The Apple Watch Ultra was probably the most hotly anticipated wearable last year and the interest in what many consider the best Apple Watch continues to this day. Although the watch was designed with adventurers in mind, I know many people who like using it for running training – and they will be delighted to know that there is a feature on the watch that allows you to start a running workout exactly when you want it.
There are many reasons why people love using the Ultra as a running watch. It has the largest display of all Apple Watches, allowing six data fields to be displayed during workouts (the otherwise brilliant Apple Watch Series 8 can only show five). Its dual-band GPS allows for better precision in challenging environments (no, not deserts; think urban areas with tall buildings).
The Apple Watch Ultra also has three buttons that can be easily located even if you aren't looking. One of these, the dedicated action button on the left, is programmable, letting you assign an action of your choice to it. This can be starting a workout when you press it once and marking a segment during your run when you press it again.
But that's not the hidden feature I wanted to share here (although it's pretty cool). There is a feature only accessible via the Watch app on your iPhone that lets you start a running workout exactly when you start it and without the usual countdown from three to one. The countdown is fine if you're a casual runner, but anyone taking running seriously (or at the start line of a race) wants the Ultra to lock onto the GPS signal and wait patiently for its cue.
What's Apple's Precision Start feature and how to activate it?
That's what Precision Start is for. You can turn on Precision Start in workout settings (Watch>Workout>Precision Start), which will show when you have a GPS signal and will skip the countdown automatically. This magical feature turns the Apple Watch Ultra into a full-fledged running watch as it allows you to start workout tracking at the exact point when you start running.
Not just that, but Precision Start ensures the Apple Watch Ultra is ready when needed with the GPS signal locked on. This is a feature that usually separates casual fitness trackers from actual multisport watches. Again, there is nothing wrong with people not giving 110% at every session, but it's nice to have the option to track workouts properly when it actually matters.
For now, Precision Start only works with the Apple Watch Ultra featuring WatchOS 9, but who knows, WatchOS 10 might open up this feature to other smartwatches, too (well, other Apple Watches). For more info on how to run with your Apple Watch, check out Apple's explainer (external link).
