voice.

I just love Karen’s Australian voice, though many are big on Alex or even Samantha. There are dozens to choose from in all kinds of languages, all within a few taps:

General > Settings > Accessibility > Speech > Voices

Using the Advanced Voice Type, there are many voices available to use, even “enhanced” versions of many of them = Male, Female, you name it. Then, in your app, make sure you’ve chosen Advanced in the Voice Type section. 

Activity Options (Gear) > Voice Options > Advanced

Whether you love it 10X more like we do or just appreciate the features and benefits it unlocks, we encourage you to set up a nice pleasing voice to help coach you through your workouts. It’s worth it!

You really notice the difference when you start turning on new Advanced Audio Coaching features. Get workout totals, coaching during your structured workout routines, use real heart rate zone names and more!

Managing your Subscriptions & Purchases

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Switching Between Subscriptions

When you upgrade to or from the Pro Plus to the Star subscription level, Apple should credit your account for any difference in remaining credit for the different subscription within a few days as part of the same subscription family.

Apple * iTunes

iTunes handles all returns/refunds of apps. If you need to cancel a subscription, see here on how to cancel a subscription on your phone:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039

For other purchases, to request a refund, please open your iTunes Store, click on your username in the left corner and enter your iTunes password.

Click “see all” next to purchase history, find Fitdigits, and click the arrow next to the app. Next click “Report a Problem” link under the “Report a Problem Header” and a new page should come up to report a problem.  You will then be prompted to enter the reason for your refund.  From there, it will be up to iTunes to honor the request.

Again, sorry to see you cancel! If there is anything we can do let us know!

Android * Google Play

To get a refund from Google Play, see here for more:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/7018481?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en

Using Siri and Fitdigits Apps

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“(Start/launch) an (indoor/outdoor) (workoutName) workout (with/on) <iCardio>”

There are 5 simple commands that Siri will recognize:
1) Start workout – “Start an outdoor run workout with <iCardio>”
2) Cancel Workout – “Cancel <iCardio> workout”
3) Pause Workout – “Pause my <iCardio> workout”
4) Resume Workout – “Resume <iCardio> workout”
5) End My Workout – “End <iCardio> workout”

All command can be said as above as well as the start command can be build out, however you want to say it. You can attempt to say “(Start/launch) an (indoor/outdoor) (workoutName) workout (with/on) iCardio” and if Siri recognized the location and workout it will start right up with those variables. If Siri has trouble understanding or deciphering you will be prompted to choose the workout type and location just as if you said “Start Workout.”

If Siri requests you to unlock your phone, you may be able to get around it through settings:

iOS: How to Use Siri Hands Free From Your iPhone Lock Screen
Posted in iOS

Fitdigits Glossary of Terms

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MiMile
KmKilometer
min / miMinutes per Mile (Pace)
min / kmMinutes per Kilometer
SPMSteps Per Minute
CPMCalories Per Minute
RPMRotations Per Minute (Cadence Sensor)
cur /miCurrent Pace per Mile in the Interval
cur /kmCurrent Pace per Kilometer in the Interval
Cur mile distanceCurrent Interval Distance in Miles
Cur km distanceCurrent Interval Distance in Kilometers
Cur mile timeCurrent Interval Time in Miles
Cur km timeCurrent Interval Time in Kilometers

Advanced Audio Coaching

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Advanced Audio Coaching brings your own personal coach to life, without the extra costs typically associated with a personal coach. 
 
Advanced Coaching Audio

Using the Advanced Coaching Audio, there are many voices available to use, even “enhanced” versions of many of them = Male, Female, you name it. See how to change voices and improve the coaching on the app here:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202362  

Some of the voices sound pretty good to us here, I use Karen, some really like Samantha, but there are many to choose from. Features you get with advanced audio coaching:

  • Multiple voice types and accents, including foreign language support
  • Workout totals readout on workout complete
  • Zone name readouts (perfect for custom named zones!)
  • Structured workout routine Target Zone Coaching: Get coached on routines whether you are in, below or above zone consistently. Perfect for regimented training programs, reminds you to stay in easy zones or when you need to push a bit harder!
Posted in iOS

Apple Watch Troubleshooting

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Now that you’ve Installed the Apple Watch Companion App and linked up Apple Health, you should be great to go on any kind of adventure with your Fitdigits app.

