Peloton GymKit support will end later this month, the company says. However, the company says Apple Watch users will not be left behind –
Peloton GymKit Support
Back in 2020, GymKit support was initially touted as a way to offer customers the more expensive Peloton Bike+.
With just a touchless tap of Apple Follow the NFC reader, the bike and watch sync to start a workout and share workout metrics.
When a workout is paused on the watch, it is paused on the bike and vice versa . The watch can transmit health data from sensors such as its own heart rate monitor, and the bike can tell the watch what it knows, such as how fast the user is pedaling and what level of resistance is being used.
The end result is a fairly smooth workout that provides more accurate readings and calorie estimates than if the watch were used standalone.
However, the company was soon partially taken offline. functionality.
Since then, fitness companies have increasingly created their own Apple Watch integrations for home equipment without using GymKit. Apple integration is now primarily used for equipment in public gyms.
Peloton One-tap tracking instead GymKit
Peloton has been updating its machines to use the Peloton One-Tap rather than the GymKit for some time now, and only recommends the latter to those who have not yet updated their products.
Although recent software updates to Peloton products use Apple® Watch One-Tap tracking, GymKit can be used if these updates have not yet been made. For more information on how to use GymKit (compatible with Apple® Watch Series 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6), see below.
The Verge reports that Peloton is ending support for GymKit.
In an email sent to users Monday evening, Peloton said it will begin migrating Apple Watch users from GymKit to Peloton starting Feb. 27 One. -Touch tracking.
Owners of a kit with this update installed will not notice any difference, while owners of older firmware will need to update. The data will still be fed into the Apple Health app, so you'll still get the same functionality, but there's one issue to watch out for.
Different companies use different calculation algorithms. things like your basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn while doing nothing) and the number of calories you burn from different types of exercise. So you might see a change in calories for the same amount of exercise, but since these algorithms are all estimates, they only affect pre- and post-switch comparisons.
Although the practical impact is limited, I can imagine imagine that those who paid for Bike+ specifically for GymKit support won't be too impressed.