iOS 14 and watchOS 7, the mid-September release has run into problems from the day the devices were upgraded. The loyal Apple users feel that the iOS 14 update has been the worst to date. The list of iOS 14 issues includes the common ones found with every major upgrade. If you are reading this post, then you must also have encountered at least an unexplained battery drain, Wi-Fi & connectivity issues, UI lag crashes without any reason, missing GPS data & installation issues.
The Apple Watch owners who upgraded to watchOS 7, the majority of them, experienced bugs related to missing GPS mapping data or incomplete recording of activities. The data was not getting synched up using Apple’s wrist-based Workout app. “With just the Watch, no GPS/route information was saved with the activity.” Some also discovered missing additional workout stats, importantly heart rate information.
Missing GPS Data issue was reported from all the models of the Apple Watch. Apart from syncing issues of GPS data, users complained of excessive battery drain on iOS 14 and watchOS upgraded Apple Watch and iPhone.
There are several threads on Reddit and other forums to discuss the missing GPS data, battery drain issues, and multiple issues. Surprisingly, a workaround response from an iWatch user has been approved officially by Apple. Jack Taylor from Macrumors forum was the chosen one.
Both the GPS and severe battery drain issues on watchOS 7 were fixed for me simply by in-pairing and re-pairing my watch. Both issues resolved themselves immediately after as noted in many of the support groups
A couple of days ago, Apple published a support document titled: “If you updated to iOS 14 and watchOS 7 and are missing Activity or Health data, learn what to do to prevent future data loss.”
Apple suggested a solution to the missing GPS data on similar lines. Although for typical Apple users, it smelt more like Microsoft’s reply. However, they want a permanent solution via a new patch. They are of the opinion that many would not be able to follow the consequences of unpairing and pairing.
Steps from Apple to fix missing GPS data issues
Apple’s proposed solution is to unpair the Apple Watch from your iPhone, erase all content, re-pair and restore the iWatch with backup.
How to unpair Apple Watch from iPhone?
- Head straight to Watch app on iPhone
- On My Watch tab, tap All Watches option
- Select your iWatch to be unpaired
- Complete by tapping Unpair Apple Watch.
How to take Backup on iCloud?
- On iOS14 updated iPhone, head to Settings
- Against your name, hit on iCloud
- Keep the Health turned on to back it up
- Tap iCloud Backup and turn it on
- Select the Back Up Now option
- Ensure that there is sufficient space in iCloud. It will be needed to import back
The data backup can be verified on the Health app. Click on the profile picture where the last backed up date is displayed.
Final Steps
- Erase all content and settings from iPhone
- Start Pairing iPhone device with iWatch by tapping the Watch App
- Restore the latest backup taken on iCloud
A few who have read directions from Apple have mixed experiences. For some, it resolved the problem whereas some echoed the general sentiment of losing health data in between. They found the process of setting up after re-pairing cumbersome. It included re-login to all the apps that did not get saved in the iCloud backup. Apple Pay and Face ID needed a fresh setup. Plus the chances of losing out on the apps that aren’t in the App Store anymore.
In the end, it is you who have to decide how important the issue is and whether you can wait for a final resolution from Apple before going down this path.
variant4