Maps on Apple Watch Are Better With WorkOutDoors

There’s all sorts of reasons I can think of for wanting awesome map tracking on my Apple Watch, without the burden of my iPhone 7 Plus. If I’m hiking, biking, or skiing, for example, I might want to reduce my load a bit. If I want to map where I’m going and see it on the way, though, I’ve been pretty much out of luck. That is, until yesterday when WorkOutDoors popped up on the App Store. With this app, maps on Apple Watch just got a ton better.

Gorgeous, Vector-Based Maps

The cartography within WorkOutDoors is fantastic for a number of reasons. First of all, the app uses vector-based maps, which means you can zoom in and out without losing image quality, and without needing to store hundreds of megabytes of pixel-based maps. You can store a wealth of maps on Apple Watch without using up all of your storage space.

The developers have taken great care to be intelligent with how this app utilizes the unique controls and capabilities of the maps on Apple Watch. Your Digital Crown becomes a zoom tool, allowing you to move in and out on the map with ease. Pan with your finger, and enjoy the useful scale that appears when you zoom in and out.

Crucial Features for Your Workout

Colored speed and heart-rate trails are available during your workout, too. A compass pointing north allows you to control rotation of the map, so you can have it oriented the direction you’re traveling. There’s also a “start compass” that points back to your starting location.

If you double-tap the map, you get a larger view and smaller workout stats, or vice versa. You’ll see various points of interest as you travel, which you can tap on for more information. You’ll also notice that various trail types show up on the map, including paths, tracks, cycle trails, ski pistes, and more.

Exporting workouts is important to many folks, and WorkOutDoors supports that. You can export your routes for use in other apps, giving you great flexibility.

An Apple Watch App With an iPhone Companion

Most Apple Watch apps are just companions for the iPhone version. That situation is reversed with WorkOutDoors. The majority of the design and functionality is right on your wrist, where it should be for such an app.

You can use the iPhone “companion” to get an in-depth analysis of your workouts and control which map areas are stored on your Watch. When you’re hiking, biking, running, jogging, or whatever, the Apple Watch version of WorkOutDoors is fully functional and gives you plenty of capabilities to track where you are and where you need to go.

Getting These Great Maps on Apple Watch

WorkOutDoors is available for download on the App Store. It’s a paid app, and works best with the Apple Watch Series 2 or later. If you have an earlier model, you won’t enjoy the embedded GPS chip that allows you to go without your iPhone and still see where you are on the map.