Common questions, straight answers.

Cardio Command requires Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26. Series 6 introduced the improved optical heart rate sensor and the hardware needed for always-on display. Series 4 and 5 won't work — the HR sensor and the S6 chip are both required for the 5-second sampling cadence the game depends on.

No. The Watch app runs completely standalone. Your iPhone doesn't need to be in range during a climb — the Watch stores everything locally and syncs to the iPhone app automatically via iCloud (CloudKit). As long as both devices are signed into the same Apple ID and have an internet connection, your climbs will appear on your iPhone within seconds of completing them.

Cardio Command asks for three permissions: heart rate (read + write), workouts (write), and activity (read). Heart rate is required — it's what powers the whole game. The workout write permission lets your climbs appear in the Health app like any other workout. Activity read is used to sanity-check zone estimates during onboarding. You can deny activity read and the app still works.

Heart rate zones are ranges of effort defined as percentages of your maximum heart rate. Zone 1 is easy (50–60%), Zone 5 is all-out (90–100%). During onboarding you choose Option A (read your zones from Apple Health, where watchOS computes them from your workout history and VO2 max estimate) or Option B (enter your max HR manually and the app calculates from there). Option A is more accurate if you have workout history. You can recalibrate any time via Settings → Recalibrate Zones.

Yes, if battery life matters to you. Always-On Display alone costs roughly 30% of daily battery. For a 30-minute climb the difference is noticeable. The app shows a reminder during onboarding. The game works fine either way — when your wrist is down, the display simplifies to a minimal "still running" state and restores full animation when you raise your wrist.

First, make sure the Watch is snug on your wrist — loose fit is the most common cause of poor optical HR readings. Cardio Command uses HealthKit's live workout query, which delivers a sample approximately every 5 seconds. If you haven't moved in a while (e.g., sitting during onboarding calibration) the readings can be slow to update. During an active workout the cadence is reliable. If the display shows the same number for more than 15 seconds during exercise, try re-seating the Watch on your wrist.

Two possibilities. First, your zone calibration may be off — if the bar consistently under-reads your effort, go to Settings → Recalibrate Zones and run Option B with a manual max HR. Second, optical HR sensors can lag by 10–20 seconds when HR is rising rapidly (like at the start of a sprint). The number you see is real, just slightly behind. The lag evens out over the course of a session.

The heart rate number disappears and the screen dims to a grey haze for 30 seconds. The zone bar is still visible — you can see roughly where you should be — but you lose the specific BPM readout. The haptics still fire (entering zone = double-tap, leaving zone = single sharp tap), so you can navigate without looking. Surviving the full 30 seconds while staying in zone earns the Whiteout Survivor badge.

Yes. Tap the Stop button at any time. The climb is saved as-is — your score, % in zone, and HR profile up to that point are recorded in a ClimbResult. You can earn badges from partial climbs (e.g., Whiteout Survivor, Streak Climber). The "summitReached" flag is only set true if you complete every phase of the main game — so partial stops don't count toward Range Master or Everest Conquered.

Open Cardio Command on the new Watch, go to Settings, and tap Restore Purchases. The App Store recognises your Apple ID and restores everything you've paid for. You don't need to repurchase. Your climb history syncs automatically via iCloud — as long as both your Watch and iPhone are signed into the same Apple ID, your full history will appear on your iPhone once the new Watch connects to the internet.

Yes. Pro includes Storm Shelter. If you already purchased Storm Shelter and then buy Pro, the App Store applies the $1.99 you paid as a credit toward the Pro price — you only pay the difference. If you buy Pro first, Storm Shelter is already in it; nothing extra to purchase.

No subscription. Pro and Storm Shelter are one-time purchases. Pay once, keep forever. There are no recurring charges, no auto-renewals, nothing. Future content packs (if they happen) will be separate optional purchases — never retroactive charges.

Refunds are handled by Apple. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with the Apple ID you used to purchase, and request a refund from there. I can't process refunds directly — all billing flows through the App Store.