New Xert iOS EBC App Available in Beta

ManofSteele · September 1, 2026, 5:20pm

Hi everyone! 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!

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

Tap this link on your iOS device: Join the Xert EBC beta - TestFlight - Apple
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.
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!

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.

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”.

Light & Dark Mode

The app now supports both Light and Dark mode:

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.

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! 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.

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:

Sensor connectivity — pairing and staying connected, both indoors and outdoors
Workout flow — selecting, starting, and ending workouts
Magic Buckets — indoors and outdoors
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.

tmohme · September 3, 2026, 2:41pm

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

Device

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

ManofSteele · September 4, 2026, 12:52pm

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

ridgerider2 · September 4, 2026, 2:52pm

Here’s my nitpick list so far –
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.
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.

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.
Ideally cadence and HR would fit on the standard rainbow gauge like this mockup with chainring (x) and heart icons –

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

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

Plus add cadence/HR overlays on the power chart –

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.

tmohme · September 4, 2026, 7:19pm

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
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.

tmohme · September 4, 2026, 7:23pm

They do

Otium · September 5, 2026, 6:30am

Installed looked at menus great job! I’ll try it later but seems like a true ++++ thanks

ridgerider2 · September 5, 2026, 12:05pm

My answers will reflect how EBC works on Android and why.

This feature allows you to end a workout and start another. Or end a workout and continue riding such as an extended cooldown. Or you might check Magic Buckets and finish filling up any remaining buckets.
I also use this feature if I decide to quit the workout midstream and switch to Magic Buckets. IOW the workout is too much of a struggle today, but I can still meet today’s goal by filling the low/high/peak buckets under my control.

This is by design, so you always have the option to change your mind at the last minute and pick a different workout or start the session as a Magic Buckets workout instead.
If you change the workout selected on XO, swipe down on the page and the Workout Ready entry will match.

That may be a bug as normally you’ll see the workout name as title of the activity.
I’m undecided how it should work if you end a workout and pick another or switch to Magic Buckets.
What I do now if I abandon a workout midstream is edit the title post-ride and add “switched to XMB”. Or I may complete the workout but had some buckets left to fill so I’ll add “+ XMB” to the title. This can happen on short, high watt intervals where your trainer doesn’t quite meet the intended durations. You end up short a few high/peak points.
I suppose if you have completed Workout A and select another workout to ride, the title could be “Workout A + Workout B” but that may not be practical to code.

There is a mag lens in lower left of the power chart that flips between a 10 to 12-minute view and the full workout chart.
I like the way the zoomed in view advances and I’ll occasionally flip the chart to see what’s left to do.

Regarding Magic Buckets –
When you switch to “no workout mode” (or start a session without a workout selected) the rainbow gauge includes a Challenge Level (CL) ladder. If you swipe to the standard rainbow gauge you’ll see a mode controller. Normally you’ll set a Slope % to use Magic Buckets and rely on gears/cadence to hit your power targets.

If you don’t have much experience with Magic Buckets, check out the Field Guide and Overview articles. Riding Magic Buckets indoors is a great way to learn how it works.

ridgerider2 · September 6, 2026, 11:45am

Indoor Test: iPhone 12/18.72, Saris Hammer 1, Polar H9

Selected SMART Say It Ain’t So - 60

As soon as you select a workout trainer control activates which is very low resistance on a Hammer 1.
Would be best if trainer control only activates after you tap Start. Or set initial watts to the warm-up starting watts.
Cadence was laggy and erratic. So was HR for most of the ride.
Not sure why but I don’t think the app was at fault as same issue on my Garmin 830 connected by ANT+ but I’ll verify that next time.
Trainer Control and Power connections were fine.
There is an issue with the mode control buttons.
It’s too easy to select one in error as you swipe between pages.
At first, I thought I had lost trainer control but turns out RES was selected instead of AUTO.
During cooldown I also managed to tap FIXED in error as I was swiping through pages.
Is there a way to decrease the sensitivity on those buttons or will that affect all buttons?
Is Imperial/Metric based on phone settings or your XO account?
Phone is set to region detected (US Imperial, Fahrenheit) but Beta app is displaying km and Celsius.
I’m not a fan of the scroll wheel option for jumping between mode values.
+/- seems good enough and it’s easier to tap than trying to scroll while pedaling.

