I didn't think I needed a "buddy" to cheer me on during a workout when Apple first announced its new Workout Buddy feature in WatchOS 26. Despite it being an AI-powered voice that extols you with positive feedback as you run (or as you do any number of activities), I was envisioning a non-nonsense trainer that would push me out of my comfort zone and into peak performance. But after testing it myself and talking in-depth with Apple about how it works, I'm starting to think the company undersold it on purpose. Workout Buddy is much more than just a hype man, and it represents a crucial turning point in Apple's health journey.
Workout Buddy turns your Apple Watch into a friendly voice that lauds your achievements during workouts. The WatchOS 26 feature isn't a full-blown fitness coach that can guide your training plan, but that doesn't mean Apple isn't headed there. In fact, Workout Buddy may be the clearest signal yet that Apple is laying the groundwork for something much bigger in terms of fitness tools and AI.
At a time when investors and enthusiasts are critical about the company's AI efforts, especially compared to competitors like Samsung and Google, Apple has a chance with Workout Buddy to show how its approach is different in a meaningful way. After the lukewarm debut of Apple Intelligence on the iPhone, Workout Buddy is the first time we're seeing what Apple can do with AI on the watch.
The public beta version of WatchOS 26 is out. I recently tested Workout Buddy in the developer beta of WatchOS 26 and was genuinely surprised by how it made me feel after a walk. I spoke with Jay Blahnik, Apple's vice president of fitness technologies, and Deidre Caldbeck, senior director of Apple Watch product marketing, to get more clarity around the feature, and unpack the tech and philosophy behind it. And the sense that I got from them is that Apple's marathon toward personalized, intelligent coaching is only getting started.
Don't call it a coach… yet
When Apple introduced Workout Buddy at WWDC in June, many Apple Watch fans (including myself) were quick to critique Workout Buddy for being more of a hype man/woman, than a trainer. Compared to competitors such as Fitbit, Garmin and recently Samsung, all of which already offer some form of AI-powered adaptive coaching plan, Workout Buddy with its real-time feedback, is more like a cheerleader than a strategist.
It's easy to overlook what Apple set in motion, by focusing on what Workout Buddy isn't. The feature is designed to be a motivating presence during your workout, not a drill sergeant. It delivers contextual, personalized encouragement that's dynamically generated in real time across eight supported workout types: indoor/outdoor walks and runs, outdoor cycling, HIIT, Functional Strength Training and Traditional Strength Training.
"We didn't want it to be just a pro tool," Blahnik told me. "We wanted it to be accessible to as many people as possible."
Workout Buddy requires you wear headphones. I'm a no-frills runner, who'd rather use 2 extra minutes to work out than spend them searching for a headset and choosing the perfect playlist (WatchOS 26 will soon take care of this too). So I wasn't sold on the idea of using Workout Buddy rather than just tracking my regular pace and heart rate alerts on the wrist with my Apple Watch. And while I'm still not fully onboard with the whole audio gear requirement, I didn't mind having the Workout Buddy version of my alerts in my ear reminding me that I'd reached my cruising range (that is, my target training zone).
Enabling Workout Buddy in the developer's beta of watchOS 26. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNET
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