Nike plus is a minus on iOS 4

While iOS 4 is a significant upgrade to Apple's multi-touch operating system, it is not without its quirks. And one of these quirks (an extremely annoying one) is the Nike+ app. Simply put, the app is so buggy that it is almost unusable (the operative word here being "almost," since it takes a lot of fiddling around to get it to work correctly).

A search for "Nike+ iOS 4" on the Apple and Nike support forums and Google will produce a smorgasbord of user complaints. I'll address some of those here and offer some possible remedies.

Sensor not detected
First things first, let's talk about the sensor. The sensor is the little chip that slips inside of your Nikes (or other brand of shoes, if you use a pouch) and transmits your running data to your iPhone via a proprietary, low-power, 2.4 GHz radio protocol. Unfortunately, many users are finding that their iOS 4 devices are having difficulty establishing a connection with the sensor.

The first step you'll want to take to address this issue is to press the reset button on the back of the sensor several times (repeatedly and quickly). Don't hold the button down for too long, though, or it may actually put the sensor to sleep.

However, this may not work for everyone. Like the proximity sensor issue, resetting the settings on your iPhone has resolved sensor detection issues for many. To do this, make your way to Settings > General > Reset and tap on Reset All Settings.

Unable to resume workout
Normally, if you receive a phone call during a Nike+ run, the app will pause your current run when you answer the phone, and it will resume from where you left off after the call is over.

That's not the case anymore.

Many, myself included, have found that Nike+ won't resume tracking your run after any pause (be it a phone call or just manually pausing the workout). Instead of hearing "1.5 miles completed ... current pace: 8 minutes a mile," you're greeted with "zero miles completed ... current pace: zero minutes a mile."

The fix for this is simple (albeit annoying): prevent your workout from pausing. This means not pressing the pause button and avoiding things (ahem, phone calls) that would cause Nike+ to pause. I suggest turning on Airplane mode. Doing this means that you won't be able to listen to Pandora in the background (which has also been buggy for me), but unfortunately, it's the poison you must pick.

No spoken feedback
The spoken feedback capabilities of Nike+ have been seriously compromised by iOS 4. Ordinarily, a voice will inform you of your progress at certain milestones, such as every mile, the halfway point, and when you're 400 meters from your goal.

One fix for this is to avoid choosing a custom distance to run, which means that you will need to use the predefined distances.

Other bugs in the Nike+ app in iOS 4 include inaccurate mileage and the deletion of run history and calibration data.

Like the Clock, Camera, Photos, and Weather apps, the Nike+ app is a native app on both the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. And as a native iPhone app, updates to the Nike+ app come via updates to iOS. You can't just go the App Store and download an update. Thankfully, alternatives exist, including RunKeeper Pro and Runmeter, both of which track your distance via the iPhone's built-in GPS chip.

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Source: http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/

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While iOS 4 is a significant upgrade to Apple's multi-touch operating system, it is not without its quirks. And one of these quirks (an...

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tannah00

I'm giving up on Nike+ myself............

Question for fans of those alternative running apps like MotionXGPS and Runkeeper Pro - do those other apps post your runs to facebook/twitter? automatically? manually? if at all?

(i'll admit it, that was my favorite Nike+ feature! vanity is a great motivator and knowing that my runs were being automatically displayed for everyone i know kept my butt moving!!!)

August 18 2010 at 10:37 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

George K.

I'm echoing many of the above (negative) comments. It became clear to me some months ago that the Nike+ app simply wasn't being given enough attention, and the Nike+ website had too many problems. Its current major problem is the overload of Flash and the general slowness. But previously there were problems with maps, and I see that you still can't edit the details on a map.

The problem with running apps is that they have to be utterly reliable. Once you get addicted to using a running app, malfunctions are a real bummer. I myself gave Nike+ 3 strikes and then I moved on, first to MotionXGPS and then to Runkeeper Pro.

Right now I only have 2 major problems with RKPro. It doesn't have an auto pause feature, not a big deal, but more importantly the GPS on the iPhone isn't always up to snuff. Large trees combined with loop trails recently gave me a 5.5 minute mile average, completely inaccurate.

