Do I need an Apple Watch? Which iPhone and Watch versions work?
The Watch is how Shway Shway is meant to be used: each session is sent to the Workout app on your Apple Watch as a structured workout, so you can start it from your wrist and follow the steps. Without a Watch you can still see each day's session, its effort and its purpose on your iPhone, but the guided workout needs a Watch. Runs saved to Apple Health by other devices or apps are read the same way and mark the day Done.
Shway Shway needs iOS 18 or later on iPhone and watchOS 11 or later on Apple Watch. It is an iPhone app, with no iPad version.
Is the 5K plan really free?
Yes. The 5K plan has no purchase, no trial and no time limit, and every cycle of it is included. It is a full 12-week plan, not a preview.
Is it a subscription?
No. The 10K ($10), Half Marathon ($13) and Marathon ($26) plans are one-time purchases, and All Plans ($35) unlocks all three for $14 less than buying them separately. You pay once per distance, and every cycle after the first is included. Prices are in US dollars; the App Store shows your local price.
Which plan should I start with?
Pick the one whose starting level fits you today. The 5K is for runners who can run 30 minutes without stopping, 3 days a week. The 10K asks for 4 days a week and about 60 comfortable minutes. The Half Marathon asks for 4–5 days a week and 75–90 comfortable minutes. The Marathon asks for 5 days a week, about 1:45 comfortable, and ideally a finished half marathon. If you're between two, start with the shorter one. When a cycle ends the app offers the next distance up.
Why are most runs so slow?
Because slow running builds the base that everything else stands on. Easy sessions are labeled “Slow” and long runs “Slow long run.” Slow means you could chat the whole way. If you've entered race times, the app shows a pace you should be slower than, as a ceiling and never a target. After a slow run it checks your average pace, or your average heart rate if you've set a cap, and tells you whether you kept it easy.
Do I need to know my paces? Is it km or miles?
No. Sessions are defined by time and feel, and the app works fully without any numbers. If you add race times in My Details (all optional), it shows matching guide paces next to the effort, like “Strong · ~5K pace.” Missing distances are estimated from the nearest one you entered, and estimates are marked “est.” Nothing is enforced.
Use kilometers or miles: it starts from your phone's region and you can change it in Settings. Paces and the step names on your Watch follow it.
What if I miss a run?
It's gone, and that's fine. Missed sessions are never made up, and the plan carries on from today. When a week gets disrupted, optional extra runs go first. A hard session is dropped only when a week is badly disrupted and both hard sessions are still ahead. The long run is the last thing to go.
Can I move a run to another day?
Yes. Tap a session on the Week screen and choose a new day in the same week. If the move would break one of the four principles, for example putting two hard days back to back, the app says why in one sentence and suggests the nearest day that works. Moves never cross into another week, and the long run and race stay put.
What happens after 12 weeks?
Week 12 ends with the goal you picked. Then comes one recovery week of short, slow runs, and the same plan starts again, a little bigger: easy, moderate and long runs grow about 7% per cycle, up to 20% more than cycle 1, while the hard sessions stay the same. You can also move up to the next distance. After three cycles in a row, the app recommends two to four weeks off or very easy running. You can accept that or keep going.
Do I need a race?
No. At setup you choose how the 12 weeks end. Race: enter the date and the app counts back 12 weeks to set your start. Time trial: a solo hard effort over 5K (for the 5K and 10K plans) or 10K (for the Half and Marathon plans), and the result updates your race times in My Details. No test: the last session becomes a slow long run. You can change your mind until Week 12 begins.
What happens if something hurts?
Tap Something hurts on Today. It pauses the plan and nothing is scheduled until you resume, and it suggests seeing a professional. Resuming is up to you. After a week or more away, the first week back is eased. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual pain.
Can I switch or end a plan?
Yes, in Settings under My Plan. Switch plan starts another plan you own at Week 1. End plan removes the scheduled workouts from the Workout app. Either way your runs stay in Apple Health, and your My Details and rings are kept.
Is my data shared?
No. Everything stays on your iPhone, and your Watch gets only what it needs to show today's session. There are no accounts, no servers, no analytics, no ads and no tracking. Read the privacy policy for the details.
How do I restore purchases or redeem a code?
Open Settings, then Plans and purchases. Tap Restore Purchases to bring back plans you bought before, for example on a new phone. Tap Redeem code to enter an offer code. A code redeemed in the App Store unlocks the plan in the app straight away.