From the Cupertino company they work to have in their equipment all the necessary technologies to offer a more than satisfactory experience for their users. That is why the compass function was integrated that allows, among other things, to know the altitude at all times, ideal for adventurous people. In this article we tell you everything you need to know about this function.
What is the altimeter function?
In the case that you are a person who hikes in the mountains or you travel a lot changing heights, this function offered by Apple Watch allows you to keep track of the altitude at which you are at all times. This can save you from having to check on the internet through the location how many meters you are elevated above sea level.
This can be really helpful in avoiding altitude sickness. As soon as you realize that you are increasing in altitude very quickly, you should know that you have to stop in order to avoid this evil. It is vital especially in those people who suffer from some type of vascular or respiratory disease due to the implications of making a change in altitude quickly.
Compatible equipment
Not all Apple Watch that have been presented includes this functionality since it requires specific hardware. It is required that a magnetometer be included as well as a barometric altimeter that gives life to the application called ‘Compass’. The Apple smartwatches that include this hardware are the following:
- Apple Watch Series 5.
- Apple Watch SE.
- Apple Watch Series 6.
There is a special distinction to be made with the Apple Watch Series 6 and SE. These two models include a much more efficient barometric altimeter that allows the altimeter to be always active so that it can be displayed at all times at the altitude at which you are in a complication as we will discuss below. It should also be taken into account that this value is obtained efficiently as long as the compass works correctly and for this you will have to refrain from using straps made of metal.
View altitude
To be able to see the altitude at which you are at a given moment, you must access the ‘Compass’ application. This offers a lot of useful information such as the coordinates in which you are exactly and also guide you by having on the screen at all times where the north is. Ideal for people who go hiking in the mountains so that they can never get lost thanks to this function that is unrelated to the internet connection. In order to have adequate geolocation and altitude data, you must perform the following steps:
- On your Apple Watch, open the compass app.
- Place the watch on a flat surface.
- Wait until the crosses are lined up.
You will see the data by reading the information provided in the orange circle of the compass. Right next to the location and inclination data, the exact altitude is indicated.
Visualization in a complication
In the event that you have an Apple Watch that allows altitude monitoring at all times, you can have this information in view on the spheres through a complication. To add it, you simply have to carry out the following steps:
- In the sphere that you want to add this complication, keep it pressed and click on the ‘Edit’ section.
- Swipe left to the last available screen.
- Tap on a complication you want to edit and turn the digital crown to select the compass.
- Choose that you want to display the ‘Slope’ information.
- Press on the digital crown to save the changes.
At this time you will already have all the information about the altitude on the dial that will be updated automatically thanks to the GPS as well as the nearby WiFi networks.