Popular Ski App Slopes Adds Apple Watch Ultra Action Button Support

Popular skiing and snowboarding app Slopes over the weekend added support for the Apple Watch Ultra's Action Button, making it one of the few third-party apps with native support for the feature.

Apple Watch Ultra Orange Alpine Loop Action button 220907 big
Apple Watch Ultra owners can program the Action Button to start a workout using the Slopes app, making it quicker to begin a skiing or snowboarding session. The Slopes app is designed to automatically determine your resort or backcountry location when a workout is started, so all that's needed is to activate the Action Button.

There are a limited number of third-party apps that support the Action Button at this time, and popular titles like Strava have yet to implement support. Apps and features can be launched using Shortcuts, but it is more convenient for users when developers build the feature into their apps.

The Action Button can be customized through the Settings app on the Apple Watch Ultra. It supports several native Apple Watch functions, such as launching a workout, starting the stopwatch, adding a waypoint to the Compass app, starting a dive, activating the flashlight, and launching a user-created Shortcut.

Slopes is available for free from the App Store, but there is a premium subscription or a daypass subscription that is required to unlock all features. The developers behind Slopes are often quick to add new iOS functionality, so the app also offers Live Activity support for the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, widgets, and other features.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 2
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
new magsafe charger

Apple Releases Updated MagSafe Charger Firmware

Tuesday January 14, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods and Apple Watch models. The updated firmware is version 2A143, up from the 2A138 firmware that the accessory shipped with. In the Settings app, you'll see a different version number than the internal firmware number. The 2024 MagSafe charger was...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

HomePod Mini 2 and New Apple TV Launch Timeframe Narrowed Down

Sunday January 12, 2025 4:11 pm PST by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple plans to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models this year, and now he has provided a more precise timeframe. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is currently aiming to launch the new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year." That timeframe suggests the devices will be released at some point...
severance new york promo 1

Apple Promotes Severance Season 2 Premiere With Lumon Industries Pop-Up and Visits From Actors

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:47 pm PST by
Ahead of the season two premiere of hit TV show Severance, Apple is marketing the show with a fun Severance pop-up at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Apple has assembled a glass cube with workstations that are identical to the setups that Lumon employees use on the show, complete with employees "working," doing yoga, playing catch, throwing paper airplanes, sipping coffee, and...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
General Apps Messages Redux

Phishing Attacks Use This Simple Trick to Defeat iPhone Message Security

Monday January 13, 2025 6:11 am PST by
A new social engineering tactic is being used by cybercriminals to trick iPhone users into disabling iMessage's built-in phishing protection, in a bid to expose them to malicious links and scams, according to BleepingComputer. The scam exploits a security feature in iMessage that automatically disables links from unknown senders. Apple told the outlet that when users reply to these messages...

Top Rated Comments

everlast3434 Avatar
28 months ago

Slopes is not a cheap app, so even though my family has been skiing every year, I hesitated. But after trying it out, I can see why it is regarded as the gold standard. At $30-50/year, it is very expensive. I wish the developer would offer discount for loyal subscribers.
Even at the high end of $50 a year, that’s 4 bucks a month. You think that’s a lot? How much do you think it costs to develop applications? SMH
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Exile714 Avatar
28 months ago
If this is going to be the norm, we need a way to quickly and easily change the action button, or better make it context sensitive - maybe based on the app you're in, or the face you're using?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
28 months ago

Even at the high end of $50 a year, that’s 4 bucks a month. You think that’s a lot? How much do you think it costs to develop applications? SMH
But the typical ski season is only 4 months long.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
skunkworker Avatar
28 months ago
Ski Tracks is my go-to app. It's free, records your stats well and integrates with health/rings. And can work on the watch and record instead of the phone.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MorePixels Avatar
28 months ago

Where I am in the United States, I have a half-dozen ski resorts within a 3 hour drive, one as close as 45 minutes away. From December to April, they're swarmed with *tens of thousands* of people from all over Colorado, and the world. The main interstate highway out of Denver heading west into the mountains is a parking lot every Friday heading out of town and every Sunday heading back into town. Winter sports, including skiing, is one of the main draws of living in state with 58 peaks over 14,000 feet and uncountable mountains over 10,000.

Like scuba diving, which Apple has targeted heavily with the Ultra, skiing requires training and a lot of expensive, specialized equipment. Both of which you'd think would be natural barriers to a lot of people picking up the sport. And yet... they're both incredibly popular. So a specialized app for skiers doesn't surprise me in the least, any more so than Apple's fancy bespoke scuba app does.
All three people who you described in your summation of the United States & the "ski resorts within a 3hour drive & as close as 45 minutes away", & own the ultra are now reported to be "ultra thrilled™"
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Darth-Kylie Avatar
28 months ago

But the typical ski season is only 4 months long.
So its relevance to the world is short-lived and niche? Whereas the developer needs food on their table for a full 365 days per year.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)