Apple is extending GymKit, its exercise-equipment data-sharing feature, to the iPhone with iOS 27, reducing reliance on the Apple Watch to use it. Previously, GymKit required tapping a watch to compatible gym equipment to sync workout data in both directions; now, users can tap their iPhone instead, with AirPods Pro 3 supplying heart rate data to complete the connection. This matters because it removes one of the biggest barriers to using the feature, letting anyone with an iPhone and the right earbuds access equipment-linked workout tracking without owning or charging a watch.

The setup works much like contactless payment: users tap their iPhone against a machine's GymKit or NFC point, select a workout type and begin, with supported equipment including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and stair steppers. AirPods Pro 3 feed live heart rate data to the iPhone, which relays it to the machine, which in turn sends workout details to the Fitness app; per Apple's privacy page, this data is deleted from the equipment once the session ends unless the user is signed into that machine. Limitations remain, however: iOS 27 and AirPods Pro 3 are both required, machines currently disconnect without the AirPods, and compatible gym equipment is still relatively scarce, meaning a charged Apple Watch remains the more convenient option overall.