Ended and saved activity then started a second ride without a workout selected so I could test XMB.
Also started an Indoor free ride on Garmin to run Connect IQ XMB in parallel to compare.

Warm-up showed 0.00 on Beta for most of the time versus the XSS countdown on Garmin.
Towards end of warm-up the timer on EBC showed up and both XMBs displayed Ready about the same time.
I prefer the XSS method on IQ.
There was a difference between target watts and interval duration on iOS vs IQ,
Garmin showed lower watt target by ~10% and a much higher duration (95 secs vs 30).
I played with following both guidelines for a bit then decided to up CL to lower the interval count estimate on the Garmin.
You can’t tap below the rainbow gauge to see estimated intervals left to do or the detail stats you get on Android.
Beta is not picking up XSS left to do (prior ride XSS applied against daily target) so it wasn’t practical to fill the buckets. Instead, I monitored the Garmin for that function.
CL gauge action was a match between Beta and IQ. I decided to go for a BT and got two badges on the Garmin but forgot to glance at the Beta to see what happened there. By the time I looked, the inner purple MPA arc was receding so assume it worked but will have to confirm on another ride.

I saved both recordings if you have any need to compare them.

I assume a future build will include some type of flags or pointers to indicate target and actual watts on the power chart page.

I’ll try using CABLE on next indoor test and see if I can run iOS Beta and Android EBC in parallel. Or is that unlikely to work?

EDIT: CABLE works with ANT+ connection to power, trainer control (FE-C), and cadence on Android EBD, but you can’t run that in parallel with Beta paired to same on BLE. What works is power only to Android EBC on ANT+ and that’s all I need for testing purposes.

ridgerider2 · September 7, 2026, 12:40pm

Forgot to mention during my first test that telemetry to XO only worked for the Remote Player;
The Session Player gauges and video were unusable due to erratic values and stuttering slow-mo video. However, XSS Buckets values were a match.

ManofSteele · September 11, 2026, 12:56pm

Beta Update — Thanks for the Testing, Here’s What’s Fixed

Thank you to everyone who’s been testing the iOS beta so far - the feedback and bug reports (and a few crash reports) have been genuinely useful, and we’ve been able to track down and fix several issues because of it!

Current build: 157. Please open TestFlight and check for updates daily before use… fixes are landing quickly right now, and testing on an old build may waste your time finding bugs we’ve already fixed.

What’s Fixed

Progression data now loads correctly per profile. If your account has separate Cycling, Running, or other profiles, each one now loads its own signature and target XSS data instead of pulling from your main profile. Switching profiles mid-activity now recalculates XSS and Magic Buckets using the correct profile’s data - including offline, using whatever was last synced.
Activity type no longer gets “stuck” between profiles. Previously, switching to a Running profile and then logging out and back into a Cycling profile could keep uploading activities as a Run instead of a Ride. This is fixed - activities now always upload using the correct profile’s default type.
Fixed a crash related to Bluetooth sensor reconnection. If a sensor disconnected and reconnected at just the wrong moment, it could previously crash the app. We now validate the connection before pulling power/cadence/etc. data from it.
Fixed a startup crash for testers upgrading from the App Store version. Sensors are now configured per-profile and per-venue (indoor/outdoor), which older App Store installs didn’t support. If you installed the TestFlight build on top of an existing App Store version, your previously saved sensors were cleared as part of this one-time transition. You’ll need to re-pair them if you haven’t already.

What’s New

Magic Buckets detail view. Build 157 adds a details screen: tap any Magic Bucket, or the INTERVAL/RECOVERY numbers below the power gauge, to open it.

