Are you looking to win an Apple watch competition against your friend but don’t know how to? Well, you are in luck today, as we have made this guide just to help you win it. It isn’t a competition without purpose, as it pushes you toward better health & fitness.
Previously, just sharing data was no fun since everybody has different goals. However, you can now compete with someone who has similar fitness goals as yours. It works in interesting ways, so why not find out in more detail. Let’s begin.
Understanding the Basics
The competition works on points, which max out at 600. The competition lasts seven days, so the total point count is 4200. The individual who wins the most points at the end of 7 days is declared the winner and earns a badge.
How to Start?
Without sharing your activity, you cannot challenge someone. Open the Activity app on your iPhone, tap Sharing, and click + on the top right. You can choose up to 40 friends to complete with if you have the nerve for that. After selecting your friends, click Send. However, the competition will start only once your pals accept your invitation.
After your invitations are accepted, they will show in the Activity app on your Apple Watch. Swiping right will take you to a friend list where you scroll down to tap on Complete, which will give your friend 48 hours to accept the challenge.
Points are calculated based on different activities, and completing one cycle of those is called a ring. Let us see what those activities are and how many points they can earn you.
Move/Calorie Point
It is easy to load up on calories but hard to burn. That is why these calorie points are the hardest to earn. You set a goal for yourself, let’s say, 500 calories. If you burn exactly 500 calories that day, you will achieve a 100% score, meaning 100 points.
You get more points if you burn more calories than your goal. Let’s suppose you burn 700 calories a day with your goal at 500; your calorie points will then be 700/500×100 = 140.
Stand Points
Standpoints are points you earn by just standing, and your total standpoints in a day depend upon how many times you stand up. The goal Apples gives here to everyone is the same: stand up 12 times, and you will win all your 100 standpoints.
However, you can earn more by standing up more than that. For instance, by standing up 18 times, you can get 18/12×100 = 150 points.
Exercise Points
The exercise goal is the same for everyone, which is 30 minutes, to gain 100 points. However, if you manage more than that, you get more points. For instance, spending 60 minutes on exercise will give you 60/30×100 = 200 points.
Total Points
Simply adding the calorie points, standpoints, and exercise points will give you total points. In our case, they are 140 + 150 + 200 = 490 points.
The 600 Point Limit
Anyone with above-average intelligence might ask a question here: what if someone gains more than 600 points. And if they do, would they get the points scored above 600? The answer is no, unfortunately.
However, do you really want to score beyond 600? It isn’t a walk in the park.
Winning the Competition
Now that the basics are out of our way let us see how you win the competition and beat that friend who has been pestering you for a while. Let us do some math to find out how you can do it.
Mastering Move Points
You get 100 points for completing your Move goal and score more if you go beyond it. To get 200 points, you need to double your effort, and to get to 300, triple it. You can see where this is going. Tripling your move points is easier said than done if you are being realistic.
For instance, you can set your goal to 10 calories and burn 30 to get 300 points. However, that’s not a competition; that’s a mockery of it. Moreover, your friend won’t agree to such a competition either, and rightly so. So, set up a calorie goal that you can realistically surpass.
Also read: Solo Loop vs. Sport Band
Mastering Exercise Points
Regarding exercise points, it is crucial to first clear a potential misunderstanding that can ruin your chances of winning this competition. Apple differentiates between workouts and exercises. I know it sounds confusing and absurd, but there is a mechanism behind this reasoning.
Your workouts are registered in the Apple Watch Workout app, and they might or might not contribute to your exercise points. The discrepancy results from Apple’s definition of exercise. It defines exercise as a brisk activity of 30 minutes. Your heart rate should go a certain rate above the resting heart rate.
A light stroll won’t add any points to your tally as the heart rate does not go up significantly. However, if you walk briskly, you will see points added to your total. If you go down the workout app and click Other, you can register a workout, and it will count as your exercise time.
You can watch your favorite series on Netflix doing nothing and still win 100 points every 30 minutes. But that is cheating and certainly not recommended.
Mastering Stand Points
For every single time in 12 hours, when you stand for a minute or more, you get 100 points. So, even the most prolific sleepwalker can only get 200 standpoints. For lesser mortals, 100 points or something slightly above it is a realistic limit since everyone is capped at 24 hours in a day.
It shows that standpoints are the toughest nut to crack in this bunch. If you want to win, focus on move and exercise points. We are not saying they are easy, but you won’t have to make countless bathroom trips during the night to score them.
Applying the Mastery
Now you have a good understanding of which areas to prioritize for points. Let us discuss if stands are worth your effort and time or not. A single stand earns you 1/12 = 8% standpoints or 8 points.
If we compare this to calorie/move points, you will have to burn 56 calories to score 8% or 8 points: 700 x 0.08 = 56 calories. For me, around 20 minutes of brisk walking can burn that many calories. What do you choose, then, standing for a minute or walking briskly for 20? I am sure I haven’t got mad, so I’ll choose the former option, i.e., standing for a minute.
Let us now compare exercise points with move points. 2.4 minutes of exercise make 8% of the total 30 minutes, giving you 8 points. On the other hand, as we have already seen, you will need to walk briskly for 20 minutes to get the same points in the moving ring.
These comparisons make it obvious that move points should be the last on your list if you want to win. And remember, we are not cheating here; this is just the power of math helping you win.
Exercise points are the easiest to achieve as compared to both move and standpoints. For most, going above 100 is unrealistic, let alone 200. Similarly, the math above shows how move points are not worth your effort either.
Also read: How To Size Your Apple Solo Or Braided Loop Band Using Your Sport Band
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What if my friend and I don’t get each other’s requests?
A: Both of you need to have an Apple watch if you want to share your activity. You can also open the Fitness app to get a notification. Tap the Sharing button and click on the green icon at the top. You can now either accept or ignore the request.
Q: Can I cancel a competition on Apple Watch?
A: No, once you start a competition, you cannot cancel it.
Q: Why is my friend’s activity sharing coming from another name?
A: Apple ID is meant to be used by one person only. If your friend is sharing his or her ID with someone else, their name will show up, and the problem will persist.
Q: Can you have a group competition on Apple Watch?
A: No, you cannot have a group competition on Apple Watch, as this feature hasn’t been released yet. Right now, you can only have 1-on-1 challenges.
Q: How can I view previous Apple Watch competition scores?
A: You cannot see the past scores you achieved for different activity rings. However, you can see how many times each person has won by opening the fitness app, clicking sharing, and choosing the friend you want to see the record of.
Q: Why isn’t my friend notified when I finish my workout?
A: Open the Mute Notifications Settings and see if there’s something wrong. Moreover, you can tweak ‘Change your friend settings.
Q: How can I see my final points?
A: Go to the Activity app on your Apple watch and twice swipe left to access the award screen. Scrolling up will show the awards you’ve won. You can also view your awards by opening the Fitness app on your iPhone and tapping Summary.
Q: How to check what names or devices are linked to my Apple ID?
A: Please check your device list, where you will see all the devices linked with your Apple ID. If there is any unauthorized device, you will see it in this list.
Q: Does Apple share my personal data, such as birthday, weight, height, etc., with my friend?
A: No, Apple doesn’t share personal details. It only shares the relevant activity data that are part of the ongoing competition.
Q: How do I know if someone is hiding their Apple Watch activity data from me?
A: Open the app and click Sharing, then click Friends, where you will list see a list of people hiding their activity data from you.