How to use Workout Buddy with Apple Watch and iOS 26

4 days ago7 min read

Apple’s latest fitness feature, Workout Buddy, feels less like a piece of software and more like the encouraging friend you wish you had on every grueling run or punishing HIIT session. Introduced with iOS 26 and watchOS 26, it uses on-device Apple Intelligence to analyze your pace, heart rate, and distance, delivering real-time, spoken feedback through your headphones.It’s not a full coaching program—think of it as a supportive training partner, one that might remind you of your weekly activity totals or celebrate when you’re on track for a personal best. The voice, trained on Apple Fitness+ trainers, offers that familiar, motivational tone, designed to push you just a little further.Setting it up requires commitment: you’ll need a compatible iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, or later with Apple Intelligence enabled, an Apple Watch on watchOS 26, Bluetooth headphones, and your device language set to English. Once configured through the Fitness app on your iPhone or directly on the Watch before a workout, it springs to life for running, walking, cycling, HIIT, and strength training.During a session, the feedback is tailored and contextual, perhaps noting your split times or progress toward a goal, before offering a summary of your effort at the end. It’s a subtle but profound shift—technology moving from passive tracking to active companionship in your fitness journey, echoing the human spirit of perseverance that every athlete knows. If it doesn’t work, check your headphone connection and ensure your iPhone is nearby; sometimes the simplest human error—a missed pairing—is what stands between you and that virtual high-five.

#featured

#Apple

#Workout Buddy

#Apple Watch

#iOS 26

#watchOS 26

#Apple Intelligence

#fitness

#voice feedback

#Bluetooth headphones