HiiKER Watch App: Complete Guide

Welcome to the HiiKER watch app! This guide will help you get set up and make the most of navigation, hike browsing, offline maps, and recording directly from your wrist.

Compatibility

The HiiKER watch app is available for:

Android: Wear OS compatible smartwatches
iOS: Apple Watch (all compatible models)

Your watch must be paired with your phone running the HiiKER mobile app for full functionality.

Installing the Watch App

For Android (Wear OS):

Open the Google Play Store on your smartwatch
Search for “HiiKER”
Tap “Install” to download the app
The app will automatically sync with your HiiKER mobile app

For iOS (Apple Watch):

Update to the latest version of the HiiKER app on your iPhone
Open the Watch app on your iPhone
Scroll down to find HiiKER in the list of available apps
Toggle “Show App on Apple Watch” to ON (or tap “Install”)

Once installed, ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone and that your HiiKER mobile app is running for the best experience.

The Main Map

When you open the HiiKER watch app, the map will automatically load and display your current location. Your position is shown with a blue dot on the map, making it easy to see where you are at a glance.

The map screen includes the following controls and information:

Coordinates bar — Displays your current grid reference (e.g. N 1234 2019) at the top of the screen. Tap it to recenter the map on your location.
Scale bar — Shows distance markers (e.g. 0, 100, 250) so you can judge distances on the map
+ / − zoom buttons — Tap to zoom in or out on the map
Compass / direction button — Lock the map to your current heading for easier navigation on the trail
Location button — Quickly recenter the map on your current GPS position
Menu button — Opens the Explorer menu (see below)

The map is locked to north for consistent orientation, and 3D terrain and map pitching are disabled on the watch to optimize performance and battery life.

The Explorer Menu

Tap the menu button on the map screen to open the Explorer menu. From here you can:

Find a Hike — Browse and search for hikes, view your saved hikes, recordings, and hike lists
Start a recording — Begin recording a new hike directly from your watch

The Explorer menu also displays your current app version at the bottom of the screen.

Map Navigation Controls

The HiiKER watch app supports intuitive map navigation:

Dragging/Swiping:

Swipe or drag your finger across the screen to pan the map
Explore the area around you or view upcoming sections of your route

Zooming:

Use the + / − buttons on screen to zoom in and out
You can also use the digital crown (Apple Watch) or rotating bezel/buttons (Wear OS) to zoom
Double tap and drag up/down for one-handed zoom control

Tap to show/hide controls:

Tap the screen to toggle the on-screen map controls and buttons
Hide them for a cleaner map view, or show them when you need to interact

Choosing Map Styles & PRO+ Maps

You can choose from multiple map styles on your watch — on both Apple Watch and Wear OS. The available base map styles are:

Standard — The default base map
Satellite — Aerial satellite imagery

With an active HiiKER PRO+ subscription, you also have access to premium map styles:

Hiking+ — Topographic map optimized for hiking (PRO+)
National+ — National mapping agency maps such as OS Maps (PRO+)

PRO+ map styles are marked with a PRO+ badge. You can change map styles from the Maps screen on the watch, or change the style in the mobile app and it will automatically sync to your watch.

Downloading Offline Maps

Heading somewhere without mobile coverage? You can download offline maps directly to your watch so you always have access to your map on the trail.

To download an offline map:

Open the Maps screen on your watch — you’ll see the heading “Select map to download”
Choose your preferred map style (Standard or Satellite). Tap the download arrow next to the map you want.
On the “Choose map” screen, confirm the map style you’d like to download
Select the area you’d like to download — a green boundary overlay will appear on the map. Use the + / − buttons to adjust the area. If the area is too large, you’ll see a warning asking you to zoom in.
Tap the checkmark button to start the download — a progress percentage will appear (e.g. “Downloading 35%”)
When complete, you’ll see a green checkmark confirming the download is finished

You can also download offline maps for official hikes directly from the hike detail screen, or pre-cache your saved hikes and lists for offline use.

To close the Maps screen without downloading, tap the Close or X button.

To clear downloaded maps and free up storage, go to More → Clear offline maps.

