Every walk, run, hike or bike ride recorded with an Apple Watch or iPhone is already saved somewhere in Apple Health. The routes exist, but they usually stay hidden inside individual workouts. Tiles is a new iPhone app designed to bring those routes together, creating a personal, private map that grows every time the user goes for a walk, run, hike or bike ride.
The idea is straightforward: Tiles reads workout routes from Apple Health and lays them onto one private map. Over time, the map covers more area, showing where the user has been active.
Apple Health workouts, GPX imports and a private map
TL;DR: Tiles reads workout routes from Apple Health locally on the iPhone and can also import GPX, FIT and CSV files from older activities on Garmin, Strava, Wahoo or other platforms.
Simply opening Apple Health does not show a person their history in a spatial way. Tiles pulls the location data from stored workouts and displays a personal map covered in hexagonal tiles. Each tile shows an area the user has moved through.
Instead of scrolling through individual workouts, users can zoom out on their entire history of movement.
Beyond Apple Health data, Tiles imports GPX, FIT and CSV files. This allows users to include older activities recorded on Garmin, Strava, Wahoo or other platforms alongside those saved in Apple Health.
Not everyone has always logged workouts through an Apple Watch. Older FIT and GPX files remain valid records of a route on foot, on a bike or in the water, and CSV support is useful for exports from platforms that do not use GPX or FIT.
The map that fills in over time
The map builds itself as workouts are added.
For newer devices, opening the app is enough. Tiles reads routes from workouts already stored in Apple Health, no imports needed.
For iPhone users with older activity data on other services, GPX, FIT and CSV files can be added to complete the picture.
The map does not require online services beyond the Apple Health data already on the device. That means Tiles works even without a mobile connection, in the background, once the initial data is in place.
Private by design
By default, Tiles reads Apple Health workouts locally. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is shared, and there is no online account. The map builds itself on the device.
An optional iCloud sync keeps a personal map consistent across the user’s own devices, using end-to-end encryption. Data still stays private to the user; iCloud is used purely as a personal sync mechanism.
How Tiles fits with other tools
Tiles works alongside training tools like Strava and TrainingPeaks as a private, personal atlas.
Some users prefer to explore quietly, without competition, followers or leaderboards. Tiles is designed for that kind of use, where the goal is to notice patterns in one’s own movement over time.
For explorers, quiet users and route finders
Tiles is designed for people who like to look at movement patterns. Runners might notice which neighborhoods they’ve circled dozens of times, cyclists can rediscover early rides, and hikers can spot small parts of a trail network they have not yet walked.
For hikers and runners moving into unfamiliar terrain, the hexagonal grid can also suggest small navigational decisions. Filled tiles show where the user has already been. Empty tiles show where interesting variation might be waiting on a walking or running route.
Current features and roadmap
Tiles focuses on the past, and the future direction that past suggests. The current version already supports iPhone with iPad and Apple Watch companion apps, background Apple Health sync when new workouts appear, and the visual grid of hexagonal tiles for hikers, runners, cyclists and walkers.
The developer is now expanding the imported file formats. Support for a wider range of workout types is also on the way, so activities such as swimming, skiing and rowing can be included in the same map view alongside walks and runs.
None of these additions changes the core idea: Tiles is designed to belong to the user. Data stays on the device, is private by default, and is meant to be explored personally, quietly and without a leaderboard.
That principle stays in place regardless of how many files, activity types or map views the app supports over time.
Summary
Tiles takes activity data that already lives inside Apple Health, adds GPX, FIT and CSV files where useful, and turns them into a private map that fills in as users move. It is designed for anyone who wants to see their movement history over time, whether the goal is fitness, exploration or the quiet pleasure of watching a personal map fill in. Tiles is available on the App Store.
Quick answers
Which activities does Tiles cover?
Tiles reads walks, runs, hikes and bike rides recorded through Apple Watch or iPhone, and imports older activity files in GPX, FIT and CSV formats. Support for additional activity types including swimming, skiing and rowing is planned.
Does Tiles work without an internet connection?
Yes. Tiles reads Apple Health workouts and imported files locally on the device. No online account is required, and nothing is uploaded. Optional iCloud sync uses end-to-end encryption if the user wants their map to appear across multiple Apple devices.
How does Tiles compare with Strava?
Tiles is a private personal map that runs on the device rather than a social training network. There are no followers, no leaderboards and no shared feed. It works alongside training tools like Strava rather than replacing them.
Related reading on the5krunner
- Vitara: Apple Health Tells You What Happened, Vitara Shows What Changed: closest sibling, another privacy-first iPhone app running on Apple Health data locally on the device.
- Tooboo: Standalone Offline Outdoor Navigation on Apple Watch Ultra: another indie outdoor app for hikers and trail runners, built for offline operation.
- Cinder: An Apple Watch Recovery App That Shows Its Working: another privacy-first Apple ecosystem indie app, reading Apple Health data locally with no data collection.
Author: Erik Handeland, developer of Tiles, edited by the5krunner.
Last Updated on 27 August 2026 by the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