However, sometimes trouble does arise, even on the best of adventures. What follows are different issues and how to address them if you do come across them. 

No Heart Rate Connected in the app

  1. Make sure that Apple Health is linked and all share permissions granted. You might even disable and re-enable the linking just to be sure. 
  2. Make sure you have the Apple Watch paired and selected as your active heart rate monitor on your app on the iPhone. 
  3. Make sure you aren’t in Apple Watch Stand Alone mode if you want to view heart rate on your iPhone. 
  4. Make sure you have the Fitdigits Apple Watch Companion App installed
  5. Make sure Workout Power Saving Mode is turned OFF:
    1. Open the Apple “Watch” app
    2. Tap General
    3. Scroll down, make sure Workout Power Saving Mode is turned OFF

Apple Watch Screen Cut Off

Apple Watch Cut Off

If you see your Apple Watch and the watch face looks like it has been cut off at the top, our apologies. We’ve researched it quite a bit and have only found others who experience the same with their apps. It is an easily reproducible situation – just force close watch app, fire up a workout from the phone (which will have the phone start the watch app fresh) and you have a screen cut off at the top.

General consensus currently attributes this to a bug in the WatchOS we hope they will fix soon, unfortunately there is no solution yet but there is a fix:

  1. Hard Close / Force Close the Apple Watch application by holding the power button and then holding in the crown.
  2. Open the watch app / start a workout from the watch, before trying to start a workout from phone > watch.
  3. Once you see the Cancel button on the watch home screen, you should be good. You can then cancel on the watch if you want and use phone or watch.

Apple Watch Stand Alone Issues

If your app is stopping after a very brief period of time, or failing to transfer workouts on a regular basis, perform these steps on the watch:

Watch App Re-Installing
  1. Slide up the widget tray, and enable airplane mode.
  2. Wait a moment, then disable airplane mode
  3. Close the drawer and open the app list.
  4. If iCardio starts reinstalling for no reason, then the installation is bad. In that case see Re-Install the Apple Watch Companion App below. You can tell it is re-installing if it looks like it is reloading.

If your app is telling you that the watch is currently in Stand Alone mode, and won’t launch an activity on the phone, there is a flag that somehow wasn’t cleared on the watch / phone. To clear the flag:

  1. Open the Apple Watch companion app
  2. Tap the green icons on the home screen in the lower right until only the green watch shows, putting it in stand alone mode.
  3. Tap the icon on the home screen to start an activity, then tap Cancel.
  4. Tap the green icon in the lower right to put it back in tethered mode. You should be good to go from here.

Apple Watch / iPhone Communication Issues

If you are having trouble getting an activity to start on your iPhone when starting from your Apple Watch, or from the Watch from the iPhone, the easiest and most basic thing is to try launching an activity from the other device and then tapping Cancel. 

  1. Open the iPhone app
  2. Tap the Quickstart play icon
  3. Tap Cancel
  4. Tap Quickstart play icon again

Simply tapping play / cancel a time or so on the watch and phone has been shown very effecting in resetting communicating after loss of connection. 

Apple Watch Connection Troubleshooting

If you don’t see a Cancel button show on the watch screen under the workout type, you may need to Hard Close the watch app. 

Hard Close the Watch App

  1. Make sure the app you want to hard close is the one running in the foreground.
  2. Push and hold the bottom button on the right of the watch until the power off screen appears.
  3. Push and hold the digital crown button. You will see it go back to the main apps screen, that hard closes the watch app.

Ping the Phone from the Watch

  1. Go to the home screen on the watch (not the main apps, but the main watch face)
  2. 2. Swipe up from the bottom bezel to get the Watch equivalent of the phone controls
  3. The Ping phone is the lower left button with the phone icon. Tap that and it will ping on the phone (a good way to find your phone too!)

Hard Close the iPhone App

Still having trouble?  Hard close the app on the phone and re-open 

Reboot the Watch and iPhone

Sometimes everything just needs a good reboot to reset all bluetooth settings and other communication options. 

