The Apple Watch Series 6 and Watch SE's built-in altimeter is reportedly giving users inaccurate readings. The lack of an option to manually calibrate the smartwatch's altimeter leaves users with no choice but to find alternative solutions to help alleviate the issue. Apple's latest smartwatch debuted with a handful of noteworthy upgrades over the last-generation.
Among the improvements are a new blood oxygen sensor, faster processor, better always-on display, and the altimeter. Both the Apple Watch Series 6 and Watch SE are equipped with the same always-on altimeter feature that supposedly measures altitude levels in real-time without the need for any user intervention. Users are unable to make any manual changes to the feature as it recalibrates itself automatically. The thing is, there's no way to find out how often it does this even after Apple's recent WatchOS update, so those affected with poor elevation reading issues have to wait indefinitely for the smartwatch to fix itself.
It appears that the problem is now proliferating among Apple Watch users in Germany, according to MacRumors. The affected users are complaining about their smartwatch's always-on altimeter miscalculating their altitude data by up to 300 meters. Some users are speculating that this may have something to do with low air pressure influencing the altimeter's readings. While this should be being accounted for by the Apple Watch utilizing GPS data alongside its barometric readings, it seems that some devices are not doing that.
Other Causes & Fixes For Apple Watch Altimeter Readings
The Apple Watch's myriad of health features might be its biggest asset but this can easily turn into a liability if it fails to give out accurate readings. There are users who claim that they were able to fix persisting problems like a faulty altimeter by doing a full factory reset on both their Apple Watch and iPhone. Of course, going through such drastic measures for a quick fix isn't as ideal nor practical for each affected individual, since this method didn't exactly resolve the altimeter problems of every user who tried it. Other users, on Apple's support forum, reported a simpler fix that only requires users to un-pair their Apple Watches with their iPhones and then re-pair them.
Elsewhere, some users are reporting that magnetic interference could be the culprit for the erratic readings, while others are suggesting that abrupt changes in altitude and long distances, such as an airplane flight, might help force the smartwatch to re-calibrate itself. Users can also try getting third-party altimeter apps, such as Altimeter+ or Travel Altimeter & Elevation, as reference tools to gauge accuracy. Regardless, those looking for a surefire way to get their Apple Watch's altimeter back into working order might have to wait for another update, or perhaps even consider switching to another smartwatch that's equally as capable for the time being.
Source: MacRumors