iOS 27 Brings GymKit to iPhone and AirPods—No Apple Watch Required
A 9to5Mac report reveals that iOS 27 will extend GymKit to iPhones and AirPods, transforming them into an Apple Watch stand-in for gym workouts.
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Since 2017, Apple Watch owners have enjoyed a frictionless gym experience with GymKit—just tap your watch on a compatible cardio machine, and workout data flows seamlessly between the two. But a new report from 9to5Mac claims that iOS 27 will democratize this feature, turning your iPhone and AirPods into a standalone gym companion that works just like an Apple Watch.
GymKit Without the Watch
According to the report, iOS 27 will introduce native GymKit support for iPhone and AirPods. This means you can walk up to a treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical with nothing but your phone and earbuds, tap the machine with your iPhone (likely via NFC), and instantly start a synchronized workout. Your AirPods handle audio cues and may even contribute motion data, effectively replicating the Apple Watch’s role.
This isn’t a mere convenience—it’s a strategic shift. For years, GymKit has been a key differentiator for Apple Watch, locking gym-goers into the wearable ecosystem. By extending it to iPhone and AirPods, Apple acknowledges that many users exercise without a watch. The move also undercuts dedicated fitness trackers by making the phone you already carry a capable workout hub.
How It Works (and What You’ll Need)
While Apple hasn’t officially detailed the feature, the 9to5Mac report suggests the implementation will rely on a combination of hardware already present in recent iPhones and AirPods:
- iPhone XS and newer: NFC chip for machine pairing, plus motion coprocessors for calorie estimation.
- AirPods Pro (2nd generation) or AirPods 3: Improved motion sensors for head-motion tracking and potentially heart rate monitoring via in-ear photoplethysmography (PPG).
- GymKit-compatible equipment: Machines from brands like Life Fitness, Technogym, and Cybex that already support Apple Watch pairing.
The workout session data—heart rate, pace, incline, and calories—syncs directly to the Health app on your iPhone, just as it would with a watch. The key difference is that the phone acts as the central hub, while AirPods provide the biometrics typically captured by the Apple Watch’s wrist-based sensors. Early rumors also hint that Siri will become more proactive in gym settings, offering real-time coaching through AirPods based on your effort levels.
A Shift in Apple’s Fitness Ecosystem
This development coincides with watchOS 27’s controversial decision to drop support for all Apple Watch models older than the Series 9 (source: Wareable). By decoupling GymKit from the watch, Apple opens fitness tracking to a far larger audience while simultaneously pushing watch users toward newer hardware for advanced AI features. It’s a win-win for the company: iPhone-only users get a taste of the ecosystem’s stickiness, and watch loyalists have a reason to upgrade.
Still, questions remain. Will the AirPods’ heart rate data be as accurate as a wrist-based sensor? How will battery life hold up during long gym sessions with constant sensor use? And can the iPhone’s motion tracking truly replace the nuanced movement analysis of watchOS? Apple is expected to reveal more at WWDC 2026, but for now, it seems the company is betting that our pocket computers are fitness computers too.