Peloton Is Ditching Apple GymKit: What Apple Watch Users Should Know
Peloton recently sent its customers an email informing them that Apple GymKit will no longer be supported on compatible Peloton equipment starting February 27. Apple's GymKit allows users to sync their workouts to their Apple Watch with compatible equipment. It was first introduced as an exclusive premium feature for Peloton Bike+ users. Among the data shared from a workout are heart rate, distance, and speed.
Peloton directed users to its own One-Tap tracking app on the Apple Watch as a replacement for GymKit to sync and collect their exercise data. The One-Tap tracking app first emerged in 2022 as a tracking solution for all Peloton devices. This circumvented the need for Apple's equipment API. However, some owners of the more expensive Peloton Bike did not make the transition to Peloton's app.
Reports indicate that those who prefer GymKit can continue utilizing it if they do not update their Peloton software. However, there is no confirmation that this will work after 2/27. Not updating also means missing out on new features and fixes that may get released.
GymKit users will be forced to migrate
This announcement won't affect those who already use the Peloton Apple Watch and smartphone app to export their data to Apple Health. The Peloton Apple Watch app provides functionality similar to GymKit, exporting performance data such as pace, distance, and timelines. However, some customers have taken to forums to argue that performance measurements like power, cadence, and speed are not synced to Apple Health with the Peloton app. This could mean a loss of features without compensation.
Understandably, users who opted for a Peloton Plus over cheaper alternatives, partly or entirely for GymKit, are disappointed by Peloton's forced migration. Some call it false advertising, as GymKit is still listed as a selling point for the Bike + store page.
GymKit users affected by this development can follow the instructions below to migrate to the Peloton app to ensure their performance continues to be tracked.
- Download the Peloton App on your paired Apple Watch and Apple device.
- Open the Peloton app on your paired iPhone or iPad.
- Press More at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Tap Apple Watch under the Add-ons menu.
- Tap the red Set Up button at the bottom of the screen.
- Select Install.
- Choose the Peloton Apple Watch App from the selection of apps.
- Select Connect to Health App.
- From the Health Screen tap, select the Turn on All option.
This process only needs to be completed once.