Apple Introduces Workout Buddy AI Feature in WatchOS 26

At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced Workout Buddy, a new AI-powered feature in WatchOS 26 designed to provide personalized encouragement during workouts. Unlike traditional fitness coaches that offer structured training plans, Workout Buddy acts as a supportive voice, delivering motivational feedback based on your historical fitness data.

This feature analyzes metrics such as training load, move rings, and past workouts to offer real-time affirmations like "That was your fastest mile ever" or "You've just crossed 500 miles for the year." It's a subtle but significant shift from generic advice to context-aware, personalized insights.

Apple’s approach with Workout Buddy is intentionally conservative, reflecting a user-first philosophy that prioritizes thoughtful, manageable AI integration over overwhelming users with unsolicited suggestions. This cautious rollout also addresses hardware constraints, as Workout Buddy requires an iPhone 15 or newer to communicate with the watch for processing.

While Workout Buddy currently supports only eight workout types—including indoor and outdoor running, walking, cycling, HIIT, and strength training—it lays the groundwork for more advanced AI coaching capabilities in the future. This could eventually expand beyond fitness to other health domains like sleep coaching or proactive illness detection.

For users who thrive on structured, drill-sergeant style coaching, Workout Buddy may feel limited at launch. However, its conversational, data-driven encouragement represents a promising first step toward a more intelligent, responsive Apple Watch experience that not only tracks fitness but actively helps improve it.

The Future of AI on Apple Watch

Workout Buddy showcases Apple's capability to harness extensive health data and real-time processing power to create meaningful, personalized user interactions. It hints at a future where AI-powered coaching could become more sophisticated, offering tailored guidance across various health metrics, including sleep quality and early illness detection.

This measured introduction of AI respects user preferences and hardware limitations, ensuring that the technology enhances rather than overwhelms the fitness experience. As Apple continues to refine these capabilities, users can look forward to more dynamic, context-aware coaching that adapts to their unique health journeys.