Using your Apple Watch heart rate with the Karoo - (Beta test)
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Hi folks!
I've made a small free app for Apple Watch and iPhone so you can see your hr info on the Karoo.
Be aware, it's still very much in beta. I made this originally for TrainerRoad, but I want it to work with Karoo as well. However, the Karoo is a bit more picky on the bluetooth connection (and Apple is of course a bit weird as well).
So, before testing, keep these two remarks in mind:
- Alternative bluetooth mode seems to work better for Karoo (especially on pairing)
- After first connect, when the status stays in "searching", disabling and re-enabling did the trick for me
You can download the app using this link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/M4IsgvXN
For questions and feedback, don't hesitate to send me a message on heartbyproxy@jorritposthuma.nl !
PS: If any Karoo dev's are reading, I'd love to send you some details on the Apple Bluetooth weirdness so I can scrap "alternative bluetooth mode" as a whole :)
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I would also value this feature being added. I wear my Apple Watch all the time, and it is surprisingly accurate. It would be much more convenient than having to use the HR strap if the Karoo could simply pick up the information from the watch.
It would make for an excellent selling advantage for the Karoo.
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A few comments:
1. HeartCast is rock solid and it does work great! Great job!
2. HeartCast currently requires both an Apple Watch and an iPhone. I have a cellular Apple Watch model and would love to see the ability to pair the Apple Watch directly to the Karoo so that I do not need to ride with my iPhone. I find my iPhone big and bulky to ride with so with the cellular version I simply stick a pair of AirPods on my saddle bag in case I need to make a call.
3. HeartCast is not ideal for me because HeartCase is essentially an "Apple Workout" which means a) I cannot run HeartCast at the same time as the Apple Watch Outdoor Cycle workout and b) I am therefore forced to choose between running HeartCast and Appel Watch Outdoor Cycle.
I readily admit that this is a problem for me -- as I have decided to use the Apple Ecosystem for tracking all my workout activity -- and will not be a problem for those who use a different ecosystem.
4. Hammerhead Please Listen Up: The Apple Watch is already broadcasting my heart rate to my iPhone so why not have it also broadcast my heart rate to the Karoo 2? There is a huge demand / interest for this capability as noted in this thread. Thanks!
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I am very impressed with Karoo 2. But as others have said I am fully vested in the Apple ecosystem. I will jump in full force with purchasing a Karoo once Apple Watch is properly supported. It would be great if Karoo 2 utilities Apple GymKit for syncing workouts. Not sure if this is a simple software solution or if some hardware would need to be introduced into a future product for this to work. The gym I went to had equipment that all utilized GymKit. It was as simple as holding my Apple Watch up to the equipment, clicking the option to start the GymKit syncing process and then you were off to the races.
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This beta isn't accepting any new testers right now.I'd really like to be able to use my Apple Watch for HRM and not have to get another piece of equipment to wear with the Karoo 2. While it is awesome that Jorrit has taken on this hack, has anyone from Hammerhead gotten this on the roadmap? -
Bench Tested today.
Apple iPhone 8+ on iOS 13.3.1
Apple Watch series 3 model A1858 version 6.1.3(17S811)
Installed TestFlight on the phone. Used the URL link to add the HeartByProxy app via Safari.
(Make sure you check the box for "install on Watch" when installing on the phone. I had to reinstall once to get past that)
Set application permissions on the Watch to allow access to workouts and heartrate.Once the app was running on both Phone and Watch, I could see heart rate displayed on both and I was able to add it as a Bluetooth sensor to the Karoo.
I did not need to use the Bluetooth Alternative Mode.
Initial impressions - Wow. Easy. Excited. Apprehensive (where will my data end up? willing to risk it...)
Looking forward to testing on my next ride and watching for battery impact on Phone/Watch.
Thanks for building and sharing! -
Hi Jorrit!
Hope you are all well!Is there perhaps any news on ways to connect the apple watch? My Karoo 2 came in yesterday but so far i haven't managed it to be friends with the watch (6) and its heart rate capabilities . It would be soooo disappointing to have to buy another HRM =)
cheers,
Fedde -
Fedde,
I don't think you're going to be able to connect your Apple Watch directly to the Karoo 2 due to the closed nature of the Apple HealthKit SDK.
This is why Jorrit wrote the app. The app reads the HR data from the Apple Watch using the HealthKit SDK and then re-broadcasts that HR data over Bluetooth to the Karoo.
Personally, I use a Polar H10 chest strap HRM with my Karoo 2. I also record my activities on my Apple Watch 3 in the interests of comparison of data. The GPS on the Apple Watch is rubbish in comparison to the Karoo; GPS accuracy is probably one of the Karoo's strongest points.
Steve
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HearCast works, I agree. When I first installed it and tried to pair it with the K2, it connected and reconnected (paired and re-paired) multiple times, though. Weird, and not a seamless user experience.
But when I went on a ride today, it seemed to work well, no connection issues. I have some hope now!
Now if HH would at least suggest Apple Watch users to try HeartCast (saying something noncommittal like “some Apple Watch users have been able to use the HeatCast app to set their watch up as a Bluetooth heart monitor.”). How about it HH, so people don’t have to go crawling through user support forums to find the info.
Using Karoo 2 with the latest OS and iPhone 12 Pro with iOS 14.4.2 (latest as of this date).
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HeartCast has recently gone from spotty to almost entirely unreliable. I suspect caused by latest updates to iOS and WatchOS. I haven't upgraded to iOS 16 yet. I'm tempted to get a dedicated HRM and ditch trying to continue with Apple Watch integration. Has anyone experienced similar difficulties with HeartCast or tried alternate HRM via Apple Watch?
