Since updating to WatchOS 26 I no longer receive any alerts (i.e. pace, heart rate zone and splits) - only beeps, no voice alerts. I do not use headphones/iphone while running. On previous watchOS this worked fine. Alerts are received in other exercises in the Workout app (e.g. Walking and Yoga). Series 6 watch. Yes it is old but it worked fine before the update.
Apple Watch Series 6
I have a similar issue. Alerts are not voiced in ANY workout types (so not only running).
What I realized is that the alerts don’t work if the watch is offline, but will work if the watch is connected with the Internet. My watch is Wi-Fi only and I don’t take my phone on my runs, so it’s always offline during workouts.
The issue happens even if the watch disconnects mid workout. It’ll start playing alerts and stop as soon as the watch loses connection.
Here is how I was able to reproduce the problem and my devices:
As I said, my watch doesn’t have cellular connection and taking my phone with me is not a viable workaround.
I tried changing the settings mentioned in this thread to no avail.
Hello Matthewfromtenerffe,
It looks like with the new WatchOS26 uses the Work Buddy feature for voice feedback, but it also requires Apple Intelligence that requires Apple iPhone15 or newer. I'm still on the old WatchOS 11.6.1 and Voice Feed still works under the Apple Watch WorkOut app. I have an iPhone13ProMax and it is too old for the Apple Intelligence and Workout Buddy feature to work, so I'll stay on the Older iPhoneOS18.7 for now. See this Note in the below Support Page:
Note: Workout Buddy is available on Apple Watch Series 6 or later when paired with an Apple Intelligence–capable iPhone nearby and Bluetooth headphones with the device and Siri language set to English. Apple Intelligence is not available on all iPhone models or in all languages or regions.**
Use Workout Buddy in Workout on Apple Watch - Apple Support
You can also give Apple Feedback on their Feedback site:
I'm still on 26.0 on both iOS and watchOS and I also have this music playback issue, so it's not exclusive to 26.0.1.
The only way I get reliable audio alerts and music playback is by taking my phone with me and playing music through the phone. So I start a playlist on Apple Music on the phone and a workout on the watch.
Got tired of waiting for a fix and just bought a new running belt because of this...
With a new custom run I still did not get audible alerts. I randomly got alerts (vibration on the watch thats hard to feel at times) for when i was ahead of pace but never when I was back in pace. Also did not get any alerts for individual intervals. This is really not good for when trying to train and certain paces, and I would name the intervals as well to remind me to drunk or to take a GU. Here are screenshots of the settings as well.
[Edited by Moderator]
This makes sense. I have a 16 pro with a SE 2nd gen gps\wifi. I went running today with my phone as well. I did use the default run that now allows to add 1 pace range in there and I did get notifications, but I had my phone with me as well as mentioned. I can try next week on my old custom outdoor runs that didn't work when I didn't have my phone if it now works.
I think it has to deal with the workout buddy now. Maybe that requires network access, but the alerts used to work prior. Small audio files that say, "you're ahead of pace". "you're in range", and "you're behind range" shouldn't be that large to be stored locally (they were prior)
Looks like an active internet connection IS needed to receive alerts on the watch (even XX ring closed confirmations). Confirmed this both walking and running. Seems like apple has chosen to downgrade watch functionality - when I bought my watch, and based on advertising until 1-2 years ago, a 'feature' of the watch was to provide verbal feedback WITHOUT an internet connection. Would have been nice for apple to state explicitly this was what they were doing in the new os then I would have not updated 26. Hopefully apple does a backflip on this the same way they had to when a new IOS programatically slowed older iPhones with a new os. This was a really sh!tty move IMO.
Yeah I wouldn't have updated as well.
As JaseC628 said, they're receiving alerts without Internet connection, so I still hope it's a bug.
I'm not sure if someone tried it yet, but I unpaired, reset an re-paired the watch and the problem persists.
While reconfiguring the watch I changed the Siri voice in Settings > Siri and found interesting that the watch downloaded something, so clearly some Siri functions should work offline.
