Building custom workouts on your Apple Watch feels like trying to compose a novel on a calculator. That tiny screen turns simple interval training into a thumb-cramping ordeal that most people abandon halfway through.
iOS 26 fixes this mess, but only if you own the right hardware combo.
The iPhone Takes Over Workout Planning
The “secret” lives in iOS 26’s revamped Fitness app. A new Workout tab materializes—but only when your iPhone detects a paired Apple Watch running watchOS 26. Without that connection, the builder stays hidden.
Apple designed this feature specifically for Apple Watch owners who’ve suffered through creating complex routines on that postage-stamp display. Now you build everything on your iPhone’s spacious screen—intervals, repetitions, distance targets, pace goals—then sync instantly to your watch for execution.
The interface mirrors what serious fitness apps like Peloton and Nike Run Club have offered for years:
- Drag-and-drop workout segments
- Visual timeline builders
- Tools that make structured training actually manageable
This brings Apple closer to the workflow that leading sports watches from Garmin and others have provided through smartphone apps.
AirPods Pro 3 Add Heart Rate Intelligence
The new AirPods Pro 3 contribute their own heart rate readings via photoplethysmography sensors. When you’re wearing both devices, Apple’s on-device AI automatically prioritizes the cleanest signal—usually the Apple Watch for interval work, but the fitness earbuds handle steady-state cardio surprisingly well.
This sensor fusion feels like having a personal trainer’s monitoring setup without the monthly fees. Real-time coaching adjustments flow into compatible apps, making your iPhone the command center for increasingly sophisticated workout experiences.
The heart rate sensor’s accuracy in the AirPods Pro 3 remains strong but still doesn’t quite match the wrist-bound Apple Watch for interval training, owing to anatomical variances and sensor contact issues.
Ecosystem Lock-in Gets Stronger
This update brings Apple closer to what Garmin and Polar have offered for years—professional workout building on smartphones. The catch? You need both an Apple Watch and iPhone to access features that single-device competitors provide out of the box.
For existing Apple ecosystem users, this represents a genuine workflow improvement. For everyone else, it’s another expensive reminder that Apple’s best features require buying deeper into their hardware lineup.
The custom builder won’t appear if you’re using only AirPods Pro 3. That’s the ecosystem tax in action.
