Apple’s iOS 26 and watchOS 26 introduced a new fitness companion called Workout Buddy. This feature uses Apple Intelligence to provide voice feedback during exercise and motivate you based on your activity history. Workout Buddy analyzes your pace, heart rate, distance, and other metrics to motivate you and give you real-time performance feedback directly through connected Bluetooth headphones.
It works in conjunction with the Workout app on the Apple Watch and is partially controlled through the Fitness app on the iPhone. This guide will walk you through everything you need to set up and use Workout Buddy effectively during your workout.
What does Workout Buddy do?
It is important to note that Workout Buddy is not a comprehensive training program. Instead, it adds voice cues to your workout that reflect the progression of your session.
Workout Buddy can remind you of your weekly activity totals, notify you of your personal bests or performance milestones, and give you an overview when you’re done. You want him to feel like a supportive training partner rather than a strict trainer.
The feature works in English by default and uses a text-to-speech model trained on the voices of Apple Fitness+ trainers. It is available for a subset of exercise types including running, walking, cycling, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and strength training. Requires Apple Intelligence on the device, which means you’ll need to have one of the latest iPhones with updated software nearby while you exercise.
Compatible models include iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and any iPhone 16 model. You also need an Apple Watch with watchOS 26.
Requirements before starting
Before Workout Buddy appears in your fitness app or training app, you need to make sure a few things are taken care of. First, your Apple Watch must be running watchOS 26 or later and must be paired with an iPhone that has iOS 26 installed. Second, your iPhone must have Apple Intelligence on the device, which means you must have one of the supported iPhone models mentioned above and have Apple Intelligence enabled in the phone settings.
You’ll also need Bluetooth headphones paired with your iPhone or Apple Watch. Workout Buddy’s audio feedback cannot be played through the watch’s speaker, so headphones are essential.
Finally, your device’s language must be set to English, at least initially. If any of these items are missing, you may not see the option to activate Workout Buddy.
How to activate Workout Buddy from iPhone
Although much of the interaction with Workout Buddy occurs while you exercise on Apple Watch, you can activate it and select voice options in the Fitness app on iPhone.
Open the Fitness app on your iPhone and tap the button Training Tab below. Scroll through the list of workout types until you find one you want to use with Workout Buddy. Tap the waveform bubble icon associated with this workout. This will display the settings where you can enable Workout Buddy.
Flip the switch to activate it and select a voice from the available options. Once you have selected a voice, close this screen and your selection will be saved. When you start this type of workout on Apple Watch, Workout Buddy is activated.
If you activate Workout Buddy for one type of workout on iPhone, you don’t need to activate it separately on Apple Watch each time for that specific workout. However, you can still customize it through the watch interface for more granular control.
How to activate Workout Buddy on Apple Watch
To use Workout Buddy during a workout, open the Workout app on your Apple Watch. Turn the Digital Crown to scroll and select the workout you want, for example, B.
Outdoor running, outdoor walking, outdoor cycling, HIIT or strength training. If you want to see all the available workouts, press the button Add Button below.
Once the type of training is selected, look for the “Notifications” button on the screen. tap Warnings Then scroll down until you see Workout Buddy. tap training partner and turn on the switch.
You will then be asked to select a voice if it is not already selected on your iPhone. After selecting the voice, return to the previous screen and tap Start. Workout Buddy starts working as soon as the workout is over.
Using Workout Buddy during a workout
Once you start a workout on your watch or iPhone, Workout Buddy will talk to you through your connected headphones. Feedback should be encouraging and relevant to your pace, performance, or milestones.
You can mention your current progress toward activity goals, pace, split times, personal bests, or other highlights from your fitness data. At the end of the session, Workout Buddy provides a summary of key metrics, such as distance traveled and calories burned.
While a workout is active, you can temporarily mute the sound if you need silence. During your session, swipe right on Apple Watch to display controls, then tap Mute. This will pause Workout Buddy’s voice narration without completely disabling the feature.
Customize and manage Workout Buddy settings
Workout Buddy is enabled for every type of training. If you prefer voice feedback while running but silence during strength training, you can turn it on for one and off for the other.
The Fitness app on iPhone allows you to set a default language setting for each type of workout. On Apple Watch, you can quickly turn the feature on or off before signing in.
If Workout Buddy doesn’t appear as an option for a specific workout type, you may need to check compatibility. Apple documentation indicates that initially only certain types* will be supported and the option for unsupported workouts will not appear.
*Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra 3
Fix common problems
If Workout Buddy cannot be activated, please ensure that your devices meet the requirements described above. Make sure your iPhone with Apple Intelligence is nearby and Bluetooth headphones are connected. If audio information is missing, make sure the headphones are paired correctly and the language is set to English.
Some users have reported that feedback interruptions may occur if the headphones are only paired with the watch and not the iPhone. Switching to iPhone often solves this problem.
For workout types where Workout Buddy was previously working but suddenly no longer appears, you can try turning the feature on and off in the Fitness app or restarting both devices. In rare cases, deleting and re-adding the workout type on Apple Watch may cause the settings to update.
