Rowing Apps That Work With Erg Screenshots

By the Watta Team · Updated

Watta is a rowing app built around erg screenshots: photograph your Concept2 PM5 screen or upload a screenshot from your gallery, and AI OCR extracts distance, time, split, stroke rate, and intervals automatically. No Bluetooth pairing or manual entry is needed, and it works with any Concept2 PM5, PM4 or PM3 screen. A few other apps also read a photo of the monitor — ErgScan, ErgTracker and ErgManiac — while the mainstream options rely on Bluetooth (ErgData) or manual entry (Concept2 Logbook).

Which Rowing Apps Can Read an Erg Screenshot?

Watta is built around screenshot and photo capture: take a picture of your erg monitor after the workout, or upload an existing screenshot or photo from your camera roll, and the app reads the workout data for you and shows it for review before saving. It is not the only app that can read a photo. ErgScan (iOS and Android, free with a premium tier) scans a Concept2 display and uploads to Strava; ErgTracker and ErgManiac offer photo scanning too. Watta's difference is what happens after the scan: an Effort Score, heart rate zones, per-machine personal bests, clubs and squads, Strava sync and a Concept2 Logbook import. The mainstream alternatives take other routes — ErgData connects to the PM5 over Bluetooth during the session, and the Concept2 Logbook accepts manual entry or ErgData sync. If your workout data only exists as a photo on your phone — after a gym session, club training, or a borrowed machine — a photo-reading app is the only way to log it without retyping every number.

How Does Screenshot Logging Work?

After your piece, open the app and either photograph the monitor or pick a screenshot from your gallery. The image is compressed on your phone (to 1024px JPEG) so upload is fast even on gym Wi-Fi, then an AI vision model reads the screen layout: total distance, total time, average split, stroke rate, and per-interval rows if the Memory or interval screen is showing. The extracted values are shown for review before saving, so you can correct anything the photo obscured. From there the workout is scored, added to your history and personal bests, and synced to Strava if connected.

What Data Gets Extracted From the Photo?

From a standard PM5 results screen: total distance in metres, total time, average split per 500m, and average stroke rate. From the Memory or interval detail screens: per-interval distance, time, split, and rate, so a 6x500m session imports as six intervals rather than one blob. Heart rate is read from the screen too when a strap is paired to the PM5, along with watts, calories and drag factor when they are displayed. Anything the reader is unsure about is flagged for a quick manual check rather than silently guessed.

When Is a Screenshot Better Than Bluetooth?

Bluetooth capture is great when you remember to pair before the piece — but that is exactly its weakness. Screenshot capture wins when the workout already happened: you forgot to connect, the gym erg is not yours, your phone stayed in a locker, or a crewmate sent you a photo of the screen. It also covers machines and situations live-sync apps cannot: any PM5 machine (RowErg, SkiErg, BikeErg) without setup, and older photos sitting in your camera roll from weeks ago. Many rowers use both: live data when planned, screenshots for everything else.

Tips

  • +Fill the frame with the monitor and avoid glare — straight-on photos read most accurately.
  • +For interval sessions, photograph the Memory screen so per-interval splits import individually.
  • +Old screenshots work: upload from your gallery weeks later and the workout logs with full data.
  • +Review the extracted numbers before saving — OCR flags low-confidence fields for you.

Further Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I log a rowing workout from an old screenshot?
Yes. Watta accepts uploads from your photo gallery, so a screenshot or photo taken days or weeks ago imports the same way as a fresh one. The workout is logged with its full data; you can adjust the date to match when you actually rowed.
Do screenshot rowing apps work without Bluetooth or extra hardware?
Yes — that is the point. Photo-based capture needs only your phone camera and the erg monitor. There is no pairing, no ANT+ dongle, and no dependence on the gym Wi-Fi during your session.
How accurate is OCR extraction from an erg photo?
On a clear, straight-on photo of a PM5 screen, extraction of distance, time, split, and rate is highly reliable, and every value is shown for review before the workout saves. Glare, extreme angles, or partial screens reduce confidence — the app flags uncertain fields instead of guessing.
Which rowing machines does screenshot capture work with?
Any machine with a Concept2 performance monitor — the PM5 on the RowErg (Model D and E), SkiErg and BikeErg, and the older PM3 and PM4. Other brands' monitors (WaterRower, Hydrow, magnetic rowers) are not supported by the reader; those sessions can be typed in manually.

Related Content

Best Rowing Apps for Concept2What Is the Watta Effort Score?Apps That Work with the Concept2 PM5PM5 MonitorThe PM5 (Performance Monitor 5) is the current-generation display unit on Concept2 ergometers, showing split time, distance, stroke rate, watts, heart rate, and other workout metrics.Erg (Ergometer)An erg (short for ergometer) is a rowing machine that measures work output, with the Concept2 being the standard used worldwide for training and testing.Split TimeSplit time is the pace expressed as the time it takes to row 500 metres on an ergometer, displayed in minutes and seconds (e.g. 2:00.0/500m).Stroke RateStroke rate, or strokes per minute (SPM), is the number of complete rowing strokes you take in one minute on the ergometer.Split to Watts ConverterEffort Score CalculatorFor Home GymFor CrossFit Athletes
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