One of the more notable fitness updates in watchOS 27 is that Workout Buddy no longer requires a nearby iPhone.
The change allows Apple Watch users to access the feature during workouts without carrying their phone, bringing the experience closer to Apple’s long-standing goal of making the watch a more independent fitness device.
Apple is also improving workout tracking accuracy. According to the company, indoor distance measurements have been refined, allowing the watch to better estimate treadmill workouts using wrist-motion data.
Route maps in the Fitness app are also receiving updates, with Apple promising more accurate workout paths after outdoor activities.
Workout Buddy itself is becoming more personalized. Rather than relying solely on general encouragement, the feature can now reference a user’s fitness history to provide updates on pace, distance, and workout progress.
Apple is also expanding language support, bringing Workout Buddy to Spanish-speaking users for the first time.
Sleep tracking is also receiving attention in watchOS 27. Apple confirmed that accuracy improvements are coming to the feature, but did not provide technical details about the changes during its WWDC presentation.
Elsewhere, Apple says it has addressed a step-count synchronization issue affecting the Health and Fitness apps. The fix should improve consistency between the two apps when tracking daily activity data.