Browsing Hikes on Your Watch

You can browse and explore hikes directly from your wrist. Tap Find a Hike from the Explorer menu to access:

My Hikes — View all your saved hikes with trail name, distance, duration, and elevation details
Search for a hike — Find hikes by name or location
My Recordings — Access your previously recorded hikes
My Hike Lists — Browse your curated lists (e.g. “Weekend hikes”, “Bucket lists”) with the number of hikes and date

Viewing Hike Details

Tap on any hike to see its full details, including:

Trail name and location
Distance, estimated duration, and elevation gain
Difficulty rating (e.g. Easy, Medium, Hard)
An elevation profile chart

From the hike detail screen, you can tap Map to view the trail on the map, or tap Record to start recording that specific trail.

Sending Hikes to Your Watch

You can also send hikes from the HiiKER mobile app directly to your watch. This is useful for pre-loading official hikes or your own custom routes before heading out. Open the hike on your phone and use the Send to Watch option to transfer it.

How Do I Start Recording?

You can start a recording in two ways:

Option 1: Start from your phone

Start a recording on your HiiKER mobile app as usual
The recording will automatically sync to your connected watch

Option 2: Start directly from your watch

Open the Explorer menu and tap Start a recording
You’ll see a confirmation prompt: “Start a recording?” with START and CANCEL options
Tap START and a countdown timer (3, 2, 1…) will begin before recording starts

You can also start recording a specific trail from the hike detail screen by tapping Record — this will overlay the trail route on your map during recording.

During a Recording

While recording, your watch displays your route on the map in real time with a coloured recording line. The map shows your current position and the path you’ve taken.

Viewing Recording Stats

Swipe or tap the arrow buttons to navigate from the map to your live recording stats. The stats screen displays:

Time — Elapsed recording duration
Location — Your current grid reference or coordinates
Total Distance — Distance covered so far
Total Elevation — Cumulative elevation gain
Highest Elevation — Peak altitude reached
Avg. Speed — Your average pace
Highest Speed — Your top speed during the recording
Current Time — The time of day

The stats screen also includes a live elevation profile chart showing your ascent and descent over the course of the hike. All units (metric or imperial) sync automatically from your mobile app settings.

Recording Controls

Access the recording controls by navigating through the stats pages:

Pause — Temporarily stop recording (great for lunch breaks or rest stops). Pausing on your phone will also pause on the watch, and vice versa.
Resume — Continue recording after a pause. Resuming on either device syncs across both.
Finish — End your recording when you’ve completed your hike

How Do I Finish a Recording?

When you’ve completed your hike:

Navigate to the recording controls screen
Tap Pause to stop recording
Tap Finish to end the recording

You’ll see a “Nicely done!” confirmation screen. From here you have two options:

Quick Save on Watch:

Tap Quick Save directly on your watch
Your recording will be saved with default settings
Perfect for quick saves when you’re tired or in a hurry
You’ll see a quick summary of your hike stats after saving

Add Details in Mobile App:

Tap Add details in app to switch to the HiiKER mobile app on your phone
Add a title, description, photos, and other details
Provides more control over how your hike is saved and shared

If you finish a recording on your phone, the watch will automatically return to the home screen with a message to “start recording a hike on app”. Discarding a recording on your phone will also return the watch to the home screen.

Phone & Watch Connection

The watch app works in tandem with your phone. Here’s what to expect in different scenarios:

Watch disconnected during recording — If your watch loses connection to your phone, the mobile app will continue running the recording independently. You won’t lose any data.
Phone shuts down during recording — If your phone powers off or the app closes while recording, your watch will display a notification letting you know the recording is no longer being captured. You should save or restart the recording on your phone when possible.
Offline recording — You can continue recording on the watch even when offline. The recording data will sync when connectivity is restored.

