Your Apple Watch Just Got a Cool New Workout Feature

Obviously, you don’t have to use the Workouts app on the Apple Watch to keep track of your fitness goals. There are numerous third-party apps that sync with Apple Health and work quite similarly. When you start a workout, all that same data — active calories, heart rate and steps — go towards filling your Activity rings.

Two of the most popular of these workout apps are Strava and Komoot. So, for longtime users of those apps who also have an iPhone, getting an Apple Watch is a pretty seamless process.

Of course, being Apple’s own app, the Workout app offers features that are not available in third-party rivals. To date, one of those has been the ability to download offline routes. This is a feature both apps have supported on other popular smartwatches by Garmin and Coros for years.

But that has now changed.

Leave your iPhone at home

Strava

That’s right. As first reported by The Verge, both Strava and Komoot finally let you download offline maps directly to your Apple Watch. This way, you can leave your iPhone at home and still get accurate navigation and fitness tracking while running, cycling or hiking. No cellular connection required.

A member of Strava’s product team posted this on the company’s Reddit page:

“You can now see maps directly on your watch during a run, ride, or hike — including where you’re headed and how to retrace your steps if needed. If you’re a subscriber, you can also follow saved Routes hands-free, even offline.”

Komoot

On the flip side, Komoot announced an all-new Apple Watch app that offers offline routes and several new features, including turn-by-turn navigation and activity tracking.

According to the brand, these provide “cyclists, hikers, and runners with the freedom to leave their phones at home while exploring the great outdoors.”

Offline routes are a feature available only to paying Strava subscribers. For Komoot users, it’s a free feature.

These features are available on their respective apps and are compatible with all Apple Watch models — Ultra, Series and SE — that are running the latest watchOS.

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