RunFlex

Tracking a run

Your iPhone records where you go while you run, including with the screen locked, as long as RunFlex is allowed to use your location in the background. Here is how to set that up, and what to do if a run comes out wrong.

What permission does RunFlex need?

Location set to Always. When you start your first run, RunFlex asks iOS to let it keep using your location with the screen off, and iOS may ask you to confirm. If you missed that, go to Settings > Apps > RunFlex > Location and choose Always. Leave Precise Location on in the same place. Without it the phone only knows roughly where you are, and rough positions aren't counted towards your distance.

If location is switched off for RunFlex, the run screen says "Location permission denied. Please enable it in Settings."

It is also worth checking that Background App Refresh is on, in Settings > General > Background App Refresh.

What happens when my screen locks?

Recording carries on. RunFlex uses your location in the background only while a run is going, and iOS shows a blue location indicator at the top of the screen while it does. When you unlock the phone, the run screen catches up and draws the stretch you ran while it was locked.

Don't swipe RunFlex away in the app switcher during a run. That closes the app, and iOS stops its location updates with it.

What if I lose signal?

Under bridges or between tall buildings the phone can lose its fix. The top of the screen then reads "NO SIGNAL · HOLDING LAST HEADING", and your distance figures gain a "~" to show they are no longer live.

What if my trace has a gap?

When the signal comes back, RunFlex joins the two ends. If they are more than 500 metres apart, that jump isn't added to your distance, so a long gap can leave your run short. Positions the phone isn't confident about are left out too.

You can't edit a run's distance in the app. If a gap has cost you distance, write to us with the date and roughly where you ran.

How do I pause?

Tap the round button at the bottom right. The screen dims, the top reads Paused, and a Stopped for timer counts how long you've stopped. The run clock stops, and anything you cover while paused isn't counted. Tap the same button again to carry on. RunFlex never pauses on its own.

How do I finish?

Tap the square button beside the pause button. RunFlex asks "End and save your run?" so you can't end a run by accident. Tap End and save to go straight to your summary, or Keep running. A run shorter than 100 metres isn't saved.

What you'll see afterwards is in After the run. If you run with your watch instead, see Apple Watch.

Still stuck? Write to support@runflex.app.