Quick answer
GuideWatch shows your autoguiding session on your Apple Watch. It talks to either NINA (Advanced API, default port 1888) or PHD2 directly (Event Server, default port 4400), on the same local network as your watch. The app starts in Simulation mode: open Settings, pick NINA or PHD2, enter the host IP, and tap Connect.
GuideWatch can't find or connect to NINA or PHD2
- In Settings, confirm you picked the matching source: NINA for the Advanced API, or PHD2 to talk to PHD2 itself.
- For NINA: make sure it is running and the Advanced API plugin is installed and enabled (Options → Plugins). Default port is 1888.
- For PHD2: make sure PHD2 is running and its Event Server is enabled (Tools → Enable Server). Default port is 4400. You do not need NINA if you connect this way.
- Confirm the imaging PC 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 match what that source is listening on. Switching source in Settings also switches the suggested default port.
- 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 port 1888 (NINA) or 4400 (PHD2).
Why does my complication show the Moon instead of RMS?
GuideWatch's watch face complication is called Guiding & Moon. While a guiding session is live it shows total RMS and a color that reflects guiding state. When you are not guiding, or while Simulation mode is on, it shows the current moon phase and how much of the disc is lit. That is intentional: simulated RMS is not real guiding data, and the Moon is useful the rest of the night.
To add it: long-press your watch face, tap Edit, then pick Guiding & Moon from the GuideWatch complications.
Simulation mode
GuideWatch launches in Simulation mode so the app is usable before you connect to a rig. Simulation generates sample guiding data locally and does not talk to NINA or PHD2. Pick NINA or PHD2 in Settings before connecting to a live session. You can also long-press the chart for half a second to toggle simulation on or off.
Why does GuideWatch ask for my location?
Only for the moon phase on the watch face complication. Southern observers see the lit limb on the opposite side, so GuideWatch needs to know which hemisphere you are in to draw the Moon the right way up. The prompt appears when you open Settings, not at first launch. GuideWatch keeps only whether you are north or south of the equator. Nothing is sent off the device. You can also set North or South manually in Settings if you prefer not to use location.
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 or PHD2 - it never sends commands back to either, your mount, or any other equipment.
What does GuideWatch do with my data?
GuideWatch only exchanges data directly with your own NINA or PHD2 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 or PHD2 version and, if you can, a screenshot of the error.