Getting lost is no fun, but gGetting lost without cell service is downright scary. It’s even worse when you get lost somewhere, like hiking through the woods. However, if Google Maps cannot save you, you are not whole no luck. As it turns out, your Apple Watch could know exactly how to get home through a feature called “Backtrack”.
how to use Backtrack on the Apple Watch
Backtrack is available on the Apple Watch SE, Series 6, and newer models of the watch. You must update to watchOS 9 to use this feature and it is available in the Compass app on your watch.
Before trying to use it, follow these steps on your iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and enable location services.
- On the same page, scroll down and tap compass. Choose While using the app and enable Precise location.
- Return to the previous page and scroll down. Choose system services and enable location access for compass calibration. Choose Major Locations on this page and activate it.
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You must allow your iPhone to access these location data points for Backtrack to work properly.
How to use Backtrack on your Apple Watch
After enabling the necessary location access settings, go outside, open the compass app on your Apple Watch, and then try these steps:
- Tap the footprint icon in the lower right corner of the watch’s screen.
- Beat begin so the Apple Watch can track your route.
- Go to a nearby location and tap the pause icon in the bottom right corner of the Compass app. Choose retrace steps, and the clock will lead you home.
- Once you’ve returned, tap and select the footprint icon again Delete Steps to delete the data.
We strongly recommend testing this feature near your home to ensure it is working properly. They don’t want to find out that something is wrong after get lost. You can turn Backtrack on manually when you’re in places with no cellular signal, but it also works automatically.
Good-well-known iPhone app developer David Smith discovered how to enable automatic backtrack on Apple Watch. In case you forget to turn on Backtrack manually, you can open the Compass app on the watch and tap the footprint icon in the bottom right corner. You should see a prompt requesting access to recent locations. Smith detected this knock To allow This screen allows your Apple Watch to access your last route and you can use this feature to easily retrace your steps.
This option might help you in an emergency, but we still recommend enabling Backtrack manually if you’re unsure of your steps. That way, a software glitch doesn’t leave you lost in unfamiliar territory.
