Calibrating your Apple Watch is an important step to ensure you get the most accurate readings from your workouts and daily activities. Here, we’ll guide you through the process of calibration, including the settings you need to check, the calibration steps, and how to reset your calibration data if necessary.

Checking Your Settings Before Calibration

Before you start calibrating your Apple Watch, it’s crucial to check certain settings on your iPhone to ensure the watch can gather all the information it needs:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Go to Privacy & Security > Location Services.
Make sure that Location Services is enabled.
Scroll down and tap on System Services.
Finally, ensure that Motion Calibration & Distance is turned on.

Calibrating Your Apple Watch

Once you’ve checked the necessary settings, you can start calibrating your Apple Watch:

Wear your Apple Watch and go to a flat, open outdoor area with good GPS reception and clear skies.
If you have an Apple Watch Series 2 or later, you only need your watch. For Series 1 or earlier, bring your iPhone for GPS. Hold your iPhone in your hand or wear it on an armband or waistband.
Open the Workout app on your watch, then tap on Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run. To set a goal before starting, tap the ‘…’ icon.
Walk or run at your normal pace for about 20 minutes.

If you’re unable to complete 20 minutes in one go, you can accumulate this time over multiple sessions. Remember to calibrate for 20 minutes at each speed if you exercise at different paces. This process helps your watch to continually calibrate the accelerometer, learning your stride length at various speeds, which in turn improves the accuracy of your calorie calculations in both the Workout and Activity apps.

Updating Personal Information for Accurate Tracking

Your personal information, including height, weight, gender, and age, is used by your Apple Watch to calculate calorie burn among other metrics. Therefore, keeping this information updated is essential for accurate tracking. You can update this information in the Health app on your iPhone.

Resetting Calibration Data

In case you need to reset your calibration data, follow these steps:

Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap the My Watch tab, then go to Privacy.
Select Reset Fitness Calibration Data.

FAQs About Calibrating Your Apple Watch

Q: Why is it important to calibrate my Apple Watch? A: Calibration improves the accuracy of distance, pace, and calorie measurements and helps the watch learn your fitness level and stride.
Q: How often should I calibrate my Apple Watch? A: Calibrate your Apple Watch whenever you feel that the workout data is not accurate, or if you’ve made significant changes to your fitness routine.
Q: Can I calibrate my Apple Watch indoors? A: Calibration is most effective when done in a flat, open outdoor area with clear skies and good GPS reception.
Q: What settings should I check on my iPhone before calibrating? A: Ensure that Location Services and Motion Calibration & Distance are turned on in the iPhone settings.
Q: Do I need my iPhone with me for calibration if I have an Apple Watch Series 2 or later? A: No, for Series 2 or later, you only need your Apple Watch for calibration.
Q: How long does the calibration process take? A: It typically takes about 20 minutes of walking or running at your normal pace.
Q: What if I can’t complete 20 minutes of calibration at once? A: You can accumulate the 20 minutes over multiple outdoor workout sessions.
Q: Does updating my personal information on the Apple Watch affect calibration? A: Yes, updating your personal information like height and weight can improve the accuracy of tracking.
Q: What happens to the calibration data if I reset it? A: Resetting the calibration data removes any personalized adjustments, allowing you to recalibrate for updated accuracy.
Q: Should I calibrate my watch if I work out at different speeds? A: Yes, it’s beneficial to calibrate for 20 minutes at each speed you typically walk or run at.