If you’re hiking or exploring an area with no Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity, you can still rely on your Apple Watch to find your way back to the starting point with Backtrack. Backtrack is a feature in the Compass app that tracks your route from a starting location and points you in the correct direction to return to that location.
Here’s how to set up and use Backtrack to make sure you stay on track as you’re returning to the start of your hike, bike, run, or walk.
How to Start Tracking a Route on Your Apple Watch
To use Backtrack, you’ll have to activate it before you start your hike, bike, or walk. Then, it’ll run in the background, saving your route until you enter Retrace Steps mode.
The following Apple Watch models support Backtrack in the Compass app:
To activate Backtrack and begin tracing your route, simply open the Compass app and tap thefootprintsbutton. Then, enjoy your walk with the knowledge that your starting position and route along the way are being saved by your Apple Watch.
Backtrack doesn’t require a cellular network or Wi-Fi internet connectivity. It relies on the Apple Watch’s GPS to track and store your location. YourApple Watch doesn’t have to be connected to your iPhone, either.
How to Retrace Your Steps Using Backtrack
When it’s time to turn around and head back, enter Retrace Steps mode and follow your watch’s handy guide.
Here’s how to stop tracking your route and begin retracing your steps back to the start:
Limitations of the Backtrack Feature on watchOS 10
While your Apple Watch can steer you in the right direction and help you retrace your steps to a starting point, the Backpack feature lacks some important details that you’d find on a satellite or topographical map. For example, Backtrack doesn’t show you elevation information, landscape features (such as hills or cliffs), or other environmental objects, such as rivers.
That means you’ll only know which direction to go, but not what you may run into along the way.
Before you rely on this feature or any app on your iPhone or Apple Watch for navigation, you should make sure your device’s battery is charged sufficiently.
Find Your Way Back With Your Apple Watch’s Compass App
The next time you’re out exploring the wilderness, hiking in the mountains, or biking rural roads, count on your Apple Watch to help you find your way back, even if there’s no Wi-Fi to be found.
