I just read in Bicycling Magazine that the pairing of the iWatch with the Companion app is being made easier perhaps? What are the changes and when? It’s still a bit inconsistent pairing today with the app. I don’t always get the pairing to work and don’t know why. So having any improvements is great.
Maria
All the info that’s available can be found here… It does sound promising.
Well, that sounds good. Maybe I won’t have to buy another optical solution if I decide to dump chest strap monitors - my apple watch tends to be more reliable than my tickr lately. Would be good to know how far out the Apple Watch support is. Says “coming this winter”, but then again auto-braking on corners was coming this season a few seasons ago 
Yes, the timeline is welcomed and also how this will work/ do differently. 
Assuming it works as HRM, I guess the remaining question is whether there will be Apple Health integration as mentioned in this other thread. I’m guessing not but we haven’t heard anything about that yet.
As the OP has asked, it would be great to know what is actually different about this. I already use the Apple Watch as a HRM with Zwift, paired via the companion app. So what exactly is new about this?
It’s so flaky right now that they had to say they stopped supporting it. With this, I presume it will be fully supported and not require any dancing to get the watch set up. If you just use the apple watch without any fiddling you’re not in the majority at the moment, apple watch support is very flaky.
It is a bit fiddly sometimes yes, but mostly works fine.
I use the Apple Watch with lots of other apps that allow HR broadcast etc…, including with my Garmin Edge device and it’s the same with everything - fiddly and hard to pair. If Zwift have somehow magically solved that then all power to them but I have my doubts.
I agree, hard to pair and keep paired. It drops unexpectedly especially after first paired and starting. I frequently have to reboot my iPhone and hope for the best. I’m very hopeful that this, whatever it is, will improve the pairing.
Maria
I feel like what’s changed is that the old heart monitor feature is now completely broken. It’ll act like it’s there for me when Zwift starts and is identifying what hardware is around, but as soon as I’m in I get “No Signal”. This started maybe the middle of last month with an update?
It used to be that I could do the proper ritual (I say that tongue in cheek; never quite figured out what that was. Sometimes I could hard quit Companion, restart, and it’d all start working again. Sometimes I had to hard quit the watch app (that was more effective recently)) and it’d eventually come back. Now, I can’t convince it to show a heartbeat for any reason.
I have tried Heartcast to use my watch as a heartbeat sensor. Going to try using Heartcast on an old watch next time for Companion to find a heart rate there but keep the old watch app on my “real” watch so I still get a “Zwift workout” for Fitness. Aka: The updated version can’t come quickly enough.
But yes, 100%, wish they would set some more specific expectations about what’s going on here.
Same here, still unable to connect Apple Watch to Zwift. Using iWatch8 10.3.1, iP15 17.3.1, iPad9thGen 17.3.1, Zwift v 1.58.0 and Zwift Companion(ZC) 3.54.0 on iP15.
My ‘process’ that worked for the past 2 years prior to last 2 Zwift updates was to open ZC on iPhoneX and iW8 and then launch Zwift on the iPad - just upgraded to an iP15.
Now unable to connect Apple Watch at all. Sometimes it says “No signal” but most of the time doesn’t even find the “Apple Watch” option.
Only one thing worse than not having a function is to have had it and lost it !
Zwift website instructions to connect Apple Watch are absolutely pathetic…
Just found these instructions on another thread from Jeff Beck to use Heartcast app which has subsequently worked for me using these instructions:
start the Zwift companion APP on the iPhone.
start the HeartCast APP in the iPhone and on the iWatch. Follow the instruction on the iPhone you are told to push “Start” on the iWatch when it comes up) and wait for the two APPs to pair.
start the Zwift APP (on the iPad in my case) and pair to the smart trainer.
The Heart Rate should pair successfully after a few moments. If pairing is successful, “Workout” and “Bluetooth” on the iPhone HeartCast APP display will have green lettering.
I used to be able to get my Apple Watch to work with Zwift. I often had to play around, but usually could get it to work eventually. With today’s Zwift update (today for me at least), I can’t get it to work at all. Doesn’t show up in the list, just says pairing on the watch. Killing and restarting apps didn’t help. iPad Pro, iPhone 15 Plus and Apple Watch 4. Was there a change in the latest Zwift app release?
Yes there was. Try using the Heartcast app mentioned in previous posts in this thread.
I have loaded it up. It seems to be working, but have to keep starting it. Maybe because I am not riding at the moment. I will give it try on my next ride.
Thanks!
Ok, this is interesting. I got heartcast to work including pairing with ZA on first try. ZA now sees the heartcast app (which takes a minute to get the heartrate correct – it’s definitely not 8995. But then I opened ZC which told the iWatch to pair even if you can’t see in either ZA or ZC. That stopped the heartrate app pairing with still no HRM from ZA or ZC. I think I have figured out how to stop the iWatch from providing the HRM until this problem is resolved. After turning off in Watch app, I had to go to the Menu after selecting the ride to pair even though in Paired Devices screen it properly paired with the correct HR. Both the watch and the app was showing up in heart rate box in Paired Devices screen. I want to use the watch since it’s paired with the Fitness app which I use.
I’m finding that while the watch is showing the HRM it’s simply not being picked up. And, I’m on latest version 1.58. THIS IS A BUG.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Maria
It is working pretty well. It connects quickly. Shows 8895 for a second, but then gets the heart rate correct. It drops out more than the old solution, but is generally there. I did not use the Zwift Companion at all. Just fired up HeartRate and launched Zwift on my iPad.
Hi there do you have a link for the app. I try one but it doesn’t work properly. It is pairing with zwift on my desktop, but doesn’t stream the HR.
I use Windows 11 on desktop, Apple watch 7 and Iphopne SE2022
The HR was working simply only en december 2023.
How could it be so hard to make it works every time. It is so erratic.
This is not an issue with Zwift as such.
They have always said that the Apple watch is unsupported. The fact you’ve had it working is fortunate so you shouldn’t get angry when it suddenly stops.
Not at Zwift anyway.
Full support is coming.
You could resolve the issue quite simply by purchasing a cheap chest or arm strap for about the cost of 2 months membership. Probably cheaper in the long run than moving to an alternate program.