Yes, you can earn time by going outside. Tonic reads the Time in Daylight metric from your Apple Watch, which measures real sunlight on your wrist using its light sensor, not GPS or time outdoors. It needs a compatible Apple Watch. If you do not wear one, use steps for an outdoor goal instead.
How daylight earning works
When you set a "Time outside" goal, Tonic earns your apps back once you have spent enough time in daylight. The daylight reading comes from your Apple Watch. Its light sensor measures the actual brightness hitting your wrist and records it in Apple Health as a metric called Time in Daylight. Tonic reads that metric and unlocks your chosen apps once you reach your goal.
This is direct sunlight on your wrist, not "time spent outdoors" from your phone's location. That distinction is the reason a long walk sometimes adds only a couple of minutes, which surprises most people the first time.
What you need
- An Apple Watch with an ambient light sensor: Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), or later, running watchOS 10 or newer.
- The Watch worn on your wrist while you are outside. It cannot read daylight sitting on a table or in your pocket.
- Apple Health sharing turned on so Tonic can read the Time in Daylight metric.
No third-party tracker can do this. A Garmin, Fitbit, or Oura will not record Time in Daylight, even when it is connected to Apple Health, because that metric comes only from the Apple Watch sensor.
Set up a daylight goal
- Create a ritual and pick "Time outside."It is the goal with the sun icon. Choose the apps you want to earn back.
- Choose how many minutes outside you want to aim for.Tonic offers presets from 15 up to 60 minutes. Start lower than you think. Daylight minutes add up more slowly than clock time.
- Wear your Watch and head outside.Your minutes update as the day goes. When you reach your goal, your apps unlock automatically.
If your apps are still locked but you know you have been outside, open one and tap "Have you been outside?" on the lock screen. Tonic re-checks your daylight reading right then and unlocks if you have hit your goal.
Why the minutes move slowly
The Watch sensor is deliberately conservative. It would rather miss real daylight than count indoor light by mistake, so it leans toward undercounting. Anything that dims the light reaching the sensor lowers your minutes:
- Shade, tree cover, or a covered porch.
- Heavy cloud or overcast skies.
- Long sleeves or a jacket cuff over the Watch.
- Being indoors, even right next to a sunny window.
So an hour walking through a shaded park, or a winter walk under a heavy coat, can register far less daylight than the clock says you were out. That is the sensor working as designed, not a problem with Tonic.
No Apple Watch? Use steps instead.
Time in Daylight is an Apple Watch feature, so without one this goal will never reach its target. For an outdoor goal that works on iPhone alone, choose a steps goal instead. Your iPhone counts steps on its own, no Watch needed, and a step target is a reliable way to earn your apps by getting moving outside. See why steps or a workout might not be counting if your steps look off.
Tips to get a cleaner reading
- Keep the Watch face uncovered, sleeve pushed back, when you want daylight to count.
- Aim for open sky rather than shade if you are short on time.
- Give it a few minutes. The reading updates in batches, not the instant you step outside.
If you set up a daylight goal but nothing is recording at all, check that Apple Health sharing is on. See Apple Health access but workouts, meditation, or steps still aren't counting for the fix.
Still stuck? Email [email protected].
Related: Which fitness trackers and smartwatches work with Tonic? · Why didn't my steps or workout earn time? (and why totals don't match my watch) · I granted Apple Health access but my workouts, meditation, or steps still aren't counting