Record a track, drop waypoints, and get turn-by-turn directions using Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch. The totally redesigned Gaia GPS Apple Watch app turns your watch into a convenient backcountry navigation tool that works offline and independently of your phone. Use your Apple Watch to experience Gaia GPS’s signature navigation features even when you’re off the grid and far beyond the reach of cell service.
With Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch you can also collect trip details and health stats without having to interact with your phone. The watch will record your moving speed, elevation gain, distance travelled, and more when you use Gaia GPS to record your track. Gaia GPS also integrates with Apple Health to keep tabs on your heart rate, steps, and how many calories you burned on your latest adventure.
Whether heading out on a long trek or squeezing in an afternoon trail run, use your Apple Watch to navigate and record your adventure with Gaia GPS conveniently on your wrist.
Get Turn-by-Turn Navigation on Saved Routes in Apple Watch
No more constantly checking in on your phone to see if you’re staying on-route during your trail runs. Keep your phone tucked away in a pocket or inside your hydration pack and let the watch guide you along the trail. The watch will give you turn-by-turn directions anywhere in the world when you follow a saved route.
Saved routes will automatically download and display Gaia Topo on the watch face, so you can navigate with the map even when you are offline. The watch will vibrate to notify you of upcoming turns on your route or, more importantly, if you’ve strayed off your planned course. The vibrations grab your attention to let you know when you need to check in with the watch, helping you stay focused on the trail instead of always looking at the watch to see if you’re on track.
When you follow a route, the watch will record a track too. Save the track at the end of the trip to see how fast and how far you travelled. Link it all up with Apple Health to see your fitness metrics. Learn more about how to get started with turn-by-turn directions in this article from the Gaia GPS help center.
View Gaia Topo on Apple Watch with Saved Routes
Gaia Topo automatically downloads to your Apple Watch when you send a saved route from the Gaia GPS app to the watch. This automatic download lets you see your exact location on the map on the watch screen — even when you are out of range of cell service. Zoom in on Gaia Topo to see terrain features in more detail or zoom out to get a bigger picture of the landscape around you. Follow your progress on the map as you travel along your saved route.
Record a Gaia GPS Track on Apple Watch
On your next hike or ski up the mountain, use the Apple Watch to record your trip stats in Gaia GPS. The watch will record a track, showing you how many feet of elevation you climbed on your trip, your average speed, the total distance, and the time you spent moving along the track.
When you save the track from your watch, the track will automatically sync with your phone. View your track on any basemap within the Gaia GPS app on your phone or in your account on the web. Click on the track to see trip details and share the track with friends to give them beta on the trail you just hiked.
Get step-by-step instruction on how to record a track on the Apple Watch in this article.
Drop Waypoints on Tracks and Routes on the Apple Watch
Every adventure outside seems to reveal those special spots that you’ll want to remember forever. Now you can drop waypoints directly from your Apple Watch to mark these locations on your saved routes and tracks. Add waypoints to flag places like trail junctions, must-see view points, or hazards like terrain traps or sketchy water crossings that you’ll want to reference for later trips.
Waypoints can be added at anytime from the launch screen on the watch, even as you record a track or navigate along a saved route. You can also customize your waypoints by changing the title and icon color when you add and save the waypoint from the Apple Watch screen.
Learn more about adding waypoints to your Gaia GPS routes and tracks on the Apple Watch here.
Customize Notifications within the App
Select when you want your Apple Watch to notify you of upcoming features when navigating a route on Gaia GPS. Turn on notifications to alert you when you’re approaching turns and waypoints along the route. Set the watch to vibrate any time you’ve ventured off your planned route. You can also be notified for every mile or kilometer travelled along a saved route or a recorded track.
Of course, if you don’t want to be bothered during your adventure, you can always toggle off to stop notifications. Learn more about how to adjust your notifications in the article here.
How to Get Started with the New Gaia GPS Apple Watch App
To get started with the Gaia GPS Apple Watch app, you’ll need an Apple Watch and an iPhone. On your iPhone, install the Gaia GPS Apple Watch app. To do so, enter the Watch app on your iPhone’s home screen. In the Watch app on your phone, scroll down to “Available Apps” and locate Gaia GPS. Tap “Install.” Once the installation is complete, the Gaia GPS app will appear on your Apple Watch. If you already have the Gaia GPS Apple Watch app, you’ll have to update it to get the newest version.
Make sure you set your “Location Services” to “Always” or “While Using the App” for Gaia GPS to work on your Apple Watch. On your iPhone, open the Settings app, select “Privacy” and “Location Services.” Find “Gaia GPS” and select “Always.” On iOS 14, make sure “Precise Location“ is also toggled on.
After you’ve installed Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch, you’re ready to record a track and follow your saved routes. Learn more about how to navigate with your Apple Watch here.
