Tuck your phone away and hike hands-free with AllTrails' brand new updates for Apple Watch

Do you love hiking with AllTrails but hate constantly looking at your phone when you're out in nature? Great news – the popular navigation app announced updates to its Apple Watch app today that make it easier for you to enjoy the trail.

Starting today, you can tuck your phone away in your backpack and use the new AllTrails compass feature on your watch whenever you need navigational guidance. You can also track your activity stats on your watch in real time via AllTrails if you want to keep an eye on how long you've been out on the trail, watch your pace , heart rate and how much elevation you've gained. You can even see how much time you have left before you can get back to the trailhead and take your hiking boots off.

“Now there’s no need to reach for your phone while taking in the views or holding your dog’s leash," says Ivan Selin, chief product officer at AllTrails.

"We built our Apple Watch app to make it easier than ever to explore the outdoors hands-free.”

If you use the Apple Health app, you can integrate your hike, run or ride into it so that it offers a more accurate screenshot of your activity level and health stats. And if you're an AllTrails+ subscriber, your watch will buzz to let you know if you've taken a wrong turn to help keep you safe.

The Apple Watch update joins AllTrails’ suite of watch experiences, which includes AllTrails on Android and Garmin watches .

When using a wearable for navigation on a hike, it's important to carry a portable charger in case your device runs out of battery and remember that for backcountry escapades, a backup topo map and compass will never run out of battery, so it's a good idea to pack them for backup.

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