August 13 2010 at 5:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

sepirioth

Its also doesn't mark your minutes per mile on each mile anymore like it used to. And to any serious running your splits are a MUST on any of these apps. I dont care nearly as much what my average speed over 10 miles was during training, the first and last mile are warm up and cool down, I want to know what each one was done at.

August 13 2010 at 12:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

sepirioth

I used to love the nike+ on the 3gs now on the 4 its totally useless. being a developer I have told Apple about this numerous times in great detail, even went on a run with my buddy biking next to me connected to a laptop with a usb wire (yes extreme but they insisted they wont look at it unless I send them a log file of the problems in question happening, so I did it). They still havent done sh*t about it what a sham.

August 13 2010 at 12:36 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

bobm

I agree with the previous poster in that the Nike+ website is awful. The flash runs slow and it's just worth going there anymore.

My current problem is that my nano will reset if I pause a run for too long, too long is sadly the amount of time it takes to tie my shoes. The reset loses all of my current run data.

I'm thinking of abandoning the Nike+ system altogether with the upside being I can try other shoes (yes I know about the pod pockets for other shoes).

Sadly Nike is letting this get away from them, I mean look how long it took to get the heart rate monitor!

August 13 2010 at 12:35 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

jostarbuck

Thank you for posting this! I have had the exact same problems on both a latest-generation iPod Touch and an iPhone 4. It's enraging, frankly, what a crappy piece of software Nike+ is.

From the fact that you can't play a playlist on shuffle when you start the music through the app, to the fact that you can't ask it to provide feedback every mile when you're doing a basic run, to the fact that, with iOs 4 it deleted my 300+ mile history and refuses to operate when I pause a workout, this product is terrible.

August 12 2010 at 11:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chip Hawkins

Oops, forgot to put a link to the Wahoo Fitness site. Actually didn't realize you could put links in here: http://www.wahoofitness.com/

August 12 2010 at 6:55 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chip Hawkins

This is actually a dream come true for us at WahooFitness! We are launching a product on August 23 that lets you use a real Stride Sensor (by real I mean accurate to 98%) a Heart Rate Monitor and any other ANT+ (standard) compatible device on iPhone 3G, 3GS or 4. You can even use an iPad, but I recommend you do that on the treadmill. You can pick your app and your website too. I am biased, I work for Wahoo Fitness, but it is a great product that really makes Nike+ obsolete.

August 12 2010 at 6:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to Chip Hawkins's comment

Mark

$70 for the Stride sensor? I'll stick with Nike+ or move to RunKeeper!

August 15 2010 at 12:46 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chip Hawkins

Hi Mark,

It does cost a lot more than the Nike+ sensor, but it takes expensive components to accurately calculate your distance whether you are sprinting or jogging, trail running or running on a treadmill. The Wahoo Fitness sensor has two 3-Axis accelerometers and a powerful microprocessor that uses calculus to accurately determine the distance you foot travels with each step. It also has a replaceable battery, but it lasts at least 2 years before you need to change it. The Nike+ sensor has a small piezo speaker that does a decent job of telling how hard your foot hits the ground, but that changes with temperature and terrain. It just can't give you the guaranteed accurate results ours can. It isn't for everyone, but if accurate measurement is important, it probably is. It is also ANT+ compatible, so it works with other devices by Garmin and Timex if you don't always carry your phone. Plus we're getting some great Apps signed up, you will have choices. If a better App is available you can try it.

I believe I mentioned before I am probably biased toward the http://wahoofitness.com/ products, because I work there.

Chip

August 15 2010 at 5:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ben

My Nike+ has been freezing randomly if I change the song. The music keeps playing, but all functions on the iPhone are frozen. This has happened with three iPhones now.

August 12 2010 at 4:55 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Ben's comment

Ben

Forgot to add, it freezes and i have to restart the phone in order to get functionality back. This requires me to stop running (especially bad if I'm time trialing) and start a new workout, with no option to combine a workout.

August 12 2010 at 4:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

spicywa

Hmm , I have had no trouble. I even use it with other apps at the same time . Favorite combo is nike + , along with Cadence App

August 12 2010 at 4:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply