galaxy watch 4 can only use own gps it can't use phone's gps

[qwefoij]

Hi, my galaxy watch 4 (SM-R860) can only use its own gps when tracking an activity. I have read that it can use the mobile phone's gps, but that's not true, at least for me, but I'm using an asus phone. Obviously using own gps will drain the battery a lot faster.

My question is, does it need a samsung phone to make this work? has anyone tried, either with samsung or non-samsung phone?

[AndrewL · Accepted solution]

@qwefoij: On the watch itself, head to Settings > Location, and tap the switch to activate it. When your Watch 4 and smartphone are connected, this feature uses your smartphone’s GPS. Activate the smartphone’s location feature to use the GPS sensor. Please be aware that the GPS antenna in your Watch will be used when using the Samsung Health feature and the health platform apps, even though your Watch is connected to your smartphone.

[qwefoij]

@AndrewL if I get this right, if I want to track my activity AND record my position AND use phone's gps instead of watch own's I should use a third party fitness app, e.g. adidas running. Correct?

[AndrewL]

@qwefoij: That would seem to be the case, however I'm unable to verify the GPS requirements of third party fitness apps like adidas running. Why not give it a trial run (pun intended), making sure to have your watch and phone connected via Bluetooth when you're next out and about. 

[qwefoij]

I've made a test with google fit, it seems to be working! with own gps the watch used 15% of battery in one hour, when paired to a phone just 5%.

[Cristi7]

I'm using Samsung Health to track my running. But the watch gps it's poor...compared to my phone's gps (800m error on 21K half marathon). I would like that the watch health app with all sensors to record the run using phone's gps.

it is possible? if not...where to ask a small option in samsung app to let us selecting which gps to use (internal or phone)

i don't want google fit or other third parties apps, I like samsung's .

[qwefoij]

I also like samsung health more, but I guess what you ask requires a massive online petition, even if the feature itself would probably take no more than one minute of a junior developer's time to do.

[Cristi7]

tried some third parties..like google fit strava adidas...ghostracer...none could log cadence. I need bpm and spm sensors on watch display to be able to tune my run. so I'm stuck  with health app.

[Bdrian]

Same problem. I want to use samsung app (interval training is really good and i want to use cadence sensor), but watch gps is very poor. I have started to use ghost racer which has the option to choose phone gps or not. I hope they solve this issue, i've read this problem in other threads from samsung community and reddit

[Cristi7]

do you manage to get spm in ghost racer?

today session...using default samsung health app...I ran 15km on watch...but when health syncs to strava...there was recorded 16km due to gps points. an error of about 20 sec/1km

what's funny is that I stopped at 15k on watch..but samsung health..on the phone recorded at the end..15.23km!

I assume that the app on the watch.. does some corrections in the algorithm..based on the gps error rates.