Apps for the Concept2 PM3 and PM4

By the Watta Team · Updated 9 October 2026

The Concept2 PM3 and PM4 monitors predate Bluetooth, so the apps built around the PM5 — ErgData, Kinomap, Regatta — cannot connect to them. You can still log every workout: type it into the Concept2 Logbook, move it across by USB with the Concept2 Utility, or photograph the screen and let Watta read it. The photo route is the only one that needs no cable and no typing.

Quick Answer

Most rowing apps connect over Bluetooth, which only the PM5 has. With a PM3 or PM4 you have three ways to get a workout into an app: enter it by hand in the Concept2 Logbook, transfer it from the monitor by USB using Concept2's free desktop software, or photograph the monitor and let Watta read the numbers. Watta reads the PM3 and PM4 screens the same way it reads the PM5, so an older erg gets the same log, personal bests and 0-100 Effort Score.

Why Most Apps Do Not Work with the PM3 or PM4

The PM5 added Bluetooth Smart, and nearly every modern rowing app — including Concept2's own ErgData — is built around that connection. The PM3 and PM4 have no Bluetooth radio, so these apps cannot see them at all. Some older software talks to the PM3 and PM4 over a USB cable, mostly on Windows computers; check an app's compatibility list before buying cables or adapters. Upgrading the monitor to a PM5 is possible, but it costs more than many people paid for the erg.

Option 1: Type It into the Concept2 Logbook

The free Concept2 Online Logbook lets you add a workout by hand: date, distance, time and, if you want, splits and stroke rate. It is reliable and costs nothing, but it is the step most people stop doing after a few weeks, and interval sessions take a while to enter line by line.

Option 2: Transfer by USB with the Concept2 Utility

Concept2's free Concept2 Utility runs on a Windows or Mac computer. Connect the monitor with a USB cable and it can update the firmware and move stored workouts to your Logbook (the PM4 can also save workouts to a USB flash drive; the PM3 used Concept2's LogCard). It works, but it means carrying a laptop to the erg or carrying the workouts to a laptop, so it suits a home erg better than a gym.

Option 3: Photograph the Screen with Watta

Watta is a free iPhone app that reads the monitor from a photo. Finish the piece, take a picture of the summary screen (or recall the workout from the monitor's memory and photograph that), and Watta reads the distance, time, average split, stroke rate and intervals — plus heart rate when a strap is paired to the monitor and shown on the screen. You check the numbers, save, and the session joins your log with personal bests per distance and a 0-100 Effort Score. No cable, no pairing, and it works the same on a club or gym erg as at home.

Which Should You Use?

If you only want an official record and do not mind typing, the Logbook alone is enough. If your erg is at home next to a computer, the Concept2 Utility saves the typing. If you row in different places, row intervals, or want analysis rather than just a record, photographing the screen is the quickest and works on any PM3, PM4 or PM5. Many rowers combine them: Watta for the day-to-day log and analysis, the Logbook for Concept2 rankings and challenges.

Tips

+Photograph the summary screen straight after the piece, before the monitor goes to sleep — or recall it from Memory later.
+Keep the whole screen in frame and avoid glare from overhead lights; the numbers need to be legible.
+Pair a heart-rate strap to the monitor if you want heart rate in your log — Watta reads it from the screen, not from a watch.
+Use the Concept2 Utility occasionally to keep the monitor firmware current, even if you log by photo.
+If you upgrade to a PM5 later, your Watta history carries on — the app reads all three monitors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Concept2 PM4 have Bluetooth?

No. Bluetooth arrived with the PM5. The PM4 connects by USB, and it supports wireless heart-rate belts, but apps that need a Bluetooth connection cannot use it.

Can I use ErgData with a PM3 or PM4?

ErgData is built around the PM5's Bluetooth connection, so on an iPhone it needs a PM5. To log a PM3 or PM4 workout, type it into the Concept2 Logbook, transfer it by USB with the Concept2 Utility, or photograph the screen with Watta.

What app works with a Concept2 PM3?

Watta works with the PM3 by reading the screen from a photo, so it needs no connection at all. The Concept2 Logbook works too if you enter workouts by hand, and the Concept2 Utility can move workouts from the monitor to the Logbook over USB.

Should I upgrade my PM3 or PM4 to a PM5?

Only if you want live Bluetooth apps such as ErgData, Kinomap or Regatta during the workout. For logging and analysis after the workout, a photo of an older monitor gives you the same record in Watta, without the cost of a new monitor.

Every erg counts.

Photograph your erg screen after the piece and Watta logs it for you.

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