Heads Up

If you’re on a very old local database, you may see a “Database Error” with a Clear Data and Retry option. This is expected.. it’s a safety net for testers on significantly outdated data. Tapping it will reset your logins, configured sensors, and any un-uploaded or in-progress activities, so make sure nothing important is unsynced before you tap it.

Cosmo · September 12, 2026, 10:02am

I have come across some of things which may be bugs or usability issues.

ios 27 Beta latest iphone XR

After spitting on my screen! I inadvertently swiped up trying to wipe it off. Ignoring the continue stop buttons. I think I swiped the screen back down. Continued cycling. Noticed some time after that the timers had all stopped and clock seemed to only be decrementing by minutes. Took me a while to think of the stop start screen. Went back there and pressed continue and everything started going again The ride must have been paused as I had a chunk of ride with no data and no gps. If it actually happened that way then it needs some attention. I don’t like the swipe up in any case. Could that stop,start,pause screen not just be one of the screens that appears when swiping the upper half of the screen?
It looks like the screen brightness can be overridden by some other ios features that involve brightness. E.g. focus. Quite suddenly my screen would get darker as the ambient light waned (outside) or maybe it was just the time of day. The screen was set to dark mode when this happened. When checking out the ios brightness setting it had gone tight down. XERT brightness setting should be independent.
I always ride outdoors regardless of the workout smart or otherwise or plan type. Could the AUTO, FIXED etc. buttons and controls be removed for outdoor rides please. The first ride I did it was set to FIXED, the one today AUTO.
I am using continuous improvement. I chose a workout to do which was 2hrs. When riding, the duration of the ride was some 4 or more hours. It looks like this time may be coming from estimated time needed to get back on target? Shouldn’t it have been the workout time?

ridgerider2 · September 14, 2026, 7:18pm

Would be nice to see INTS LEFT like it works on Connect IQ) without having to tap for details, Ex. 7@27sec

What if initial screen starts out as…
INTERVAL…230…00:27
…then changes to this abbreviated format once you start executing intervals –
INT 7@… 280… 00:27
Or use abbreviated format to begin with room for a 3-digit count.
INT xxx@

I like to monitor remaining count and watch how it changes if I up the effort by raising CL and/or shorten recoveries.

ManofSteele · September 15, 2026, 7:00pm

Thanks for the feedback, @Cosmo !

Thanks for reporting - we’ll look into this.

Hmm. You shouldn’t be seeing trainer control options (AUTO, FIXED, etc.) if the ride location is set to Outdoors. Can you try tapping the location cell to toggle from indoors to outdoors before your next ride?

Are you following a structured workout? Or are you talking about Magic Buckets? The ‘workout time left’ cell indicates how long Xert thinks it will take to complete the training via Magic Buckets at the current Challenge Level. The ‘Endurance Time Left’ cell indicates how much easier easier riding remains after your intervals are completed. Both of those are estimates and will update in real time as your buckets fill up.

shawnfife · September 23, 2026, 9:31pm

I hope this is the right place to leave feedback. I’m using the iPhone beta app. What I miss from the old app is the page where I can see average power/HR/cadence for the interval I am currently performing to aid in pacing. Let me know if there is a way to see interval average power in the new app

ridgerider2 · September 23, 2026, 10:49pm

If you tap the rainbow gauge during a workout, you’ll see this screen –

To create a custom page view, select Settings, Recording Screens, Indoor and edit one of the five customizable pages that appear at bottom of the screen.

Cosmo · October 11, 2026, 4:20am

Hi, just wondering if the new ios EBC has or will have rear light radar functionality. If so which brands will be supported?

Thanks.

Davijen57 · October 12, 2026, 3:37pm

Really glad to see the iOS app getting a full rewrite. Magic Buckets on iOS is the feature I’ve been waiting for. waiting for. I’ll definitely be giving the beta a try this week.