OtterLife FAQ
Find answers to common questions below. If you cannot find what you need, please contact our support team: otterlife@iftech.ioIs my phone/watch compatible?
If you have an iOS device, we support:
1. Apple Watch (Fully Compatible)- Watch app (supports Apple Watch Series 4 and later models that support WatchOS 9)
- Phone app (supports iPhone 8 and later models that support iOS 16)
- Watch app - Not supported
- Phone app (If your smart device can write data to Apple Health, OtterLife can read it. However, these devices can only write limited data to Apple Health)
If you have an Android device, we support:
1. Any Huawei smart device- Watch app (supports Fit 3, Fit 4)
- Phone app (Select Huawei Health authorization as your data source)
- Watch/Band app - Not supported
- Phone app (Select Xiaomi Health or Zepp Life as your data source. For details, see OtterLife Xiaomi Band Connection Guide)
- Watch app - Not supported
- Phone app (Select Phone Tracking as your data source) There are currently no plans to integrate other health platforms on Android (Garmin, Redmi, Honor, etc.)
If you have a HarmonyOS NEXT device:
We are currently learning and developing support. Stay tuned!Are memberships and data shared between Android and iOS?
Currently, they are not shared because:- The data collection methods and available features differ between Android and iOS
- We do not store your health data in the cloud. Current data is read directly from various health apps, so health data migration is not supported.
- This may be supported in the future
Some data not showing on iOS
Reason 1: Your wearable device may not support that data
- If you are an Apple Watch user: Different Apple Watch models can collect different data. For example, Apple Watch SE cannot record blood oxygen or wrist temperature, which may result in some data being empty in the app.
- If you use other wearable devices: OtterLife can only read data stored in Apple Health. If the health app connected to your device does not support measuring or writing certain data, some data (such as HRV) may be empty in the app.
Reason 2: Wearable device data has not been updated
OtterLife relies on health data uploaded from fitness wearables like Apple Watch. If you are not wearing your watch or band during activities like exercise or sleep, we cannot access your health data.- HRV data: When you normally wear your Apple Watch, HRV data is automatically updated every 2-5 hours. There may be delays in data updates and notifications due to Apple’s system.
- You can also open the “Mindfulness” app on your watch, select the “Breathe” feature, and complete one session to update your latest data.
- Other data: Due to Apple Watch limitations, there is a certain interval between each data sync. If data does not update immediately, please try again later.
- If you are using other wearable devices, data may not have synced in time. Open the corresponding health app to sync.
Reason 3: Apple Health data permissions not authorized
- If you are using other health apps to track your body data but OtterLife has no data, the most likely reason is that data is not being shared with Apple Health.
- OtterLife relies on Apple Health authorization to ensure accurate and timely data updates, and to provide statistics and reminders. Not enabling all permissions will affect your ability to experience the full features of the product.
Android + Huawei device data sync issues
- OtterLife fetches data from Huawei Cloud, so the issue may be caused by your Huawei device not completing cloud sync. This is different from how Huawei Health obtains data. Please be patient and see if the data recovers on its own.
- Verify that the Huawei Health account logged into Huawei Health and OtterLife is the same.
Apple Watch Related
Cannot find “OtterLife” in “Complications” when adding watch face widgets, or watch widgets suddenly turn black?
- The “Watch” app on phone showing empty may be an Apple bug; the watch itself may not actually be empty
- Check the app list on your watch to see if “OtterLife” is installed. You can go to “Watch” -> “My Watch” and scroll to the bottom to check the installation status
- If you have successfully installed it on your watch, long-press the watch face -> “Edit” -> swipe left to “Complications”, find “OtterLife” and add it
- If “OtterLife” cannot be found in “Complications” on the watch, open “Watch” on your phone, find OtterLife -> “Don’t Show” -> scroll to the bottom of “Watch” and reinstall OtterLife
”Complication not available” message when adding watch face widgets on phone?
- This issue is mainly an Apple Watch bug, usually occurring during app updates
- Check if OtterLife has been successfully installed on your Apple Watch. If installed, long-press the watch face -> “Edit” -> swipe left to “Complications”, find “OtterLife” and add it
- If “OtterLife” cannot be found in “Complications” on the watch, open “Watch” on your phone, find OtterLife -> “Don’t Show” -> scroll to the bottom of “Watch” and reinstall OtterLife
App installation failed or stuck installing on watch?
- First, go to “Watch” -> “My Watch” and scroll to the bottom to check “OtterLife” installation status
- On the watch, open App Store, scroll to the bottom, find Account -> Purchased, locate “OtterLife” and tap to download
- Check if your phone and watch are connected to the same WiFi -> Disconnect and reconnect the watch WiFi, toggle airplane mode on and off
- Is Bluetooth connection normal? -> Disconnect and reconnect watch Bluetooth
- If your phone is using cellular data -> Check if there is a download confirmation popup on your watch
- Are you downloading multiple apps at once? -> Cancel all and download one at a time
- If none of the above helps, try restarting your watch by long-pressing the crown. If the issue persists, please contact customer support
Watch widget shows “No Data” or not updating properly?
- Check if you have authorized the relevant permissions. Go to “Settings” -> “Health” -> “Apps & Services” -> “OtterLife” on your watch, and select “Turn All On”
- Is there new data?
- If none of the above helps, please contact customer support at otterlife@iftech.io
What is the Body Energy watch face?
