When i use zwift on my iPhone with my Polar bluetooth chest strap it works flawlessly. When i use my apple laptop and zwift the HR drifts ALL OVER THE PLACE !!! one second my HR is 130 and the next it’s 160 and then 220 and then 122 … comon Zwift. End the ride connect to iOS and everything is fine. My laptop is hard wired to the internect, my iPhone uses the same network via WiFi. Being an older guy when i see my HR spike above 160 all of a sudden it sends a bit of panic into me, this is what I’m paying for? to have the crap scared out of me while I’m trying to get into shape? i am extremely disappointed… I’ve been trying to get this to work for 5 months and i keep getting fed up with the crappy implementation of the web software vrs the iOS software.
You are blaming Zwift here, but are you sure it’s a Zwift issue? You say you are using Bluetooth with your iPhone with no issues, but it’s a bust with your laptop. Are you sure that you have actually disconnected the connection from the HRM to the iPhone before trying to connect to your laptop? Bluetooth is a 1-to-1 connection, so it’s possible that your HRM is still connected to your iPhone when you’re trying to connect to the laptop. I can’t say that for sure, of course, but it’s possible. Be sure you have ‘force quit’ the Zwift app on your iPhone after use. This should free up the HRM.
It’s also possible that there are issues with the Bluetooth on your Mac. I think I have seen other posts in the Forum about this. Again, I don’t know for sure, but you might investigate it.
In general, though, don’t just throw the blame at Zwift without ensuring that the issue isn’t on your end. I would think that if this was a Zwift issue we would see endless posts about it.
Your HRM connects via Bluetooth or ANT+, in your application BLE. I don’t think the WiFi has anything to do with your issue. If you can run an ANT+ USB dongle I would try that. If not make sure your Bluetooth is clean, no headphones or other devices that may cause interference. Also, like Nigel says make sure you’ve force closed Zwift on your phone by swiping it away.
Anyway, a few things to try.
Polar was BLE only, newer HRM are ANT+, too!
I have two H7, some years old, had never problems - but I never use Apple products.
when i run the zwift app on my laptop it’s clean. i come home from a 9 hr day and there are no apps running on my iPhone. There are no apps running on my laptop.
the HR is a Nike+ Polar Bluetooth strap, there are no intermediary devices like an apple watch.
Running the Zwift app on iOS there are zero problems. HR works fine.
The only reason i run Zwift on a desktop/laptop system is to get better screen resolution to a big display.
and just like the iOS version, there are checkmarks when the software boots up that zwift is synced to the trainer and to the bluetooth transmitter.
Polar is bluetooth. i have the Polar chest strap.
Today the laptop with the Polar chest strap worked well on the France route.
the difference is i didn’t use the companion app on an iOS device.
Often in the past i’ve used companion on iPad while using Zwift on iPhone and that combo is bulletproof for me.
What is obvious is that Zwift manages the bluetooth connections, right at the start you sync up, lock in. there’s no bluetooth discovery on the laptop that see’s the HR monitor or the Elite Trainer.
It feels like when i was in Watopia the other day, there was a lot of people and possibly the zwift servers just barf hard and can’t handle all the data… and your data is not real time to your device, it goes to the servers first then feeds back to your screen.