Apple’s iOS 26 and watchOS 26 introduced a new fitness partner called Workout Buddy. This feature uses Apple Intelligence to provide spoken feedback during workouts and provide motivation based on your exercise history. Workout Buddy analyzes your pace, heart rate, distance and other metrics to deliver real-time encouragement and workout information directly through connected Bluetooth headphones. It works in conjunction with the Workout app on the Apple Watch and is partially controlled by the fitness app on the iPhone. This guide walks you through everything you need to set up and use Workout Buddy effectively during a workout.
What Workout Buddy does
It is important to note that Workout Buddy is not a full training program. Instead, it adds to your workout with spoken cues that show how your session is going. Workout Buddy can remind you of your workout totals for the week, alert you to personal highs or performance milestones and give you an overview when you’re done. It’s designed 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 voices from Apple Fitness+ coaches. It is available for a subset of exercise types, including running, walking, cycling, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training. It requires Apple Intelligence on the device, which means you’ll need to keep one of the latest iPhones running updated software close at hand during the workout.
Supported models include iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and any iPhone 16 model. You’ll also need an Apple Watch running watchOS 26.
Prerequisites before you start
Before Workout Buddy appears in your fitness app or workout app you need to make sure a few things are in place. First, your Apple Watch must be running watchOS 26 or later and paired with an iPhone with iOS 26 installed. Second, your iPhone must be able to use Apple Intelligence on the device, which means you must own the supported iPhone model mentioned above and have Apple Intelligence enabled in the phone’s 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 should be set to English, at least initially. If any of these items are missing, the option to enable Workout Buddy may not appear.
How to activate Workout Buddy from iPhone
While most interactions with Workout Buddy happen on the Apple Watch during a workout, you can also enable and select voice options from the fitness app on the iPhone.
Open the fitness app on your iPhone and press the button Exercise tab at the bottom. Scroll through the list of workout types until you find one you plan to use with Workout Buddy. Tap the waveform bubble icon associated with that workout. This will bring up the settings where you can open Workout Buddy. Flip the toggle to enable it and select a voice from the available options. Once you’ve selected a voice, close that screen and your selection is saved. If you start this type of workout on Apple Watch, Workout Buddy will be activated.
Enabling Workout Buddy for a workout on iPhone means you don’t need to activate it separately on Apple Watch each time for that particular workout. However, you can still adjust it from the watch interface for more granular control.
How to turn on Workout Buddy on Apple Watch
To use Workout Buddy during a session, open the Workout app on your Apple Watch. Open the Digital Crown to scroll and select the workout you want to do, such as Outdoor Jogging, Outdoor Walking, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT or Strength Training. If you want to see all available workouts, press Add button at the bottom.
Once a workout type is selected, look for the Notifications button on the screen. Tap Warnings and scroll until you see Workout Buddy. Tap The Workout Buddy and turn the switch to turn it on. You will be prompted to select a voice if it is not already selected on your iPhone. After selecting a voice, return to the previous screen and press Start. Workout Buddy will start working as soon as the workout is done.
Using Workout Buddy during exercise
Once you start a workout on your watch or iPhone, Workout Buddy will talk to you through your connected headphones. Feedback is designed to motivate and match your pace, performance or milestone. It may indicate your current progress towards career goals, pace, splits, personal bests or other highlights from your fitness data. At the end of your session Workout Buddy will give you a summary of key metrics such as distance, duration and calorie burn.
While the workout is running, you can temporarily mute the sound if you need some quiet. On Apple Watch during a session, swipe right to reveal controls and tap Shut up. This pauses Workout Buddy’s spoken comments without disabling the feature entirely.
Customizing and managing Workout Buddy settings
Workout Buddy is powered by each type of workout. If you prefer vocal feedback with exercise but silence for strength training, you can energize one and leave the other. The fitness app on the iPhone lets you set voice preferences for each type of workout. On the Apple Watch you can quickly turn the feature on or off before starting a session.
If Workout Buddy doesn’t appear as an option for a certain type of workout, you may need to check compatibility. Apple’s documentation indicates that only certain models* are supported initially and that the option will not appear in unsupported applications.
*Apple Watch SE (second 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
Solving common problems
If Workout Buddy fails to work make sure your devices meet the requirements described above. Make sure your iPhone with Apple Intelligence is nearby and that the Bluetooth headphones are connected. If there is no sound response, make sure the headphones are paired correctly and the language is set to English. Some users have reported that if the headphones are only paired to the Watch rather than the iPhone, they can interfere with the response. Switching to an iPhone usually solves that problem.
For workouts where Workout Buddy worked before but suddenly doesn’t, you can try turning the feature off again in the Fitness app or restarting both devices. In rare cases removing and re-adding a workout type to the Apple Watch can refresh the settings.
