FAQ · Ghost Runner
Ghost Runner FAQ
What is Ghost Runner?
Ghost Runner is an app for iPhone and Apple Watch. It turns your Apple Health runs into Routes, and you race the ghost of a past run on your wrist: same streets, same distance, your own time.
How does racing a past run work?
On the iPhone, open a Route and send it to the Watch. Go to the start, choose Race on the Watch and run. The Watch shows how many seconds you are ahead of or behind the ghost. Race up to six ghosts at once and it shows your place too. See the step-by-step guide.
Do I need my iPhone with me during the run?
No. Once the Route is on your Apple Watch, you can start and finish a race with the iPhone at home. Save offline maps on the iPhone first and the Watch needs no signal. The run saves to Apple Health.
Which devices do I need?
An iPhone with iOS 18 and a paired Apple Watch with watchOS 11. Racing needs the Apple Watch.
Is Ghost Runner free, and how do I get it?
It’s free. Right now Ghost Runner is a beta through Apple’s TestFlight: install TestFlight from the App Store, then open the Ghost Runner beta and tap Accept, then Install. The beta has a limited number of places.
Where does my data go?
Your Health data stays on your iPhone, and you don’t need an account to race. Sharing is optional: a challenge shares its course and times with the people who join, never your heart rate. Read how sharing works.
How do challenges with friends work?
Open a saved run and tap Create Challenge; its time is the one to beat. Send the link: friends see a preview first, and joining takes a separate tap. They race it on their own Apple Watch, and the best posted times are ranked. Your finishes stay private until you post them. Sharing uses Sign in with Apple. For more, a group of up to 50 runners can race one course in weekly or monthly seasons, with points every period.
How is Ghost Runner different from Apple Watch Race Route?
Race Route is part of the Workout app on Apple Watch. It races your last or best time on a route you’ve repeated at least twice, on an outdoor run or ride. Ghost Runner is a separate app: you choose which runs to race, up to six at once, one run is enough, and you can race friends. See the full comparison.
Can I follow a route or course?
Yes. Choose Run Course on the Watch to follow a Route without racing. The Watch guides you to the finish, and to each turn you add under the Route’s Guidance. If you leave the route, a flag shows where to rejoin. You can also import a GPX course on the iPhone and run it; it comes with suggested turns to review.
Does it work with runs I recorded before installing it?
Yes. Ghost Runner reads the outdoor runs and their routes that Apple Health already has, older ones included, and sorts them into Routes you can race. Indoor runs have no route, so they can’t become ghosts.