So straight off, I know that a number of you are going to be unhappy with this but we have had to take the decision to remove the Remote Apple Watch experimental app for the time being, so please be prepared for this to happen at some point over the next couple of weeks.
As a recap the Remote app allows you to complete a Bodyweight Workout from a supported Apple Watch.
Why do we need to do this? I can share with you a few reasons
Itâs currently broken in a couple of places (for example the âFinish workoutâ button), and with changes that we want to make to the Training app in the future, this will likely get compounded
It isnât currently compatible with a lot of features in certain Training Journeys, and again, with updates to the main Training app planned, this list will grow
Allows us to focus iOS efforts on development of the iOS Training app-for example the âCreate own Workoutâ Builder and other planned updates to the Training experience
There are a very small number of trainings logged with the watch
Your feedback is important to us, so please do feel free to share it below-this can help us to plan ahead on what changes we might try and make to it in the future when we are in a position to bring back a Training app compatible version of it.
Well that report of the bug really backfired eh haha.
I wanna say that I really appreciate the communication work on this forum and the time you spend replying in it. But from the views of the post it doesnât give me the impression our feedback matters to Freeletics. The posts with most engagement end up being the ones that are not actioned on. And for example the redesigned app got rid off the feedback button on the settings tab.
I know from your side you must have more data to back the actions taken but from a user perspective it feels a disconnect about the changes being implemented and the feedback/user experience.
From a user that used to love the app I still hope it feels exciting again. Iâm still using the app and all but it certainly feels less advantageous now.
We really did want to try and fix that. Essentially during the course of exploring that bug, we discovered that a lot of what we plan to do to the Training app impacts the Watch app negatively-just with the result that it would take a lot of resource to fix a feature that is used by still a very small proportion of the community, and an already narrowing list of compatible features gets squeezed more and more.
Now I know 100% that many who used the remote app will be unhappy, and me saying itâs only used by a small proportion of Athletes, or any of the other reasons, wonât fully mitigate against this. I can also assure you that many of my friends and colleagues here at Freeletics used the feature and are also disappointed at its loss.
What I can say is that we do hear you here
We absolutely want you to be excited when training with Freeletics, and we do have things coming that I really do think youâll be excited about. First thing to look forward to is the workout builder
I am certainly disappointed by this, but not as much as I was for the loss of the watch native beta app. The remote app was nice, and sped up some god workout times (arguably unfairly for those who donât have an Apple Watch) and it was buggy so it was not a huge benefit. The only concern that I have is whether or not the Freeletics app will be able to trigger âworkout modeâ in the apple ecosystem. This mode increases the HR tracking rate during a workout and turns on the âworkoutâ focus mode, which prevents distracting notifications during a workout session. Will the standalone phone app still be able to track workouts and HR properly in Apple Fitness and Apple Health?
Ben, I know you are just the messenger here, and I appreciate all you have been doing to keep us informed, but I agree that there has been a disconnect and level of disappointment lately. I have been a user for over 7 years and love Freeletics. I always pointed to FL as an example of a company doing everything right, staying simple and effective. I do believe that the end result of this transformation will be beneficial to free athletes, but with only vague promises of big things coming and very little details to back those claims up (an hold FL accountable), the reduction in features has been a hard pill to swallow.
I am excited to see where all of this change goes! The workout building is a fantastic new addition (at least in theory, I am still waiting to play with it on iOS) but it hardly offsets what was essentially a complete removal of running from Freeletics when the standalone watch app was removed (I know you can still run in the app, but it is clunky and useless now). I would love to see FL continue to blaze new trails in the fitness world and stay hopeful that I will be pleasantly surprised with future updates.
Final word, is there any plan to bring the watch remote app back when all these new features and changes are in place?
I agree, specially with the running part. I havenât noticed it but since I lost the stand alone watch feature I moved the tracking of my runs to other app.
I was extremely disappointed by the removal of the apple watch app. I must say, I received the apple watch 3 years ago, when I was in a workout rut, and it has simply revolutionized the way I do sports - freeletics, but beyond that too.
So naturally, I would like to use the watch for every single workout - freeletics included. Itâs giving users a comprehensive view of your fitness level - for that day, month, trends etc.
I really think itâs worth investing time and resources to fix this problem - in case of the Workout Builder, why canât you just build the workout on the phone, start it there and still go through it with ânextâ on the watch?
I also use the watch for running and I find it very helpful to know when I am at halftime and when itâs time to go back - without having to stop, strap off the running band off my arm and check there.
Honestly, I would even prefer using it in the state it is in now - with having to stop workouts from my phone - rather for the app to be removed completely.
Freeletics really was an example for me as a company who did everything right, so I hope you will look into this mater. At the same time, with the growth in other areas - such as STAEDIUM, I am finding it discouraging that you are abandoning gadgets which some of us use passionately - alone the engagement on this topic shows that, and if one is allowed to be a bit skeptical - maybe even a bit suspicious timing.
