Apple Watch’s AI “Workout Buddy” Makes You Feel the Trainer During Workouts

Photo: Reuters

Apple has taken a bold step forward in wearable fitness with Workout Buddy, its first on‑device AI coach, unveiled as part of watchOS 26 at WWDC 2025. With Apple Intelligence at the helm, this feature brings personalized, real‑time coaching audio directly to users during workouts—no data is sent to the cloud, ensuring privacy.

When you start a workout, Workout Buddy does more than just record stats—it delivers a pep talk tailored to your performance. It draws on your current metrics—heart rate, pace, distance—and your fitness history across activities like running, cycling, walking, HIIT, and strength training. You'll hear coach‑style encouragement like, “Your last mile was your fastest yet!” or “You’re right on track, keep it up!” as milestones or personal bests are hit.

During the session, it gives live milestone alerts, audio updates on splits, cadence, and pace. At the end, you get a voice‑guided summary recap covering your reps, average heart rate, pace, and whether you set a new record. These three coaching phases—pep talk, mid-workout cues, and session wrap—offer a motivational structure previously reserved for guided studio workouts .

Apple models the voices on its Fitness+ trainers, so it's not the typical robotic tone—it sounds lively and human-like, making it more. Users can pick their preferred trainer voice from options provided. The feature works seamlessly through Bluetooth headphones and only supports English at launch.

The Workout app itself has been reimagined in watchOS 26. The new interface features corner icons that offer easy access to custom sessions, race goals, and music controls. Apple Music integration provides curated playlists that match your workout style and past listening habits—so you stay in rhythm without breaking focus.

Additionally, watchOS 26 introduces a Liquid Glass design, a refreshed translucent UI, and controls like wrist‑flick gestures to dismiss notifications without interrupting workouts.

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Workout Buddy is available on Apple Watch Series 6 and later, but users need Series 9 or newer paired with an Apple Intelligence‑enabled iPhone (iPhone 15 or later) for the full experience. The feature keeps all processing on the watch, safeguarding workout data and personal metrics from external access.

This marks Apple’s first major AI feature on the Watch, turning it from a passive tracker into an active fitness companion. It reflects a growing trend toward private, smart coaching through AI, with Apple focused on performance, safety, and user experience.

While similar features exist in apps like Nike Run Club, Apple benefits from its vast user base and deep ecosystem integration. Though some users may prefer silent workouts, Workout Buddy can be disabled per activity, offering flexibility.

Overall, Workout Buddy elevates the Apple Watch fitness experience, making AI‑driven coaching accessible, motivational, and secure—right from your wrist.