  1. Watch: Push and hold the bottom button on the right of the watch until the power off screen appears. Slide the power off indicator. Hold the bottom button on the watch to turn the Watch backk on. 
  2. iPhone: See here on how to reboot the different iPhone devices

Re-Install the Apple Watch Companion App

  1.  Open the Apple “Watch” app
  2. Scroll down to the Apps section and tap on your app name (iCardio, iBiker, iRunner)
  3. Turn the Show on Apple Watch switch to off, it will uninstall (wait…).
  4. Once uninstalled, tap it on to install it again.
  5. If it doesn’t show, see Troubleshooting Installing the Companion App
iCardio showing on Apple Watch App
Installing, or re-installing, the Apple Watch extension

Apple Watch 

Installing the Companion App

Apple Watch Setup 

Running a Stand Alone Apple Watch Session

Optimize Heart Rate from the Apple Watch

Troubleshooting

 

Running a Stand Alone Apple Watch Workout

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Apple Watch Stand AloneFreedom. Workout with Freedom.

 

Tap the green icons in the corner of the watch screen. One green watch icon, you are watch only. Tap and add a green phone icon and you broadcast between them. 

 

Apple Watch 

Installing the Companion App

Apple Watch Setup 

Optimize Heart Rate from the Apple Watch

Troubleshooting

 

Sync Your Settings Changes

New to the gear section is the option to Sync up the settings on your phone with the settings on your watch. Most of the time the sync is done silently in the back end, but there are times when you’ve customized your workout list, heart rate zones or other settings and you want to push the updates. Tap the Gear > Sync and presto, up to date. 

Stand Alone Watch

Requirements for Apple Watch Stand-alone:

  1. For effortless Heart Rate tracking. Apple Watch Series 1 or above. (if phone is nearby, Series 1 will track GPS from the phone)
  2. For effortless Heart Rate + GPS tracking. Apple Watch Series 2 or above must be paired with your Apple iPhone.
  3. The Apple Watch must be running WatchOS 4.0 or higher. iPhone must be on iOS 10+.
  4. You must have all appropriate Apple Health Heart Rate permissions.
  5. You must have an upgrade for the account to use the Apple Watch in Stand-alone mode.

Current Users – NOTE: ON INITIAL OVERLAY INSTALL YOU SHOULD GET AN EXTRA POPUP REQUESTING EXPANDED PERMISSIONS ON APPLE HEALTH

In order to run a stand alone workout on the watch, a new permission must be enabled from Apple Health, called Workout Routes. There should be a popup that comes up, please enable there. If for some reason it does not show, open Apple Health and tap Sources, iCardio, and enable the permission there.

Apple Health New Permission

After it is enabled, we need to make sure it is registered not just with the phone, but also on the watch. One way to make sure this happens is to put the watch in “tethered” mode, then tap the quick start or the gear icon – you will get a popup if they aren’t communicating, tapping Retry should get the link going if it is available.That’s the best method, if that doesn’t trigger a sync then maybe hard close the app on the watch and re-open. See more on Apple Watch Troubleshooting.

Installing the Apple Watch Companion App

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Once you’ve got the main Fitdigits app installed, you need to install the Apple Watch companion app onto your Apple Watch.

Apple Watch AppFor some people who have their Apple Watch installed and have set the Watch app on their device to “Automatic App Install”, there is nothing more to do. However, if your settings do not allow automatic installation, you must first open the Watch app on your phone, then scroll down until you see the app name (iCardio, iBiker, iRunner or iWalker depending on your version), and tap “Install” next to it.

Install Apple Watch Companion Apps

While you are in the Watch app, also make sure that the “Workout Power Saving Mode” is turned Off.

  1. Open the Apple “Watch” app
  2. Tap General
  3. Scroll down, make sure Workout Power Saving Mode is turned OFF

Don’t See Your App in the Watch App like above?

If you do not see your App listed in the Watch list screen above, please reboot your iOS device, it should show up then.

Sometimes on install, with any watch companion app, the device doesn’t pick up the availability.

