All features / Hardware
Apple Watch
& Ultra.
The watch is what's actually on your wrist mid-effort. PeakPulse on watchOS is a real recorder — standalone GPS, customizable bold metrics, the Action Button mapped to whatever matters to you, and a UI tuned for arm's-length reading while breathing hard.
Watch apps that aren't afterthoughts
A lot of "Apple Watch support" in fitness apps means a tiny mirror of the phone app, with the phone doing the actual work. That falls apart the moment your phone isn't there — which is most of the time, for trail running.
PeakPulse's watch app is a standalone recorder with its own brain. Walk out the door with just the watch and you have everything you need: GPS, heart rate, barometric elevation, Smart Pause, segments, Return to Home, beacon — all running locally on the watch.
If the watch needs the phone to function, it isn't really a watch app.
Bold mid-effort metrics
Reading data on a watch face at 6 minute pace, in the rain, on uneven ground, is its own design challenge. PeakPulse's watch UI is built around that worst case.
The Action Button, properly used
Watch Ultra's Action Button is the closest thing to a hardware shortcut for the activity at hand. PeakPulse binds it through App Intents so you can map it to the thing that actually matters to you.
Standalone, every feature
Every recording-side feature in PeakPulse works on the watch alone, with no phone required:
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Smart Pause GPS-never-stops works the same on watch. Pause is metadata on the watch's local recording.
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Trail Segments Detection happens after the workout; your library syncs back via iCloud.
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Return to Home RTH runs on watch. Set the deadline before you start; haptic when the budget expires.
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Live Beacon If the watch has cellular, beacon updates flow directly. Otherwise they queue and flush when in range of your phone or Wi-Fi.
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Barometric Elevation The watch's barometer is excellent. Fusion runs on-watch — full vertical accuracy without phone help.
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Co-Running Overlay Friends' beacons appear on the watch map as colored dots, with the compass cycling between them.
Common questions
Do I need an Apple Watch Ultra specifically?
No. PeakPulse runs on any modern Apple Watch. Watch Ultra adds the Action Button (and slightly better battery life, brightness, and ruggedness for the trail), which is genuinely useful — but every other feature works the same across all supported watches.
What's the minimum watchOS version?
PeakPulse requires watchOS 26 or later. Older watchOS versions are supported on a best-effort basis with a reduced feature set; some functionality like advanced complications or App Intents binding may not be available.
How's the battery life during long workouts?
On Apple Watch Ultra, a typical six-hour trail run with always-on display, continuous GPS, and HR uses around 35-45% of battery. We tune sample rates aggressively when you're not moving, and the always-on display is designed for minimal redraw. For multi-day adventures, a Long Effort mode trades sample-rate density for battery life — without ever dropping samples to zero.
Can I leave my phone at home?
Yes. The watch is standalone. When you get home and the phone is in range, the workout flows back automatically. If your watch has cellular, even beacon works without the phone.
What about complications?
PeakPulse offers complications for quick-start ("tap to record"), current goal progress, and segment PR alerts. Add them to your favorite watch face for one-tap access to recording.
Does the watch sync with my Bluetooth heart rate monitor?
Yes. Pair a chest strap or arm strap directly to the watch and PeakPulse uses it instead of the watch's wrist sensor. Often more accurate at high intensity.