What you'll learn - Install the app and complete the 3-step first-run onboarding. - Turn on HealthKit so Apple Watch swim data imports. - Understand the first-import loading screen, sample data, and the tutorial. - Get a day-one checklist of what to check first.
1. Where to open
Search the App Store for FINNS or SwimLog. The current iOS marketing version is v1.9. Android is a separate app (FINNS v2.0); this manual follows the iOS UI.
2. First launch — 3-step onboarding
On first launch you'll see a 3-capsule progress indicator move through Welcome (feature intro) → Name → HealthKit permissions. There's no login — a name is all you need to get started.
2.1 Welcome — 6-page feature carousel
The first step opens with a logo screen, then a 6-page swipeable feature carousel, with its own 6-capsule page indicator at the bottom so you know where you are.
- Welcome — the app name and the tagline "Your Apple Watch swim data, turned into your own training log."
- Auto-import from Apple Watch — distance, time, laps, heart rate, and SWOLF sync automatically, and pool length (25m/50m) is auto-detected. No manual entry needed, and imports are deduplicated so nothing gets double-counted.
- Multi-graph at a glance — compare pace, HR, SWOLF, and lap distribution on one screen, with a 5-zone HR breakdown (sources: AHA, ACSM, CDC) and automatic anomaly-lap detection.
- An avatar that grows as you swim — its build changes automatically with your training volume, a 6-day attendance cycle earns streak bonus coins, and you can customize outfits, gear, and backgrounds freely.
- Your own share cards & video — pick from 4 aspect ratios (1:1, 4:5, 9:16, 16:9), freely drag distance, time, pace, logo, avatar, and lap chart into place, and export a 3–30s video.
- And there's more — 10 supported languages, automatic PB (personal best) tracking across 50/100/200/400/1500m x 4 strokes, 200 swimming quotes, and automatic iCloud backup so your data survives a device switch.
2.2 Name
"What should we call you?" — enter a name or nickname. You can change it later from your profile, and if you leave it blank and finish, a default name ("Swimmer") is assigned automatically. The "Next" button stays disabled while the field is empty, so type at least one character to move on.
2.3 HealthKit permissions
On the "Health data access" screen, review these four items and make sure to tap "Turn on all" — otherwise some analysis screens may look empty later.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Swim workout records | Laps, stroke, distance |
| Heart rate | Zone distribution, max/avg |
| Active energy | Calories burned |
| iCloud auto-backup | Records and avatar auto-saved to your Apple ID |
Behind the scenes, the app actually requests a broader set of HealthKit read permissions — full workouts, GPS route, swim distance, stroke count, active energy, heart rate, and activity summary (the table above lists the user-facing highlights). The "Check permissions in Health app" link at the bottom jumps straight to the iOS Health app, and the "Request access · Get started" button triggers the actual system permission dialog.
2.4 If you only allow some permissions
Onboarding completes even if you allow only some items, or none at all. The app doesn't re-check what was granted or force a retry. If some data — say, heart rate or distance — looks empty later, the fastest fix is to check whether that specific permission is turned on in Settings. You can always revisit permissions from the Health app or in-app Settings.
3. First data import
Once onboarding finishes, a loading screen appears while the app pulls in your HealthKit history, with a progress indicator in the center. It shows "Hang tight, let's walk through what makes Finns Swimlog special" alongside a 6-card carousel that auto-advances every 4 seconds.
| Card | What it introduces |
|---|---|
| Multi-graph at a glance | See a whole session in a 5-channel chart |
| Auto lesson vs. free-swim classification | Auto-tagged from your saved lesson schedule |
| Session comparison | Cards that measure today against your baseline |
| SWOLF & AI coach | Efficiency metrics and a post-session AI briefing |
| 50 achievements | An achievement system for consistency and PRs (onboarding copy — the app now has 240) |
| Your swim persona analysis | Auto-classified persona from recent patterns |
When the import finishes, the message changes to "All set! Let's build your swim log together," and you tap Get started to enter the app's tabbed interface. This loading step is separate from the 3-step onboarding wizard — it's a one-time screen that follows right after onboarding.
4. Revisit anytime in Settings
Defaults like permissions, language, and units, plus replaying the tutorial, all live under Profile → Settings (⚙️).
What to look for here: display settings like app mode, units (meters/yards), and language, alongside a HealthKit data sync item. If you skipped a permission during onboarding, you can turn it on here — and if you switch languages, the labels you see throughout this manual switch with it.
To change HealthKit permissions later, open HealthKit data sync in the same Settings screen.
What to look for here: a Replay tutorial entry near the bottom of the settings list. Personal preferences like notification toggles and hiding the avatar display live in the same list, so it's worth skimming this screen a few times early on.
5. Sample data
If you don't have Apple Watch swim workouts yet, the app fills the screens with sample sessions from the last 7 days. There's no persistent badge — instead, 1.5 seconds after you enter the app, a one-time alert reads "This is sample data" ("Once you log a swim with Apple Watch or iPhone, sample data disappears automatically and is replaced with your real data. Turn on HealthKit sync first from Profile → Settings"). As soon as one real workout comes in, the switch to your own data happens automatically.
6. Tutorial (16 steps)
After first launch, a 16-step highlight tour walks you through the five tabs — Home, History, Avatar, Analysis, Profile — one element at a time, automatically. Each step spotlights a screen element (dimmed background plus a bright outline) and shows a callout with a description plus Next/Skip buttons. The active tab switches automatically as the steps progress, so you never have to tap between tabs yourself.
Skipping shows a short toast telling you how to bring it back. To replay it: Profile → Settings → Replay tutorial. (See #183.)
7. Day-one checklist
- [ ] Finish the 3-step onboarding (Welcome → Name → HealthKit)
- [ ] Tap "Turn on all" on the HealthKit permissions screen
- [ ] Wait for the first data import to finish, then tap "Get started"
- [ ] Check whether the session on Home is sample data or your own watch data
- [ ] Skim through all 16 tutorial steps once
8. Bottom tabs at a glance
| Tab | What it does |
|---|---|
| Home | Today/recent session multi-chart, HR zones, summary |
| History | List, calendar, session detail |
| Avatar | Character, attendance coins, wardrobe, share |
| Analysis | Week/month/year/all-time stats + AI coach |
| Profile | PBs, achievements, persona, settings |
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