More Options

Additional options are accessible from the More screen:

Clear offline maps — Remove downloaded map data to free up storage space on your watch
App information — View the current app version

Troubleshooting

The Watch App Won’t Install

Android (Wear OS):

Ensure your watch is running Wear OS 3.0 or later
Check that your watch has sufficient storage space
Try restarting your watch and attempting installation again
Verify that your watch is connected to Wi-Fi or your phone’s internet connection

iOS (Apple Watch):

Ensure your Apple Watch is running watchOS 10 or later
Check that your iPhone has the latest HiiKER app version installed
Restart both your iPhone and Apple Watch
Try toggling “Automatic App Install” in the Watch app settings

The Watch App Won’t Connect to My Phone

Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on both devices
Check that the HiiKER mobile app is running on your phone (it can be in the background)
Try force-closing and reopening both apps
Restart both your watch and phone
Ensure both apps are updated to the latest version

GPS Location Not Showing

Verify that location permissions are enabled for HiiKER on your phone
Check that GPS is enabled on your watch (some watches have independent GPS settings)
Try stepping outside if you’re indoors — GPS signals can be weak inside buildings
Wait 30–60 seconds for GPS to acquire a signal, especially on first use
Restart the watch app

Recording Not Syncing Between Devices

Ensure Bluetooth connection is active between your phone and watch
Check that the HiiKER mobile app is running on your phone
Try pausing and resuming the recording
If the recording appears stuck, save it on your phone and start a new recording
Ensure both devices have sufficient battery (low battery can affect Bluetooth performance)

Map Not Loading or Appearing Blank

Check your internet connection (for initial map downloads)
Verify that location permissions are granted
Try zooming out to see if map tiles load at different zoom levels
Restart the watch app
If using offline maps, ensure they’ve been downloaded first via the Maps screen or the mobile app

Premium Maps Not Showing

Confirm your PRO+ subscription is active in the mobile app
Try changing the map style on the watch or in the mobile app and switching back
Ensure the watch app has synced recently (open it while near your phone)
Restart both the watch app and mobile app
Check that your watch has adequate storage for map data

Battery Draining Quickly

GPS and constant screen usage will drain battery faster than normal watch use
Consider reducing screen brightness
Use the watch app intermittently rather than keeping it constantly open
Pause recordings during extended breaks
Ensure your watch battery is healthy (older batteries may not hold charge as well)

App Crashes or Freezes

Ensure you’re running the latest version of the watch app (check in More → App information)
Try uninstalling and reinstalling the watch app
Clear the app cache (Android: Settings > Apps > HiiKER > Storage > Clear Cache)
Restart your watch
Report persistent crashes to [email protected] with details about when the crash occurs

Coordinates or Stats Not Updating

Check that GPS is actively acquiring your location (look for GPS icon)
Try tapping the coordinates bar to recenter the map on your location
Restart the recording if stats appear frozen
Ensure your watch hasn’t entered power-saving mode
Check that the mobile app is still recording if you started there
Verify your coordinate system and units match your preference — these sync from your mobile app settings

Can’t See Recording Controls

Tap the arrow buttons (< >) to navigate between stat pages
Swipe left or right to cycle through different views
Ensure a recording is actually active (check the mobile app)
Try force-closing and reopening the watch app

Best Practices for Watch App Use

Battery Management:

Charge your watch fully before long hikes
Consider bringing a portable charger for multi-day treks
Use airplane mode when you don’t need notifications to save battery
Download offline maps in advance over Wi-Fi to avoid draining battery on the trail

GPS Accuracy:

Allow 30–60 seconds for GPS lock before starting your hike
Keep your watch on your wrist rather than in a pocket for best GPS reception
In areas with poor GPS (dense forest, canyons), your position may drift slightly

Recording Tips:

Start recordings from your phone for hikes with pre-loaded routes, or start directly from the watch via the Explorer menu for open sessions
Use the pause feature during breaks to maintain accurate distance tracking
Quick save on your watch, then add photos and details later from your phone
Your recording stats on the watch will match your mobile app — they stay in sync

Map Usage:

Download offline maps directly on the watch via the Maps screen, or via the mobile app, before heading into areas without service
Use PRO+ map styles like Hiking+ or National+ for the best trail detail
Pre-cache your hikes and lists so they’re ready to browse on the watch even when offline
Clear offline maps periodically via More → Clear offline maps to free up watch storage

Need More Help?

If you’re experiencing issues not covered in this guide:

Email us at [email protected]
Include your device model, operating system version, and a description of the issue
Screenshots or screen recordings are helpful for troubleshooting

We’re continuously improving the HiiKER watch app based on user feedback. Share your experiences and suggestions with us — your input helps make HiiKER better for everyone!

Happy hiking!
The HiiKER Team