Workout Buddy not working properly

I've noticed that Workout Buddy does not announce anything when I start my workout. It does not say anything when there is a split mark, and it gives me no summary at the end. But the workout buddy icon on the top-right appears in the beginning, during splits, and when I end the workout. It only talks when I pause or resume the workout.


I've tried connecting my earphones to both the watch and my iPhone. (I am not using Apple Airpods)

I've tried different workouts like HIT, walking, and hiking.

I've got the iPhone 16 and my device supports apple intelligence.


Any idea on how to fix this?






[Edited by Moderator]

Apple Watch Series 10, watchOS 26

Posted on Sep 19, 2025 1:03 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 29, 2025 4:00 PM

I had this issue too, and I eventually figured out the problem. Apple does a really poor job of managing whether your music is being streamed from your watch or your phone. It doesn’t automatically default to using the phone as the connected device and the watch as the “remote” when the phone is nearby.


What’s happening is that your watch is actually streaming the music to your AirPods or other Bluetooth earbuds. When that happens, all workout notifications are muted.


TL;DR: Your AirPods are paired to your watch instead of your phone. To make Workout Buddy work, first make sure your AirPods or headphones are paired with your phone. Apple really needs to get its act together, as their software feels like the Microsoft Vista days.

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 29, 2025 4:00 PM in response to _Nikan

I had this issue too, and I eventually figured out the problem. Apple does a really poor job of managing whether your music is being streamed from your watch or your phone. It doesn’t automatically default to using the phone as the connected device and the watch as the “remote” when the phone is nearby.


What’s happening is that your watch is actually streaming the music to your AirPods or other Bluetooth earbuds. When that happens, all workout notifications are muted.


TL;DR: Your AirPods are paired to your watch instead of your phone. To make Workout Buddy work, first make sure your AirPods or headphones are paired with your phone. Apple really needs to get its act together, as their software feels like the Microsoft Vista days.

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Workout Buddy not working properly

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