New Xert iOS EBC App Available in Beta

General
1

Hi everyone! :waving_hand: We’ve rewritten the Xert iOS app from the ground up using Apple’s native UI framework. The interface will feel familiar if you’ve used the app before: the visual changes are intentionally subtle, but everything underneath is new!

Xert EBC iOS Beta-cropped
Xert EBC iOS Beta-cropped1692×930 289 KB

The core functionality is all here; a few smaller polish items (animations, spacing, that kind of thing) are still being refined ahead of the official release.

How to Join

  1. Tap this link on your iOS device: Join the Xert EBC beta - TestFlight - Apple
  2. If you don’t already have the TestFlight app, you’ll be prompted to install it from the App Store — do that, then return to the link.
  3. Once TestFlight is installed, the link will let you install the Xert EBC beta.

What’s New!

Magic Buckets - New to iOS

Magic Buckets are now available on the app for the first time! No need to select a workout, the app will use your Low/High/Peak targets for the day to create your workout on the fly. Can be used for indoor or outdoor rides!

Magic Buckets iOS
Magic Buckets iOS1320×2868 293 KB

Free Ride or Follow a Workout - Indoors or Outdoors

You can now start a free ride or follow along with a structured workout in either an indoor or outdoor mode.

Note: Sensors are remembered separately for indoor vs. outdoor - so the app will automatically connect to sensors based on where you’re planning to train.

Pre Ride Screen
Pre Ride Screen1320×2868 219 KB

Customizable Data Fields

Data screens for both indoor and outdoor rides can now be customized to show the fields that matter to you. During an activity, tap on a data cell to bring up all metrics in that data “group”.

Custom data fields
Custom data fields1320×2868 217 KB

Light & Dark Mode

The app now supports both Light and Dark mode:

Light Mode
Light Mode1320×2868 197 KB
Dark Mode
Dark Mode1320×2868 278 KB

Note: By default, the app will use your devices preferred setting, but can be adjusted in Settings > Display menu.

Redesigned Trainer Control Panel

For indoor workouts and free rides, the trainer control panel has been redesigned. Tap to select your desired trainer mode, then use the +/- buttons to adjust, or tap the value itself to bring up a scroll wheel for faster adjustments.

Workout Trainer Control
Workout Trainer Control360×782 52.3 KB
Freeride Trainer Control
Freeride Trainer Control360×782 46.3 KB
Adjustable Scroll Wheel
Adjustable Scroll Wheel360×782 41.1 KB

  • AUTO — follows along with structured workouts, and automatically transitions the trainer to slope mode for Xert’s advanced Mixed Mode workouts
  • FIXED — holds a fixed resistance level (e.g. 100 W, in 5W increments)
  • SLOPE — holds a fixed gradient (e.g. 1.0%, in 0.5% increments)
  • RES (Resistance) — holds a fixed trainer resistance level (varies by manufacturer; 1% increments)

Landscape Mode for Activity Recording

Landscape orientation is now supported! :partying_face: If you have the hardware for it, we’d especially love to hear from iPad users, and anyone able to test mirroring to AppleTV for an easier viewing experience.

iOS - Landscape
iOS - Landscape782×360 49.8 KB

What We Need You to Test

Since this is a complete rewrite from the ground up, everything in the app is new! So please don’t limit yourself to the list below; if you find yourself in a part of the app we haven’t called out, poke around and let us know how it goes.

That said, here’s where we’d suggest starting, since these are the areas we most want confirmed working:

  1. Sensor connectivity — pairing and staying connected, both indoors and outdoors
  2. Workout flow — selecting, starting, and ending workouts
  3. Magic Buckets — indoors and outdoors
  4. Landscape orientation — iPad, and AppleTV mirroring if you have it available

How to Report What You Find

Reply in this thread with:

  • What you were testing
  • What happened — including whether it’s a bug, something confusing, or just a rough visual edge
  • Screenshot or screen recording (if you’ve got one) demonstrating the issue
  • Device + iOS version

App crashes or something that’s really broken? Please don’t post those here. Email them directly to support@xertonline.com so we can track and follow up on them properly. Include your device, iOS version, and a screenshot or recording if possible.

Thanks for helping put the app through its paces. :folded_hands:

2 Likes
5

What you were testing

Just playing with the new UI.

What happened

Found incorrectly scaled preview images in the workout list (Ride > Workout).
When I first opened the list all preview images were scaled incorrectly.
After leaving and re-entering the list, the preview images were scaled correctly.
When scrolling down and back up again, all preview images except the first (“workout ready”) are scaled incorrectly.

