Apple Fitness+ Coming to iPhone, No Apple Watch Needed Except…

The Apple Fitness+ subscription service is coming to iPhone, and you won’t need an Apple Watch to close circles for movement, standing, and exercise, but there’s a catch.

• What is happening? Fitness+ launches on iOS on October 24th. You don’t need an Apple Watch to close the rings, but one important workout metric will be approximated without a wearable: calories burned.
• Why care? Because it marks the separation of Fitness+ from the Apple Watch. The more people Apple can motivate to exercise, the better.
• What to do? Update your iPhone to iOS 16.1 on October 24 to access Fitness+.

Apple Fitness+ on iPhone doesn’t require an Apple Watch

An announcement published Oct. 20 in the Apple Newsroom confirms that Apple Watch Series 8 or later will not be required to use Apple Fitness+ on iPhone, as the service launches on Apple smartphones with upcoming releases of iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, and tvOS 16.1. on Monday, October 24, 2022

Once the update is installed, open the stock Fitness app and then tap the Fitness+ tab at the bottom to start using the service on your iPhone or iPad.

With Apple Watch, your personalized real-time metrics appear on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. And if you have an AirPlay-enabled Roku, Fitness+ on-screen metrics will soon be available on your Roku as well.

Still the best Apple Watch experience

The Fitness+ iPhone app gives you access to over 3,000 studio workouts. To better track some metrics, you’ll need an Apple Watch and its motion sensors.

For example, you won’t see your real-time heart rate and exact calories burned because your iPhone doesn’t have a heart rate sensor. Instead, the Fitness app will estimate the calories burned and you can still close your rings.

New series “In the spotlight of artists”

Apple is also adding new content from the Artist Spotlight series and expanding Time to Walk content with new guests. Artist Spotlight offers workout playlists from artists not only with their regular songs, but also collaborations and remixes.

On October 24, the Artist Spotlight will feature music from Taylor Swift’s Midnights album.

To celebrate the Midnight theme, the first three workouts will feature special themed lighting and Fitness+ trainers will highlight the artist in a fun and creative way. In a treadmill workout, the first letter of every piece of advice from Fitness+ Trainer Scott Carwin will combine to form the word “SWIFTIE”. During a HIIT workout, Fitness+ Trainer Anya Garcia will teach users to build on Swift’s proximity to the number 13 at 13-second intervals.

On the same day, a new training program “Yoga for every runner”starts with Scott Jurek, one of the best ultramarathoners in the world.

New time for walking guests

There will also be several new episodes of Time to Walk. Time to Walk brings personal audio stories, photos and music of influencers to your wrist. Episodes of New Time to Walk will feature guests such as actor Hannah Waddingham, singer Meghan Trainor and former astronaut Eileen M. Collins.

Last but not least, Fitness+ is bringing you three new collections titled ’80s-Style Cycling, The Best Mindful Recovery Exercises for Athletes, and 14-Day HIIT & Strength Training. Read: How to switch between miles and kilometers in the Health and Workout apps on iPhone and Apple Watch.

Fitness+ prices and availability

Fitness+ is currently available in 21 countries. Apple is expanding the service to other markets, but the global rollout is yet to be completed.

The service costs $10 per month or $80 per year in the US. Fitness+ is also included with select Apple One subscriptions. You can share access to your Fitness+ subscriptions with up to five other family members for the same price.

You can get three free months of Fitness+ on Apple when you buy a new device like an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple TV.

One month of Fitness+ is included for existing users. Apple is working with SilverSneakers, Target, UnitedHealthcare, and Mobile Health on special offers that will let you sign up at no additional cost.