I really enjoy using Freeltics, have been doing so for almost 7 years and will continue doing so, so I hope you will still deliver us the best workout experience possible.
Thanks and clap clap,
Andra
Iâm really not happy about your decision. My decision for Freeletics based on the possibility of having an AW app which supports my workout so much. And letâs talk honestly: the AW app worked well for a long time. Removing it entirely is not a decision which appreciates the interests of your paying community. I hope you will rethink this decision. For me it would mesn to look for an alternative.
Iâve been using the app for more than 3 years and have recommended it to others. When I saw this post, I cancelled my subscription. If the Watch functionality isnât restored by the time it expires, auf wiedersehen.
One of the things I loved about Freeletics was the ability to preload workouts onto the Apple Watch then leave the house without my phone. That feature was removed a while back (~1 year ago) and replaced with the remote control app. To be fair, I didnât find the remote control app as useful since I have to bring my phone along.
My hope would be for the re-release of a limited functionality watch app for people who want to workout without their phones, and leave the newer features for the phone app. I will probably continue to support Freeletics but this is disappointing.
Today i wanted to start my workout and saw that the Freeletics app was removed from my Apple Watch. Honestly i was super disappointed as it iâve always found it a big plus to have the app at hand whilst training and not always having to get my phone in order to get to the next exercise. Shoutout to Freeletics, although it might only be 1% of all users, according to your website thereâs a total of 54mln users, so basically youâre just giving the finger right now to 540k users who do use the Apple Watch app, just saying. Thatâs still a pretty big number. I really hope the app will be re-activated in the future as my workouts have become significantly less fun since itâs gone for nowâŠ
Itâs almost useless nowadays to run without pulse tracking, so I will definitely move to apple fitness for running. Sad that I will loose all my 6 year statistics, even more sad that it looks like apple watch support is gone without any chance to be back. BTW one of my favourite features in Freeletics was that I did not bother to create trainings myself, I used well designed workouts and journeys, so Iâm not excited at all
Hi,
I thank you for the communication. I wonât hide from you that the Apple Watch app was one of the reasons I signed up for a subscription that, now, I am seriously thinking of cancelling. The reason is quickly stated: in addition to the convenience of going through the exercises with a swipe on the watch, the app used to initiate heart monitoring, which then remained in the summary inside Fitness.
This is now no longer occurring. Am I doing something wrong? I thank you for any support you would/could provide.
Wow, this is a terrible step backwards. Instead of fixing the Watch app you just nuked it? Show me just one self-respecting and halfway decent workout app that doesnât have a Watch app (most with better features than what the Freeletics Watch app had but it was better than nothing). I hope Freeletics loses a ton of subscribwrs over this and wakes up.
Regarding this To do this, you can start record data like this on your Watch by starting a workout in the Workout app-this way all your HR, estimated calorie expenditure etc is sent to Activity and the Health app.
Thanks for the clear communication about these topics. On that end you guys offer great customer service. However, the best feature your app had at least for me was the Apple Watch integration. Iâm bummed out that I paid for a whole yearâs subscription recently because with the removal of the Apple Watch app I most likely wonât be using Freeletics anymore. Please let me know if there is anyway to get a partial refund for my annual subscription.
Just finished my first workout without my Apple Watch. Just wanted to share some feedback in case anyone else could relate:
Having your phone 8 feet away complicates looking at how many reps you might have of a certain exercise when youâre in the middle of your reps. Especially if youâre lying down.
When youâre trying to beat your PB having to grab your phone to go to your next exercise also makes it inefficient.
Looking at what exercise follows on your watch lets you mentally prepare before you transition.
Finally on a personal note Iâve been on the best streak of exercise in years thanks to your app. I always come back to it because of its no-fluff simplicity and excellent motivational challenges. Yet with this change psychology it just creates a huge barrier to success on your fitness journey. Itâs no secret that the wearable industry is huge and the Apple Watch has a good share of it. If you guys could reconsider keeping this feature Iâm positive it will be more beneficial to all of us.
Hey, thanks for the communication.
I really love your app but Freeletics being compatible with IW was a key factor in my choice of even buying that watch! One request: The remote functionality, even really simplified as a single ânextâ and âfinishâ button is a must have, going back to my phone ruins my PB and affects my motivation, please I kindly ask to have it back!!!
Thanks for your consideration
We really did want to try and fix that. Essentially during the course of exploring that bug, we discovered that a lot of what we plan to do to the Training app impacts the Watch app negatively-just with the result that it would take a lot of resource to fix a feature that is used by still a very small proportion of the community, and an already narrowing list of compatible features gets squeezed more and more.
