Bike App: Things to Consider if It Doesn't Work

Cycling is made wholesome by using a bike app, which tracks your heart rate, speed, and distance. But what if it doesn't work?

17:37 08 November 2022

Bike apps are excellent companions for anyone looking to make the most of their cycling experiences. The apps are valuable for tracking your heart rate, distance, and speed. Many professional cyclists have even confessed to using these apps to improve their careers.

The apps can only work on electric bikes and, like many other products, may frustrate many new users, especially when they need to be fixed. This article will provide you with insights on what could be the issue if your app starts giving you trouble or stops working.

You Don't have the Latest Version

Like any other mobile app, Bike apps may require regular updates to ensure they work efficiently. App servers ensure their apps are upgraded to provide quality software and remain competitive. The servers will eliminate bugs and ensure app infrastructure is well in place.

Cyclists should always check with their providers for updates and ensure that they download the latest version to avoid inconveniences.

Your Bike and Phone Could be Too Far Apart

As bike apps are typically connected to the bikes using Bluetooth connectivity, the problem of your bike app not working could allude to the fact that your e-bike and phone are too far apart.

Therefore, you must consider the distance between the phone and the bike before jumping to conclusions. Bluetooth connections will need a nearness of ten meters for an excellent pairing. Some bikes will allow a maximum of 30m. When buying an electric bike, you must check that it meets your needs and has the required features. You must also read the manual and ask questions where you don't understand.

Your Bike App Could be Connected to another Bike

If your bike app is opening but not pairing with your e-bike, it could be connected to another bike. So, don't conclude that it's malfunctioning right away. If before you had another e-bike or had connected to a friend's e-bike but never disconnected, there is a chance your e-bike is still connected to them.

You must also understand that Bluetooth connections are not user-specific, which can be good, especially when connecting your bike app with another bike.

If this is the case, you should disconnect your mobile Bluetooth connection and reconnect it later as you draw closer to your e-bike as it connects to the app since it will prioritize distance to your bike. It is also best to forget the connectivity with other devices to facilitate faster connectivity to your bike.

Your Phone Battery Could be Dying

Truthfully, the phone models are designed to work differently when the batteries are below a certain percentage. Most are usually designed to work slower to save power, which makes usage of some apps a bit harder.

You must consider your phone's battery if your bike cannot connect to your bike app. It is best first to charge your phone and make the connection later before making conclusions about failure.

If you find that there is still an issue, putting all other factors constant such as distance and version update, you can uninstall and then download another app to see if it connects.

Your Bluetooth and WiFi Features are Both On

Most people are unaware that it is challenging for your phone to connect via Bluetooth if the WIFI features are on. It is especially true if theWiFi signal is very low, which puts a strain on the Bluetooth signal.

Both features share the same frequency band of 2.4 Hz on your phone. The bandwidth is, therefore, on the low trajectory to make a possible Bluetooth connection. You must therefore ensure that your WiFi feature is switched off when you find out your bike app is having trouble connecting to your bike.

Your Phone Does Not Support the App Type

If your bike app is not working, it might be that the software is not compatible with your phone. So before downloading any bike app, check to see which phone models it is compatible with.

For instance, some apps will only function excellently if downloaded on an iPhone and vice versa. However, this is rare as model-specific apps can be downloaded on either the play store or app store for android and IOS devices, respectively.

The App Servers May Be Down

The servers supporting the specified app may be undergoing occasional maintenance, which could explain why the bike app may need to be fixed. The server could also be down due to a virus infestation, a bug in the code that finds the app, or poor management of data entered by the server host.

Therefore, before deleting the app and trying another, check to see if the bike app provider has issued a maintenance notification. And if there is, wait until the system is up and running again. But, if you need to use your bike app urgently, download another bike app with features that work great for you.

The Bike Battery is Dead

As bikes can only connect Bluetooth through their batteries, a bike app that's not working could indicate that your electric bike's battery is already dead.

You need to check the battery regularly to ensure it works properly. Therefore, you must remove the battery to let it charge once you notice it is dead and then reinstall it to see if the app will connect to the bike.

When charging your e-bike battery, you will notice that the LED light indicates red when it is partially charged and will turn green when it is fully charged.

Final Thoughts

Having made the above considerations, a cyclist can identify why his bike app is not working and take actionable steps to ensure he solves the problems found. If the app still does not work after all the above attempts, you should look for another app with features that meets your needs and is compatible with your phone.