Pacer can use your Apple Watch activity through Apple Health on your paired iPhone. This guide covers step syncing through Apple Health; it is separate from using the Pacer app on your watch.
Before you begin
Make sure your Apple Watch is paired with the iPhone where you use Pacer. Open the Watch app and confirm the watch is connected. If you need to pair a watch, start from All Watches.
In the Watch app, open Privacy and check that Fitness Tracking is on. Allow your watch to record activity and share it with the paired iPhone. For Apple's guidance, see Manage Health data.
Connect in Pacer
- In Pacer, go to Settings → Apps & Devices → Other Wearables, or open Other Wearables in Steps Data Source.
- If Apple Health is not active, connect Pacer to Apple Health. Enable the requested categories and finish activation.
- In Choose Wearables, select Apple Watch if it is not already checked.
- Review the instructions and confirm that you completed them. Pacer checks recent Steps sources.
- If Apple Watch is detected, continue. If Pacer asks whether your device is listed, confirm only if you recognize the watch source; otherwise follow the troubleshooting option.
- Follow the priority instructions and complete setup in Pacer.
Apple Watch shares activity directly with Apple Health; there is no separate third-party companion-app connection to authorize.
Give Apple Watch priority for Steps
Use Manage source priorities to place the relevant Apple Watch source first for Steps. If several watches appear, choose the one you currently use.
Pacer cannot change or verify this order. Confirm completion only after saving your change in Health.
If Apple Watch is not detected
- Check that the watch is paired, connected, and has recorded recent activity.
- Check whether Apple Health on your iPhone contains recent Steps from that watch.
- Review Pacer's requested Health permissions using the Apple Health connection guide.
- Keep the iPhone unlocked, return to Pacer, and retry the source check or use Sync now on Connected Devices.
Detection uses readable Steps from the current local day and the previous six days. A watch with no recent readable steps may not appear even though it is paired. A custom source name may also differ from the name you expect.
Why does Pacer show a different total?
Pacer uses Apple Health as the primary source; selecting Apple Watch is not a Watch-only filter. Check your priority order and allow activity to reach Health before refreshing Pacer. Do not add the same walk manually just to make the totals match.
If the source is present in Health but Pacer cannot continue, contact Pacer Support with your Pacer, iOS, and watchOS versions and a redacted screenshot of the message.