Your Apple Watch keeps pausing during workouts because of accidental taps, improperly configured auto pause settings, or an active workout reminder. At times the watch pauses in the middle of an activity because it’s loose on your wrist or location service is off.
How to Stop Apple Watch from Auto Pausing During Workout
Here are different ways to fix an Apple Watch that keeps auto pausing during a workout:
- Update watchOS.
- Adjust auto-pause and press to pause settings.
- Wear your Apple Watch correctly.
- Dismiss “Finished Your Workout?” alert.
- Turn workout reminders off.
- Prevent accidental taps when swimming.
- Enable location services.
1. Update watchOS to the Latest Version
First, update your Apple Watch to watchOS 11. You can install the updates via the Watch app on your iPhone or via the Settings app on the watch.
2. Adjust Auto-Pause and Press to Pause Settings
Auto pause feature stops tracking exercises when it detects inactivity and resumes when it detects movements.
Press to pause activates when you press the side buttons and the Digital Crown simultaneously. You might press these buttons while working out without even knowing, thus pausing your workouts unintentionally.
Disable these features to stay on track.
- Open Settings on your Apple Watch.
- Go to Workouts.
- Scroll to the Auto Pause and toggle it off.
- Go back to the Workouts screen.
- Tap Press to Pause and toggle it off.
You can also change these settings on your iPhone via the Watch app.
- Open the Apple Watch app.
- Tap Workout under My Watch tab.
- Select Auto Pause and deactivate it.
- Go back to the previous screen.
- Tap Press to Pause and deactivate it.
These settings update immediately provided your iPhone and Apple Watch are in range.
3. Wear Your Apple Watch Correctly
Wear the smartwatch to a snug fit. Adjust the bands such that they’re not too loose or too tight so that the optical heart rate sensors can sit steadily on your wrist and allow your skin to absorb the green light from the watch.
Adjust the Apple Watch to a different position if your arm has tattoos. The placement can be on the inside of your wrist or on the other wrist.
4. Dismiss “Finished Your Workout?” Alert
The “Finished Your Workout?” alert triggers if you enable End Workout Reminder.
You will get three choices when the “Finished Your Workout?” message appears on the screen: Pause Workout, End Workout, and Dismiss.
Tap “Dismiss” so the Workout app can continue to monitor your activities instead of pausing them.
5. Turn Workout Reminders Off
Apple Watches have start and end workout reminders for all activities including running, walking, and swimming.
The watch vibrates and triggers the “Start Workout” reminder when the workout app detects motion. You get the “End Workout” alert when you stop moving.
Unfortunately, workout reminders trigger Apple Watch to keep pausing during a workout. So it’s best to turn this option off.
- Press Digital Crown.
- Go to Settings.
- Select Workout.
- Go to End Workout Reminder.
- Toggle to turn off.
6. Prevent Accidental Taps When Swimming
Tapping and touching the screen of your Apple Watch while the workout app is running may pause or shut it down altogether.
Fortunately, Apple Watch has a water lock mode that prevents accidental taps and touches as you exercise under a rainy weather or in a swimming pool.
- Press the Digital Crown.
- Swipe up on the watch to open the quick controls menu.
- Tap the Water Lock to activate.
Moving forward, your Apple Watch touchscreen won’t work, meaning it won’t response to touches and taps until you disable the water lock mode after a swim workout.
Once you complete a swim workout or an exercise under rainy condition, press and hold the Digital Crown until you see the message, “Unlocked. Ejecting Water”.
7. Turn on Location Services to Improve Tracking
Turn on the Location Services for the workout app if you indulge in outdoor activities such as running and cycling for better activity tracking.
- Press the Digital Crown.
- Open the Settings app.
- Find and tap Privacy.
- Select Location Services and check to ensure it’s active.
- Enable location access for the Workout app.
