GymKit has been one of the smartest fitness features on Apple Watch since its launch in 2017. When you tap your Watch on compatible gym equipment, your Apple Watch will share your heart rate and the machine will send back metrics like distance, incline, pace, calories, and more.
With iOS 27, Apple is extending that idea beyond the Apple Watch. We tested the new GymKit experience for iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 ($179, normally $249) on a GymKit-compatible treadmill. Basically, it gives you the Apple Watch GymKit workout tracking experience without the watch. This can be useful in many scenarios.
GymKit, no Apple Watch required
Setup is easy. I tapped my iPhone to the treadmill, selected Indoor Walk (Indoor Run is also available), and started my workout from the treadmill. With GymKit, your workout data is privately stored on your iPhone and removed from your device.
Once the workout started, the treadmill received heart rate data from the AirPods Pro 3. Meanwhile, the iPhone’s fitness app received treadmill distance, pace, incline, and calorie data. The treadmill knows details that your iPhone or AirPods alone can’t, especially the incline and exact belt distance.
Side note: Apple Watch now includes more accurate treadmill workout tracking as part of watchOS 27. However, GymKit remains the gold standard for accurate data.
GymKit also avoids two annoying gym habits. There is no need to hold the treadmill metal heart rate contacts while jogging. You don’t even need to wear a Bluetooth heart rate strap.
AirPods Pro 3 will be your heart rate source (and probably your audio source for podcasts and music, too). Your iPhone becomes your workout computer and allows you to monitor yourself during your workout. The treadmill also provides a surface for walking and running while providing data for the machine.
iPhone and AirPods are closer to the Apple Watch
Apple has been bringing more fitness features to the iPhone over the years. Apple Fitness+ uses iPhone as an entry point, making iOS the first time you can use a fitness app without an Apple Watch. After Apple tested this idea with the Powerbeats Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 took it even further as the first AirPods with heart rate tracking.
iOS 27 brings these elements together. GymKit on iPhone should not replace the Apple Watch for people who wear it every day. Instead, it’s a great backup for when your Apple Watch dies, is charging, or you leave it at home.
It also has the potential to attract future Apple Watch customers by offering iPhone and AirPods users an Apple Watch experience.
In testing with iOS 27 Beta 1, the exercise ring did not update when you worked out without wearing your Apple Watch. However, when I turned the clock back, the Exercise Ring caught up and my workouts appeared in Fitness with the proper data.
My sample 16-minute treadmill walk logged 0.66 miles, 65 active calories, 97 total calories, 32 feet of elevation gain, and an average heart rate of 115 BPM, just as if I was wearing the Apple Watch.
When I tried to use GymKit on my iPhone without AirPods, my iPhone disconnected at the start of the workout because there was no heart rate source. When I tried to start GymKit from my iPhone while wearing my Apple Watch, iOS directed me to the Workout app on the Apple Watch instead, but I can continue without using the watch.
AirPods heart rate permissions are also important. You can manage this in AirPods settings and privacy options (Settings). I had it turned off for theoretical battery savings, but after this test I decided to turn it back on. AirPods Pro 3 can also work with Apple Watch to provide the best heart rate data available.
GymKit for iPhone and AirPods is a great addition to Apple’s fitness ecosystem
GymKit on iPhone is one of those iOS 27 features that sounds like a small feature until it solves a real problem. If your Apple Watch is your default workout tracker, it’s probably going to stay that way.
But if your watch breaks or you forget it at home, you can now track your treadmill workouts with real heart rate data and real treadmill metrics on your iPhone and AirPods Pro 3. It’s a nice upgrade and makes Apple’s broader fitness strategy feel more complete.