 

More on Apple Watch:

Apple Watch Setup

Running a Stand Alone Apple Watch Session

Optimize Apple Watch Heart Rate Readings

Troubleshooting

Working with Maps and Charts

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Fitdigits apps have many fun, interesting and helpful graphs and maps as you swipe or tap through the program, both in-workout and post workout. It only takes a minute to learn a few tips and tricks and get the most of these features.

In-Workout Maps

Double tap to zoom maps and charts

Double Tap

Double tap = zoom in, even if the lock is locked.

Double tap again to zoom back out.

 

Unlock the Map

Tap the lock in the upper left to unlock the view.

After unlocking you can pinch in or punch out using your fingers to get zoomed in or out, or touch and drag for other views.

 

Map Mode

Tap the Satellite option in the top right if you prefer a more realistic view of your area. Tap Map to go back to the generic map view.

 

Show Laps / Distance / Heart Rate on Map / Chart

Tap Lap in the bottom right to see markers where the app set auto-laps based on your settings or where you marked a lap yourself. Tap Distance to see markers at 1 mile or 5 miles depending on the activity type (bike or run/walk orientation).

 

In Workout Graphs

The same basic principles of Maps also work with the graphs.

What graphs you see will depend on the sensors you have active and tracking, and can include heart rate, steps per minute, cadence, power/watts, speed/pace and elevation.

Double tapping will zoom in. There are 3 zoom levels before a double tap will cycle to the first again. 

On iOS, we’ve added trend lines and current readings to our graphs. The trend line shows your average over a particular ongoing lap. A great way to easily judge your averages over each lap, and keep yourself on target. 

A personal favorite feature, for sure.

Your mile averages going down or up? You can see it easily with the yellow average lines, and keep yourself going the way you want to go.

 

Modifying the Metrics that Show Above In-Workout Maps & Graphs

We did our best to pick the best metrics to show above the in-workout maps and graphs, but not all people have the same ideas, and neither do we. It can also change. If you want to change the metrics that show on your version, see this post on Settings & Chart and Map Metrics (iOS).

Post Workout Maps & Graphs

Post workout maps and graphs work very similarly to the in workout versions in terms of double tapping to zoom in or out, pinch or punch with your fingers to custom zoom, and even the lock icon on the maps screen.

To get back to a base view, just keep double tapping on the center of the view, it will eventually take you back to the main default zoom level view.

Related topics you might like:

Working with Audio in Fitdigits Apps

Working with Intervals / Laps

In-workout Options

Customize Your In-Activity Dashboards – Android

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(View for iOS)

Your dashboards can be fully customized to look just like you want them to, with the options and metrics you choose, and to add as many as you want! Simply swipe between them in your workout. Interested in heart rate monitoring only? Or maybe pace/speed and time? It’s easy.

Add a Custom Dashboard

  1. Customize Dashboards on AndroidSelect your Activity type, tap the Activity Options (gear icon)
  2. Tap Dashboards
  3. Tap “Add New Dashboard” to create a new dashboard

Creating & Managing Your Dashboards

  • Tap and hold a previously defined dashboard to delete it
  • Turn the toggle on or off to show the dashboard while in your workout
  • Tap the dashboard to edit a previously defined dash
    • Note: You can have up to 4 sections on each dashboard, and as few as 1 section with just 1 metric (if you like a really big heart rate readout!). Each section can have up to 4 metrics. The metric sizes are auto adjusted to fit the space.
  • Tap on any given metric that is already in place to edit the metric that shows in that section.
  • Tap “+ ADD” to add another metric to that section. The order of the metrics and how they are added is shown in the screen shot below, and depends on how many metrics you are going to have in your given section.
  • If you want to remove a section, tap each metric and tap Remove – once all metrics are removed the section will be removed and the remaining sections will expand to fit the space.
  • To add a section, tap the “+ SECTION” button at the bottom of the screen. Note there is a maximum of 4 sections per dashboard screen.

Viewing / Adding Multiple Dashboards

Viewing multiple workout dashboards in a single workout is especially useful for custom workouts or sensors stats. For example, one dashboard tracking distance, speed and cadence. Another dashboard for heart rate, calories and time elapsed. A third dashboard for zone stats if you are using custom heart zones. On the other hand, there are people who want to focus on a single metric. Either way, a great way to customize your tracking!