Peloton has updated their Apple Watch app with a long-requested feature – the ability to do a “Just Run” or “Just Walk” workout outdoors, without needing to have an iPhone with you or an internet connection.
This update also brought the ability for the Peloton watch app to automatically pair with Peloton equipment.
Prior to the most recent app update, Peloton members looking to run or walk outdoors on their own (e.g., running without taking a specific class) would have to:
- Open the Peloton iOS app
- Tap “Just Run” or “Just Walk”
- Open the Apple Watch app to pair the iPhone app
- Keep their phone on them while running or walking to track metrics and distance.
That workflow dated back to the very beginning of Peloton’s Apple Watch app. When Peloton first launched the Apple Watch app in September 2020, we noted at the time that for outdoor runs, you would still need to take your iPhone with you. Nearly six years later, that is finally no longer the case.
The updated Apple Watch app now functions as a more feature-complete native app, allowing members to simply open the app, tap “Outdoor Run” or “Outdoor Walk”, and start running or walking without needing to carry their iPhone.
All workout metrics – distance, elevation, heart rate, calories, etc. – are captured via the app and uploaded to both Apple Health and the Peloton iOS app once in range of the user’s iPhone.
In essence, the app now works the same as many other native Apple Watch fitness apps. Users also don’t need a cellular or wifi signal to start a run or walk. They simply tap the appropriate workout type in the app (Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run), and off they go.
One item to note: the above only applies to general outdoor runs or walks and not to classes of any kind, including instructor-led outdoor runs or walks. For now, members must still initiate classes taught by instructors from the iOS app and keep their phones with them while completing the workout.
Perhaps a future update will change that and allow members to take a traditional Peloton class on an Apple Watch without needing their phone – but that is still not available as it stands today.
Beyond the ability to do just walk & just run workouts without an iPhone – Peloton has simplified using the Apple Watch as a heart rate monitor with Peloton hardware. Now, the watch automatically pairs with Peloton equipment as opposed to having to tap “connect” to initiate pairing. A user simply needs to open the app and have it near the equipment for the pairing to occur.
The app has a handy “How to sync” prompt for app users to explain this.
The auto-pairing applies to members’ own equipment as well as studio equipment for when members take classes in New York or London. As a reminder, Peloton updated the studio equipment to use Apple Watches as a heart rate monitor last year, following the ability to use Apple Watch as a heart rate monitor across all workout types on home Peloton devices back in 2022.
While the pairing update might not seem significant, it will undoubtedly help users who forget to pair their Apple Watch when starting a class.
Will you be leaving your phone at home on your next run?
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