How to Start and Accept an Apple Watch Competition
Share Activity, invite a friend, and accept an Apple Watch competition from iPhone or Apple Watch with the current setup steps.
To start an Apple Watch competition, you must first share Activity with the other person. Then open Fitness > Sharing on iPhone or Activity > Sharing on Apple Watch, select the friend, choose Compete, and send the invitation. The seven-day competition begins after the friend accepts. Source: Share your activity from Apple Watch.
Apple's built-in competition is between two people. You can share Activity with several friends, but each competition is a separate 1v1 challenge.
Before you start
Confirm that:
- both people use an Apple Watch with a paired iPhone
- both people are signed in to their Apple Accounts
- both iPhones can connect to the internet
- Activity Sharing is already active between the two people
- Fitness on iPhone and Activity on Apple Watch show current ring data
Sharing Activity and starting a competition are two separate steps. Adding a friend does not automatically start a competition.
How to start a competition on iPhone
- Open the Fitness app.
- Tap Sharing.
- Tap the friend you want to compete with.
- Tap Compete.
- Tap Invite [friend's name].
- Wait for the friend to accept.
If the person is not listed under Sharing, send an Activity Sharing invitation first.
How to start a competition on Apple Watch
- Open the Activity app on Apple Watch.
- Tap the Sharing button.
- Choose a friend.
- Scroll down and tap Compete.
- Tap Invite [friend's name].
- Wait for the friend to accept.
Apple also says a Competition option may appear when you receive an Activity-sharing notification about that friend.
How to accept a competition invitation
Open the competition notification and choose the option to accept. If the notification is no longer visible, check the friend's entry under Fitness > Sharing on iPhone or the Sharing view in Activity on Apple Watch.
Apple's public guide explains that the sender waits for the friend to accept, but interface wording can vary by current iOS and watchOS version. If no invitation appears, use the competition invite troubleshooting guide.
When does the competition start?
The competition begins after the invitation is accepted and lasts seven days. Apple awards one point for every percentage point added to the Activity rings, with a maximum of 600 points per day and 4,200 for the week.
Read the complete competition rules or see how competition points are calculated before the first day.
Common setup problems
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Friend is not listed | Send or accept an Activity Sharing invite first |
| Compete button is missing | Confirm Activity Sharing is active and software is current |
| Invite is pending | Ask the recipient to check Fitness, Activity, and notifications |
| Error sending invitation | Check internet and Apple Account status on both iPhones |
| Sharing tab is missing | Update every Watch paired to that iPhone |
If the competition started but the score is stale, use Apple Watch competition not updating instead.
How to compete with more than one friend
Apple's built-in system does not create one shared competition for three or more people. You can run several 1v1 competitions at the same time, but each has its own opponent and score.
If your goal is one leaderboard for a family, team, or friend group, compare the options in Can you do a group competition on Apple Watch?.
Starting a challenge for more than two people?
- Create one challenge for the whole group
- Follow a shared Apple Watch leaderboard
- Keep weekly competition simple to follow
Related guides
- How to invite a friend to an Apple Watch competition
- Competition invitation not working
- Apple Watch competition rules
- Apple Watch group competitions
Competo is independent and not affiliated with Apple.