Screenshot

image
image2360×1640 207 KB

Device

iPad Air (5. gen), iOS 26.6.1, landscape

6

Thanks! Activity & Workout thumbnails should resize dynamically as expected in the latest release :slight_smile:

7

Here’s my nitpick list so far – :smiley:
Since I’m mostly an Android user I’m comparing to that version of EBC.
I assume the main Beta group is comprised of iPhone users not familiar with EBC Android.
Many of these suggestions are cosmetic rather than the functional feedback being asked for but I did say nitpicking. :exploding_head:
I realize everything can’t be the same between iOS and Android. No doubt some changes will require an Android update to match what’s new on iOS.

Test: Airplane mode enabled; Wi-Fi off.
Beta starts and displays home page header but no message.
Auto-loads as soon as airplane mode is disabled or Wi-Fi is connected.
Old iOS app: “Please check your data connection. Functions will be limited.”
Android: “Your data connection is off-line.” and you need to swipe down to refresh sync once connection is available.
Auto-load is good, but I think a warning message would be useful when nothing is happening.

If app is recording and closed it jumps back into the activity directly instead of flashing “Recovering in-progress activity…” like it does on Android.

Weather doesn’t show any stats when tapped,
Android shows details like wind, sunrise/sunset, daylight left.

The way Android handles black cells/tiles in dark mode is with an outline which makes them pop on the black background.

Screenshot_20260902-163622~2
Screenshot_20260902-163622~21080×2400 157 KB

There is also a header on the Android Activity page.
That doesn’t matter on an iPhone but without the header the Ride screen scrunches up at top of screen on iPad.

iOS Beta: Home | Ride | Settings
Android: Home | Activity | Settings
Does Activity make more sense?

Unless you can find road cyclist and trainer icons, I think you should nix the runner and weight-lifter icons currently shown for Outdoor/Indoor selection box.

What does the time above the Sun icon for Weather indicate? Time of last weather update?

Build 149 is allowing screen time outs during an indoor workout or outdoor recording instead of maintaining foreground control.
It does this on iPhone 12/18.72 but not on iPad 5th/16.7.15.
It’s not an Auto-dim issue.

I notice ERG mode is called FIXED now which I think makes more sense since most users associate “ERG” as under trainer control which is what AUTO provides.
Separate buttons for modes would be a welcome addition to the Android app.

Now on to a missing feature I consider essential. :smiley:
Ideally cadence and HR would fit on the standard rainbow gauge :crossed_fingers: like this mockup with chainring (x) and heart icons –

AddCadHRtoEBCgauge
AddCadHRtoEBCgauge1170×838 56.1 KB

If that won’t work what about squeezing TGT and Next together?

AddCadHRtoEBCtargets
AddCadHRtoEBCtargets1118×456 31.3 KB

HR on XMB rainbow gauge could work as a transparent overlay on the CL ladder –

AddCadHRtoEBC_MBgauge
AddCadHRtoEBC_MBgauge1166×752 79.8 KB

Plus add cadence/HR overlays on the power chart –

AddCadHRtoEBCchart
AddCadHRtoEBCchart1168×1308 103 KB

This way cadence and HR are shown at all times during a workout and they match Connect IQ XMB positions.

On to functional testing… I’ll be back. :wink:

8

Did my first indoor workout with the Beta (build 145) today.

Here are some things, I noticed:

  • I’m very happy with the fact that I can run the app on my iPad in window-mode which allows me to simultaneously run (and control) my podcast app :smiley:
  • In the old app, when the selected workout ended, there was a simple three button dialog which let me select “save”.
    Now things are a bit more complicated. After tapping “STOP”, I have two options: “end workout” and “end activity”.
    I don’t fully understand what the difference is - I guess this needs an explanation somewhere.
  • Before I started the workout, I sent it to the EBC Player, but the beta app displayed the message ‘No workout selected’. When I then tapped the ‘Workout’ field, a list appeared showing my selected workout in the first section, ‘Workout Ready’ (and “selected”), which seems inconsistent to me.
  • After the workout was saved, it appeared in the activities list with the name “Xert Evening Ride” instead of the workout name like the previous app did it.
    In follow-up tests I somehow managed to save a workout with its actual name, iirc when I selected “end activity” instead of “end workout”.
  • Like ridgerider2, I would love to see my cadence on the main panel with the rainbow gauge too.
  • The alternate content for this main panel shows a section of the visualization of the workout at/around the current progress.
    The old app showed a visualization of the complete workout, which I miss.
    I guess both approaches are justified, but I would love to see the overview visualization again - maybe as another alternative.
9

They do :smiley: