iOS 27 brings GymKit to iPhone and AirPods, but what does it actually do?

Released in October 2017, Apple’s GymKit is an exciting idea that never gained widespread adoption. The principle is simple: you connect your watch to a machine in the gym to activate data synchronization in both directions. Gym equipment can display what your watch measures, while your watch uses the machine’s measurements to better calculate the quality of your workout. However, replacing gym equipment tends to be a slow process, and purchasing home equipment becomes more and more expensive every year. Given the need for an Apple Watch and a compatible cardio device, Apple’s exercise API has worked quite a bit against it.

However, with iOS 27, Apple offers GymKit on iPhone. With this update, your AirPods Pro 3 will manage heart rate data, while the iPhone will become the screen and workout log. The exercise machine completes the trifecta, bringing its own collected workout information to the Fitness app.

Nothing has changed in terms of compatibility. The cardio machine still requires Apple’s GymKit integration, whether you’re using an Apple Watch or iPhone. iOS 27 simply adds the same Tap to Connect option for iPhone, so you use the NFC reader with your phone instead of your watch.

Without GymKit integration, iPhones and AirPods are still useful for tracking regular workouts. They simply won’t retrieve any data from the exercise equipment.

With iOS 27, the process of signing in to GymKit is the same as using your iPhone to pay at a store. With a compatible machine on hand, tap iPhone on the GymKit or NFC connection point, choose the workout type, and start the session. Treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and steppers are listed among the supported types of cardio equipment, but compatibility may extend to other devices as well.

If you’re wearing AirPods Pro 3, the earbuds will provide live heart rate data to your iPhone, which will transmit that information to the equipment, which will send the workout details to the Fitness app. This is a big clean circle of data. According to Apple’s GymKit privacy page, workout information is deleted from connected equipment after your workout is complete, unless you are using a machine that you are connected to.

The point is, you no longer need an Apple Watch to take advantage of workout features that were once exclusive to the wearable. If you forget to charge your watch, you can still connect to workout equipment compatible with an iPhone and AirPods Pro 3.

Unfortunately, this new feature does not fully replace the Apple Watch. Your iPhone and compatible AirPods provide all the data you could reasonably need during a workout. But the Apple Watch is a broader tool that provides all-day, all-night data context to accompany daily workout routines.

There are also practical limitations. You must have your iPhone updated to iOS 27 and need AirPods Pro 3 for heart rate tracking. As of this writing, GymKit-supported cardio machines will disconnect from an iPhone if AirPods Pro 3 aren’t also in the mix. Perhaps the biggest hurdle is compatible workout equipment, as many common machines in gyms and home setups don’t work with GymKit.

If you don’t have an Apple Watch, tend to forget it at home, or don’t charge it regularly, the iOS 27 update paired with AirPods Pro 3 will do the trick in a pinch. However, due to the practical constraints of needing your phone and AirPods, wearing an Apple Watch charged and ready to go remains the most practical option.