Quick answer
GuideWatch shows your NINA autoguiding session on your Apple Watch. It needs NINA running with its Advanced API plugin enabled, on the same local network as your watch. Open GuideWatch on your Apple Watch, go to Settings, and enter your NINA machine's IP address and port to connect.
GuideWatch can't find or connect to NINA
- Make sure NINA is running and the Advanced API plugin is installed and enabled (Options → Plugins in NINA).
- Confirm the Mac/PC running NINA and your Apple Watch are on the same Wi-Fi network - GuideWatch does not work over cellular or a different network.
- Check the IP address and port entered in GuideWatch's settings match what the Advanced API plugin is listening on (the default port is usually shown in the plugin's settings in NINA).
- Some routers isolate Wi-Fi clients from each other ("AP/client isolation" or a guest network) - this will block the connection even though both devices show as connected to the same network name.
- Check your Mac/PC's firewall isn't blocking incoming connections to NINA's Advanced API port.
Does GuideWatch need my iPhone nearby?
No. Once GuideWatch is set up, it connects directly from the Apple Watch itself over Wi-Fi - it doesn't relay through a paired iPhone. A minimal companion app is included only because Apple requires one for App Store distribution; all the guiding functionality lives on the Watch.
Can GuideWatch control my imaging session?
No. GuideWatch is read-only. It displays guiding data reported by NINA - it never sends commands back to NINA, your mount, or any other equipment.
What does GuideWatch do with my data?
GuideWatch only exchanges data directly with your own NINA instance, over your local network. There is no cloud service, no account, and no data sent anywhere else - see the privacy policy for the full picture.
Contact
Still stuck, or found a bug? GuideWatch is made by Cambridge AI Works Ltd. Email [email protected] - please include your NINA version and, if you can, a screenshot of the error.