Today I’m beyond delighted to announce the release of Pedometer++ version 8. I worked with legendary designer Rafa Conde to re-design the appearance and layout of the watchOS app to make it the most capable, yet intuitive, walking app on the App Store.
Pedometer++ has been on the Apple Watch from day one twelve years ago. Over that time I’ve built dozens of designs and features, today’s redesign learns from that journey and arrives at an incredible place.
The Home Screen has been clarified to make it more legible at a glance. A bright, colorful display of your daily step count makes it easy to see your progress towards your goals. This animates as you move and celebrates when you reach your goal.
Swiping up brings you to straightforward workout list screen where you can choose from a walk, run or hike. If you have a planned route for your outing you can select the route you configured on your iPhone here.
There is a new Expedition Mode workout type which dramatically reduces the battery usage during adventures to allow for longer outings. In my testing I found that this mode can extend your watch’s battery life by up to 40%.
If you’re a premium subscriber when you start a workout you’ll be immediately brought to your new maps screen which shows your workout on a live updating map. This map will overlay your planned route, if selected.
This screen now features our completely custom dark mode map. I worked with a cartographer to design a map which looks perfectly at home on the Apple Watch, which is highly legible even at arms length and includes all the topographic and wayfinding information you need to keep you on track.
You can also select a light mode if you prefer. If you are in the United Kingdom, you can also select to use an Ordnance Survey map.
The overall structure of the workout app has been simplified to make it easier to quickly navigate. Swiping to the left from any screen brings you to the workout controls. Swiping to the right brings up the media controls.
Swiping up from the map will bring you to the detailed workout stats, organized by type. You can quickly see your current heart rate zone, your speed or the elevation gain you’ve accomplished on the walk.
This new layout allows for flexibility without fiddily-ness. I’ve taken this new layout out on dozens of all-day adventures and I can say with confidence it gets the job done. Pedometer++ is still the most capable workout app on the App Store, but now provides that power without visual complexity.