- Body Energy is an estimate of the energy you use to complete a task. It measures the intensity of exercise and other daily activities, expressed in METs (kcal/(kg*hour)).
- Since everyone’s metabolism is different, Body Energy can be used as an indicator of activity intensity.
- For example: Walking (about 3 km/h) is a 2 MET activity, requiring twice the energy of resting.
- When your activity intensity increases, your metabolism speeds up, and you start to lose weight.
- The watch face updates every 20 minutes. Here is the correspondence between watch face text and Body Energy:
- Not Burning: Metabolic equivalent ≤ 4 MET
- Burning: 4 MET ＜ Metabolic equivalent ≤ 5 MET
- Rapid Burning: Metabolic equivalent > 5 MET
- No Data: Not authorized or no data for over 24 hours
Desktop Widget Related
Does Android have desktop widgets?
Go to Settings -> Widgets to viewHow to add desktop widgets on iOS? How often do widgets refresh?
- Long-press an empty area on the home screen, tap the ”+” button in the upper left corner, search for “OtterLife” and select the widget you want to add
- Widgets refresh every 15 minutes, but due to iOS system refresh limitations, widget updates may be delayed. Tapping the widget to enter the app will refresh the data immediately.
Data Related Questions
HRV
What is HRV?
HRV, also known as Heart Rate Variability, measures the tiny differences in your heart rate between each beat. HRV can reflect your body’s ability to handle stress, fatigue, or illness.Is HRV scientifically valid?
When the body encounters stress, it primarily responds through the autonomic nervous system. Under stress, the sympathetic nervous system becomes more active, speeding up the heart and reducing the interval between beats, which decreases HRV. In relaxed or recovery states, the parasympathetic nervous system is more active, slowing the heart and lengthening the interval between beats, which increases HRV.What makes for better HRV?
Everyone’s HRV readings are unique, influenced by many factors including age and gender. Therefore, compared to a single high or low HRV reading, stable HRV data over time can more accurately reflect an individual’s health status. So don’t be anxious about occasional low HRV readings!Understanding HRV more intuitively!
Stable HRV data can more accurately reflect your health status, so we calculate your 30-day HRV average and tell you what state your body is in: When HRV is much higher than average: Something good happened. When HRV is in the normal range: Full of energy. When HRV is much lower than average: Under pressure.Why is my HRV data different from Apple Health?
Because Apple Health uses the SDNN algorithm, while we use the rMSSD algorithm. Simply put, SDNN evaluates long-term heart rate variability, while rMSSD focuses more on short-term heart rate variability, making it more suitable for observing daily HRV changes.How often is data updated?
When you normally wear your Apple Watch, your HRV data is automatically updated every 2-5 hours. There may be delays in data updates and notifications due to Apple’s system. Thank you for your understanding. You can also open the “Mindfulness” app on your watch, select the “Breathe” feature, and complete one session to update your latest data.Can it update in real-time?
You can switch the data mode to “Real-time Stress” to update data every 6 minutes.Sleep
Why is my Apple Watch sleep data not being recorded?
Enable sleep tracking
First, make sure your Apple Watch has sleep tracking enabled and you have worn the Watch to sleep for at least 7 days, so Apple Watch can learn your sleep habits and generate more accurate sleep data. For more accurate sleep tracking, set a sleep schedule and sleep goal. Additionally, if each sleep session is less than 4 hours, sleep data cannot be generated. Set Sleep Schedule Open the “Watch” app on your phone, select “Sleep” -> “Manage Sleep Focus Mode in Settings” -> Set “Sleep Schedule”. If you don’t turn off sleep mode after waking up, sleep will be recorded until the end of sleep mode.Why can my phone no longer record sleep?
After the iOS 18 update, it is no longer possible to record sleep duration using the phone.Does it support reading sleep data from other apps?
Go to the sleep detail page, tap settings in the upper right corner, and select a sleep source to switch the data source. Select “Smart Selection” to prioritize displaying data sources with sleep stages (Apple Watch preferred).Is sleep duration incorrect?
Check if you have modified the sleep statistics divider time. The app uses this time to separate sleep statistics. It is recommended to set it to any time between the latest end time of naps and the earliest start time of nighttime sleep.How to record naps
After updating to watchOS 11, if you have enabled sleep tracking, wearing your Apple Watch will automatically record naps without any extra steps. Naps under 30 minutes are unlikely to be detected by the watch. Naps over 30 minutes may be recorded, but the recorded data will not include sleep stages (such as deep sleep or light sleep). The longer you sleep, the more likely it will be recorded. Sleep of 2 hours or more - Only sleep sessions over 2 hours may record sleep stage information.Menstrual Cycle
How to view wrist temperature data
- Only Apple Watch S8, 9, 10, Ultra, and Ultra 2 models are supported
- Turn on “Track Sleep with Apple Watch” to set up “Sleep”.
- To establish a temperature baseline, make sure Sleep Focus mode is on, then wear your Apple Watch during sleep.
- You must track sleep for at least four hours each night to collect wrist temperature data from Apple Watch. Wrist temperature data will be available after approximately five nights.
Fitness and Exercise Tracking
- If there are no recent exercise records, the Fitness module in the navigation bar will be hidden
- iOS only supports exercises recorded from Apple Watch; exercises from other devices are not supported
- Huawei only supports exercises recorded from Huawei watches/bands; exercises from phone courses are not supported
- Xiaomi and phone sources do not support exercise recording