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Hi All,
I tried out a bunch of apps, including the aforementioned Heart Cast. The cleanest operation I have found is with the app called HRM Heart Rate Monitor - https://dominikmaglia.com/hrm-heart-rate-monitor-app/
All seems to work well, and the interface is very intuitive and smooth.
Go well!
Dill
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Hi John!
Thanks for testing the app! It's very interesting that you didn't need Alternative Mode... Maybe it's just my device that's a bit more picky with connections. I'll investigate more.
In terms of data/privacy, no data is stored whatsoever. The watch app gets the data from the Apple SDK's and passes it on directly to the phone, which in turn show's it and broadcasts it using bluetooth. When the next heartbeat arrives, it's already out of memory. But it's a fair question and I'll have to think on how to prove that it's indeed not sending anything :). If you know how to read code, I can also share it with you so you can check?
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I can read some code, but I am a stranger to the Apple SDKs (I am more of a Perl on Windows kinda guy).
After first connection, I did find that I needed alternative mode to connect.
When the Karoo is powered off and back on, the sensor does get stuck with "Searching" as you noted above.
Dropping the sensor from Karoo and re-adding it (with the Phone app set to Alternative Bluetooth Mode) seems to work.
Tried to test this morning's ride. Watch app running, Phone app running, Karoo sensor connected (and showing HR in my Karoo data screen). I was totally stoked!I started my Apple Watch Workout (like I usually do just before starting the ride) and the Apple Watch threw an error:
ErrorWorkout failed: error
Domain=com.apple.healthkit
Code=8 "another session is starting"
UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescrption=Another session is starting}
Sensor then froze with 89 BPM heart rate and stayed there for the ride.
I have seen this same issue with other iOS applications that want to "share" the heart rate monitor with the Apple Workout. When starting the Apple Watch Workout, the other application looses access to the HR. (Strava app for instance) -
Good one. Unfortunately, WatchOS only supports 1 simultaneous workout at the same time, and the only way to get heart rate information, is by starting a workout. So you don't need to start a workout using the Apple Watch Workout app :).
One note is that the HeartByProxy app starts a Indoor Cycling workout. I'll add an Outdoor Cycling workout to the next version.
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Wow, this is fantastic and I will definitely be trying this out, thank you!
With that one follow up as I do not understand the above comment that "....WatchOS only supports 1 simultaneous workout at the same time...". Does this mean that I can or cannot have the Apple Watch Outdoor Cycle workout running at the same time.
Thanks!
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Hi,
any news about the App? unfortunately the beta test is full so i can't test the app. I also tried https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blueheart-bluetooth-heartrate/id1485503543
and
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/heartcast-heart-rate-monitor/id1499771124
but neither one nor the other works for me. :(
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Hi guys!
Sorry for my late response. I have been sick for the past few months, but finally getting better! I pushed a new beta, and I'm doubting to just publish it as a 1.0 release. The integration with Karoo is still not as smooth as I like... Let me know if you find a better way! I also haven't found a way to reconnect without unpairing first.
Beta testing link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/M4IsgvXN
Movie about connecting to Karoo: https://vimeo.com/442004681Enjoy!
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Thankyou very much Steve & Friedrich for your answers,
Yes, I sort of had the idea that Jorrits app was doing that, but i couldn't get Jorrits app installed on my device (testflight full?)
Heartcast via iphone seems to work here too (which is cool! because I now might be able to use that for other tools too (like the concept2pm5 rower)). Not sure if it is possilble yet to skip the iphone part and get the watch and karoo2 talking via heartcast or that was or willl be the heartbyproxy's much desired uniqness
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Hi guys, I’m very sorry, but I’m still recovering from covid (since March), and it doesn’t seem to be anytime soon before I can get back to coding again. The only promise I can make is that the moment I get better and can get back on the bike again, I’ll submit a new version, as I still need it too.
PS, the iPhone step is indeed because of a limitation by Apple. I’m fairly sure it’s technically possible as most of the required software is present on the Watch, but the most important part is disabled. Let’s hope they “fix” it in the next watchOS update
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Hi,
I don't want to denigrate the HeartCast app in any way, but I'd like to point you to an alternative that I've been working with for > 1 year and which works just fine (also on the K2). It's a sensor that on the one side communicates with an AppleWatch app and on the other side provides an ANT+ signal that a bike computer can receive & integrate. As far as I know, ANT+ communication consumes less battery than a Bluetooth connection. The AppleWatch app shows the current heart rate, allows (simple) music control and can directly start, pause and stop a native workout. The data is then directly transferred to Apple Health, if desired.
BTW:
I don't work for this company nor do I have any other contact with them...except that I sent a few ideas there in the beginning (e.g. the possibility to control my music on the iPhone directly through it). -
Joel Cohen it's not really a problem for those of us in the apple ecosystem either. If you sync to for example Strava it can autosync the workout back into Health and hence your watch. No need for parallel recordings.
And I want to clarify that your AW is not "broadcasting" your HR to your iPhone, it's streaming it, sure, but not in a form accessible to other devices than your iPhone specifically (unless going the GymKit route mentioned above).Marc Hoffmann: smart little device if it works standalone with the watch. Does it?
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@Joen: Yes, you only need the AW, where the sensor is paired to, as well as a tiny app, where you can start. pause & discard a workout, control your music and see some informations (HR, calories, ...). You need a running workout on the watch to be able to get the HR...but you can discard the workout after finishing...otherwise, it will be added to the health app (as well as the Strava recording for example).
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