iOS 27 basically turns your iPhone and AirPods into an Apple Watch at the gym
GymKit has been one of Apple Watch’s smartest fitness features since it launched in 2017. Tap your watch to compatible gym equipment, and Apple Watch shares your heart rate while the machine sends back metrics like distance, incline, pace, and calories. With iOS 27, Apple is expanding that idea beyond Apple Watch. I tested the new GymKit on iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 experience with a…
Apple’s iOS 27 brings a new feature called GymKit that essentially transforms your iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 into a portable Apple Watch gym experience. This makes it possible to track workouts on the gym equipment itself, rather than relying on an Apple Watch.
The process is simple: tap your iPhone to a compatible treadmill, choose the workout type, and start your exercise. The treadmill shares crucial information like heart rate, distance, pace, incline, and calories with your iPhone via AirPods Pro 3. Meanwhile, the Fitness app on your iPhone records all the workout data.
One of the advantages of GymKit is that it eliminates the inconvenience of wearing a heart-rate strap or contacting the treadmill during exercise. Instead, your AirPods Pro 3 act as your heart-rate monitor, while your iPhone serves as the workout controller. This allows you to monitor your progress without needing to hold any metal contacts.
GymKit is a valuable backup option when your Apple Watch is unavailable or when you forgot to bring it to the gym. It also offers iOS and AirPods Pro 3 users a glimpse into the Apple Watch experience, potentially drawing them towards future Apple Watch devices.
During testing with iOS 27 beta 1, the Exercise ring on the iPhone's Fitness app didn’t update during the workout. However, after putting the Apple Watch back on, the Exercise ring synchronized with the workout data in the Fitness app. In my 16-minute treadmill walk, the distance, calories burned, elevation gain, and heart rate matched the results I would have gotten if I had worn an Apple Watch.
To use GymKit, make sure to enable AirPods heart-rate permission in the AirPods settings under the privacy options. AirPods Pro 3 can also work in tandem with an Apple Watch for the most accurate heart-rate data.
In conclusion, GymKit on iOS 27 is a small but practical addition to Apple’s Fitness strategy. While Apple Watch remains the primary workout tracker for most users, GymKit provides a valuable alternative for those moments when your watch is not available. This update reinforces Apple’s commitment to making fitness tracking more convenient and comprehensive across its product lineup.
Written by urgent.news from 9to5Mac's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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