The way to use Exercise Buddy with Apple Watch and iOS 26

Apple’s iOS 26 and watchOS 26 launched a brand new health companion known as Exercise Buddy. This characteristic makes use of Apple Intelligence to offer spoken suggestions throughout exercises and provides motivation based mostly in your exercise historical past. Exercise Buddy analyzes your tempo, coronary heart fee, distance and different metrics to ship real-time encouragement and efficiency insights instantly via linked Bluetooth headphones. It really works at the side of the Exercise app on Apple Watch and is partially managed via the Health app on iPhone. This information walks you thru every part wanted to arrange and use Exercise Buddy successfully throughout exercises.

What Exercise Buddy does

It’s vital to notice that Exercise Buddy just isn’t a full teaching program. As an alternative, it provides to your exercise with spoken cues that replicate how your session goes. Exercise Buddy can remind you of your weekly exercise totals, warn you to non-public bests or efficiency milestones and supply an outline while you’re completed. It’s designed to really feel like a supportive coaching associate somewhat than a strict coach.

The characteristic operates in English by default and makes use of a text-to-speech mannequin educated on voices from Apple Health+ trainers. It’s accessible for a subset of exercise varieties, together with working, strolling, biking, high-intensity interval coaching (HIIT) and power coaching. It requires on-device Apple Intelligence, which implies you’ll must maintain one of many newest iPhones working up to date software program close by throughout exercises.

Supported fashions embrace iPhone 15 Professional, iPhone 15 Professional Max and any iPhone 16 mannequin. You’ll additionally want an Apple Watch working watchOS 26.

Necessities earlier than you start

Earlier than Exercise Buddy seems in your Health app or Exercise app you have to guarantee a couple of issues are in place. First, your Apple Watch should be working watchOS 26 or later and paired to an iPhone with iOS 26 put in. Second, your iPhone should be able to on-device Apple Intelligence, which means you have to personal one of many supported iPhone fashions we talked about above and have Apple Intelligence enabled within the cellphone’s settings.

You’ll additionally want Bluetooth headphones paired with both your iPhone or your Apple Watch. Exercise Buddy’s audio suggestions can’t play via the watch speaker so headphones are important. Lastly, your machine language should be set to English, no less than initially. If any of these items are lacking, the choice to allow Exercise Buddy could not seem.

The way to activate Exercise Buddy from iPhone

Whereas a lot of the interplay with Exercise Buddy occurs on Apple Watch throughout exercises, you’ll be able to allow it and select voice choices from the Health app on iPhone.

Open the Health app in your iPhone and faucet the Exercise tab on the backside. Scroll via the checklist of exercise varieties till you discover one you propose to make use of with Exercise Buddy. Faucet the waveform bubble icon related to that exercise. This can carry up settings the place you’ll be able to activate Exercise Buddy. Flip the toggle to allow it and select a voice from the accessible choices. After getting chosen a voice, shut that display screen and your selection is saved. Once you begin this exercise sort on Apple Watch, Exercise Buddy will activate.

Enabling Exercise Buddy for a exercise sort on iPhone means you don’t want to toggle it on individually on Apple Watch every time for that particular exercise. Nevertheless, you should still modify it from the watch interface for extra granular management.

The way to activate Exercise Buddy on Apple Watch

To make use of Exercise Buddy throughout a session, open the Exercise app in your Apple Watch. Flip the Digital Crown to scroll via and choose the exercise you wish to do, resembling Out of doors Run, Out of doors Stroll, Out of doors Cycle, HIIT or Power Coaching. If you wish to see all accessible exercises, faucet the Add button on the backside.

As soon as the exercise sort is chosen, search for the Alerts button on display screen. Faucet Alerts then scroll till you see Exercise Buddy. Faucet Exercise Buddy and flip the change to on. You’ll then be requested to decide on a voice if one just isn’t already chosen in your iPhone. After choosing the voice, return to the earlier display screen and faucet Begin. Exercise Buddy will start working as quickly because the exercise does.

Utilizing Exercise Buddy throughout a exercise

When you begin an train in your Watch or iPhone, Exercise Buddy will converse to you thru your linked headphones. The suggestions is designed to be encouraging and related to your tempo, efficiency or milestones. It might point out your present progress towards exercise targets, tempo, splits, private bests or different highlights out of your health knowledge. On the finish of your session Exercise Buddy will supply a abstract of key metrics like length distance and calorie burn.

Whereas a exercise is energetic, you’ll be able to quickly mute the audio when you want silence. On Apple Watch through the session, swipe proper to disclose controls then faucet Mute. This pauses Exercise Buddy’s spoken commentary with out disabling the characteristic totally.

Customizing and managing Exercise Buddy settings

Exercise Buddy is enabled on a per-workout-type foundation. When you desire voice suggestions for working however silence for power coaching, you’ll be able to allow it for one and go away it off for the opposite. The Health app on iPhone lets you set a default voice choice for every exercise sort. On Apple Watch you’ll be able to rapidly toggle the characteristic on or off earlier than beginning a session.

If Exercise Buddy doesn’t seem as an choice for a specific exercise sort, chances are you’ll must examine compatibility. Apple’s documentation signifies that solely sure varieties* are supported initially and that the choice won’t seem for unsupported exercises.

*Apple Watch SE (2nd technology), Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Sequence 6, Apple Watch Sequence 7, Apple Watch Sequence 8, Apple Watch Sequence 9, Apple Watch Sequence 10, Apple Watch Sequence 11, Apple Watch Extremely, Apple Watch Extremely 2, Apple Watch Extremely 3

Troubleshooting frequent points

If Exercise Buddy fails to activate ensure your units meet the necessities outlined above. Verify that your iPhone with Apple Intelligence is close by and that Bluetooth headphones are linked. If audio suggestions is lacking, guarantee headphones are paired accurately and that the language is ready to English. Some customers have reported that if the headphones are paired solely to the Watch somewhat than the iPhone, it will probably intrude with suggestions. Switching to the iPhone typically resolves that concern.

For exercise varieties the place Exercise Buddy beforehand labored however all of the sudden doesn’t seem, chances are you’ll strive toggling the characteristic on and off once more within the Health app or rebooting each units. In uncommon instances eradicating and re-adding the exercise sort on Apple Watch can refresh the settings.