I feel like this problem could be related to Workout Buddy, but as a bug and not an intended change.
My phone doesn’t have Apple Intelligence / Workout Buddy and yet I get voice feedback as long as the watch is online, even with my phone turned off.
The issue is that this feature should work offline, as it was before watchOS 26.
Sorry for adding a "me too" but I just wanted to share my experience. I have an Apple Watch Ultra 3, watchOS 26.0.2 and AirPods Pro 2s. Cellular is activated on my watch and I do not workout with my phone while running. I have 1 mile splits activated and have for years so I know what the right settings are and I've changed nothing. Workout buddy is disabled because last I knew, at least with my original Apple Watch Ultra, it could not function without the phone.
The voice notifications for splits are absolutely sporadic at best. Seems like most frequently, there is no audio notification at all - my watch will pop up a notification for each split but no audio cue. When it does play, it's a toss up as to whether it stops my music to do the notification or just lowers the volume where as it used to always just lower the music volume.
Extremely frustrating to have such inconsistent behavior as it's no longer a device that can be counted on if you are really counting on that split information for your training - luckily I am not that serious about it but I can understand how someone would be.
Having a conversation with an Apple agent about this issue, I was advised to calibrate my watch….i know that’s exactly what I thought but It couldn’t hurt so I restarted the watch and went for a 20 minute walk outdoors. The next day I went for a 5k run and it’s exactly the same, no audible splits.
It’s a big deal for me and I get the impression this won’t be a quick fix, if indeed it is an unintended side effect of the update so I’ve been looking at Garmin watches. The nearest thing to an ultra is the Fenix, it will do whatever audible you desire in workouts, you can send your iTunes music to it and it all works without the phone near it. The battery allegedly lasts weeks as opposed to hours. I’m sure there are things the Apple does better and I would have bought a new Ultra but I’m not prepared to spend that amount when it may be useless for my circumstances.
I know this is an Apple site and I still like the other Apple products but the watch with it’s current offline limitations may be fine for you if not there is an alternative.
Oh, that’s happening to me too! I’m using the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and I’m testing this out. It seems to work perfectly when the Apple Watch is connected to the Apple AirPods Pro 2. But when I connect it to my Shokz headphones, Siri’s saying the workout alerts a bit late, which makes the headphones skip those alerts. I tried what JaseC628 said, but it didn’t work for me.
Yeah I'm having issues with this as well. When running none of the pace alerts go off. I was playing around with it yesterday and did forget my airpods but I did get some alerts. Not the normal you're going to fast, back in range, or speed up, but just dings. It wasn't consistent either, maybe 2 dings in a row that I was too fast, but never the one in between that I was in target.
I've created a new custom run today to test. Will report back on it.
yeah I forgot to mention, I get the dings just not the verbal alerts. I am wondering whether apple has programmed obsolescence into watchOS 26 to make people upgrade their older watches though I did see someone with an Ultra2 has a similar problem.
I will try taking my phone with me next time I go running run but that wouldn't be a long term solution for me- I don't need/want to carry a phone when running. I do not see why apple requires us to now carry our phones at all time when it wasn't required on the earlier watch os :( Has this got something to do with the 'buddy' feature, again something I neither want nor need.
Yeah my volume was down at zero for voice feedback, I didn’t specify my headphones were Shokz. They still give the alerts but the audio quality is horrible, is this something you’re experiencing too? My APP2 give perfect quality but they are also bugged with media playback from my AWU2 playing at a slower tempo then just disconnecting 🤦♂️.
I should add that I run without my iPhone and cellular turned off on my AWU2 so I’m not experiencing the same issues with requiring an internet connection as you folks
Me too. Apple Watch 8 wifi only model.
I will add that even if connected to wifi the Siri alerts are intermittent and inconsistent. Sometimes they are voiced, sometimes not at all and sometimes voiced for a while and then nothing further. All of this while never disconnecting from wifi.
As additional info I’ve not tried or enabled Workout Buddy yet.
watchOS 26 no alerts in workout-running app
