Apple recently added a Track Detection feature to its Workout app on Apple Watch Series 4 and newer models. Keep reading to learn what it does and how you can take advantage of it.

Apple Watch Track Detection
With the release of watchOS 9.2, Apple introduced its promised Track Detection feature for supported Apple Watch models. The software update means that your watch can now tell when you are at a running track, and ask you if you want to choose a lane.

Track Detection works by using a combination of Apple Maps data and your watch's GPS to automatically recognize when you're at a standard 400 meter World Athletics (IAAF) running track. As of writing, the feature is available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

To use the feature, simply follow the steps below. Bear in mind that Track Detection is not supported on Apple Watch Series 3 and older models, as these devices cannot run watchOS 9.2. To check your Apple Watch is up-to-date with the latest software, ope the Watch app on your iPhone and go to General -> Software Update. To install new software, your Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of your ‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌.

How to Start a Running Track Workout

  1. Launch the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap Outdoor Run.
  3. If your Apple Watch detects that you're at a track, you'll be prompted to choose a lane: Tap Choose Lane.
  4. Use the plus and minus buttons to choose a lane, then tap Confirm.
  5. If this is the first time you've performed a Track workout, choose a measurement unit (Miles or Meters), then tap Confirm.

If you leave a track during your workout, your Apple Watch will display an alert telling you so. If you change lanes while you're working out, swipe right on the watch face, tap Lane, then enter your new lane.

track detection
When you've finished your run, you'll get a route map in your workout summary that provides you with what Apple says is lane-level precision. If you have an Apple Watch Ultra, which is equipped with dual-frequency GPS, it should be even more precise.

How to Enable Lap Alerts

You can receive an alert that shows your distance, time, and pace when completing a lap around the track by following these steps.

  1. Launch the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Tap the ellipsis icon (the three dots) inside the Outdoor Run card.
  3. Tap Alerts.
  4. Turn the Digital Crown up, tap Track Lap, then turn on Lap Alert.

The impressive thing about Track Detection is that, unlike some dedicated running watches, no calibration is necessary. Apple Watch can even switch to track mode in the middle of a regular run if it detects that you've arrived at a track.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
iphone 17 lineup cad render majin bu

Revealed: Entire iPhone 17 Lineup's Striking New Camera Designs

Monday February 24, 2025 2:49 am PST by
A new CAD render of all the devices in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup has been shared online by leaker Majin Bu, specifically showing the allegedly different rear camera system designs of the standard iPhone 17, all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. The leaker Majin Bu has had some hits in the past, but some of his information has been wrong,...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...