Apple's upcoming watchOS 27 focuses heavily on health and fitness improvements, with the Workout Buddy feature receiving the most substantial enhancements. The update introduces data-driven motivation that tracks pace, distance, and duration against your personal fitness history, while finally breaking free from iPhone tethering requirements.

Workout Buddy now operates independently on the Apple Watch, eliminating the need to carry an iPhone during workouts. The feature also expands to Spanish, broadening accessibility for non-English speakers. Meanwhile, indoor run and walk tracking accuracy gets a boost through improved motion algorithms that better measure treadmill distances directly from the wrist.

Sleep tracking accuracy improves as well, though Apple hasn't specified the underlying changes. A practical step count sync fix ensures Health app data properly transfers to the Fitness app. These updates address long-standing user complaints about workout tracking precision and convenience.

The software arrives after watchOS 26.5's recent release, with developer betas expected immediately following WWDC 2026 on June 8. Public beta testing should begin in July, with general availability targeting September for compatible Apple Watch models.