How to Connect Apple Watch to Peloton: A Complete Guide

In this guide, I show you exactly how to connect your Apple Watch to a Peloton bike, step-by-step.

Whether you’re just getting started with indoor cycling or you’ve upgraded to a Peloton bike and you want to enable Apple Watch integration, this post is for you.

Let’s get started.

Does Apple Watch Work with Peloton Bike?

You can connect your Apple Watch to a Peloton bike, track your workouts, and sync your fitness data for performance analysis. Know your Strive Score, see your heart rate data, and close your rings in real-time.

Apple Watch doesn’t have an instant smart workout detector for Peloton. But you do get an alert on the watch, which you tap to start monitoring indoor cycling as soon as you start a class on the bike.

During your indoor cycling session, Peloton will continuously monitor your heart rate and use the data to calculate your Strive Score, a metric that measures the intensity of your workout across different exercises.

Furthermore, the Apple Watch and Peloton integration makes it easier to log your stats in the activity app. And you can analyze the data to get more insights on your performance.

How to Connect Apple Watch to a Peloton Bike

There are two ways to connect Apple Watch to a Peloton bike. You can use Peloton App or Apple GymKit App.

1. Use the Peloton App to Connect Your Apple Watch to Peloton Bike

The Peloton App is an intuitive, creatively designed, professional interface that lets you create a stable link between the Peloton bike and your Apple Watch.

And it’s incredibly easy to set up.

To get started:

Download the Peloton App to your iPhone (or iPad) and Apple Watch.
Open the app on your phone (or tablet).
Tap “More”.
Tap “Apple Watch”.
Tap “Set up”.
Choose “Connect to Health App” to open the health app on your device.
Select “Turn On All” in the health app, so Peloton can access your health information.
Navigate back to the Peloton app and tap “Done”.

The final step is to configure Peloton on your Apple Watch. To do this:

Open the Peloton App on the watch.
Tap on “Allow” to give the app permission to send notifications.

And that’s it. You’re now ready to start using your Apple Watch on Peloton bike.

Each time you start a class, Peloton will send a notification on your watch’s screen. Just tap “Connect” to start tracking your workout.

2. Connect Peloton Bike to Apple Watch With Apple Gym Kit

Apple Gym Kit is a technology built into the Apple Watch, and its function is to pair and sync data with workout equipment such as indoor bikes and treadmills.

The Apple Gym Kit is available to Peloton bike.

Given the compatibility, you can connect your Apple Watch to this indoor stationary bike and monitor your cycling classes in real-time.

To connect your Apple Watch to Peloton bike via the Gym Kit technology:

Launch the Apple Watch App on your iPhone.
Select “My Watch” option found at the bottom of the page.
Look for “Workout” and tap it.
Turn on “Detect Gym Equipment”, so your Apple Watch can find the Peloton bike.
Choose a ride on the Peloton bike and select “Start”.
Bring your Apple Watch close to the Peloton display, making sure the watch’s screen facing the reader.

You’ll hear a gentle beep to signal that you’ve connected your Apple Watch to the Peloton bike.

Once you complete a session, you can access your fitness data on your Peloton Digital App and your iPhone’s Activity app.

Before You Connect Your Apple Watch to Peloton

Here are some things to keep in mind before you start using your Apple Watch with the Peloton bike:

1. Proper Timing is Essential

Your Apple Watch will time out and disconnect if you pair it too early to your Peloton bike.

You are supposed to connect the watch to the bike only when the countdown clock reaches 1 minute. Otherwise, you won’t be able to go for a live indoor cycling workout.

At the end of each ride, Apple Watch automatically disconnects, so you’ll have to reconnect to the bike each time you want to start a new workout.

2. Unlock Your Apple Watch Before Paring

When bringing your Apple Watch above the Peloton Bike+ display, make sure the watch is not in the locked state.

If you have your Apple Watch in the locked state, the prompt “Connecting” won’t appear on the Peloton screen.

3. Always Tap Start for Workouts

Even after tapping on OK to pair Peloton bike with whatever Apple Watch series that you have, you must tap Start to commence a workout.

A green light will show at the top right corner of Peloton to tell you the Apple Watch is currently “in sync” with the bike.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How Do I Tell If Peloton and Apple Watch Are Connected?

You can tell if the Apple Watch and Peloton bike are working together if you see your heart rate on the Peloton screen.

Repeat the connection process from scratch if you don’t see the heart rate data.

2. What Should I Do If Apple Watch Won’t Connect to Peloton?

If the Apple Watch won’t connect to the Peloton bike after three to four attempts:

Restart the watch: Press and hold down the Digital Crown and the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
Restart the Peloton bike: Turn your Peloton bike off and back on again to restart the equipment.
Uninstall and reinstall Peloton App: Delete the Peloton App from your Apple Watch and iPhone and reinstall the app on both devices.
Reset your Apple Watch: Back up your data before factory resetting the watch, as this option deletes all the information stored on your Apple Watch.

Then, choose one of the two options that I shared in this guide to create a connection between your Apple Watch and the Peloton indoor stationary exercise bike.

3. Can I Use My Apple Watch as a Heart Rate Monitor for Peloton?

You can use your Apple Watch as a heart rate monitor for Peloton.

Once you complete the connection between the watch to the bike, the heart rate reading from the watch will show on the Peloton’s screen.

4. Can You Use Peloton on Apple Watch Without a Phone?

You cannot use Peloton on Apple Watch without an iPhone.

Remember, you must have the Peloton App install on your iPhone (or iPad) and Apple Watch for to gain access to classes and track your fitness metrics.

Final Thoughts

Connecting your Apple Watch to Peloton gives you the opportunity to take indoor cycling classes and track your performance in real-time.

Once synched, you can see your heart rate, calories burned, Strive Score, and more activity data on the Peloton screen. The convenience is something to appreciate, particularly because you don’t have to take your eyes off the Peloton screen to view your activity feed.

It’s all there on the bike’s display.

Keep in mind, though, that Peloton is only compatible with the latest Apple Watch models, which are Series 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, SE, and Ultra.