Apple Fitness Plus joins iPhone next week – Apple Watch exclusivity ends

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has today confirmed that it will make Fitness Plus available without an Apple Watch starting October 24. The feature will require iOS 16.1 which will also be released on the same date.

A press release confirms that the Apple Watch-less Apple Fitness Plus will be available in every country where the service was already available, while those who don't yet have a subscription will be able to get three free months when buying a new iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV.

iPhone-only fitness

While Apple Fitness Plus has been around for a while, it's historically needed an Apple Watch in order to be used. The Apple Fitness Plus content was always displayed on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV but it was the Apple Watch that made the magic happen. Starting October 24, only an iPhone is needed.

"Starting October 24, Apple Fitness+, the award-winning fitness and wellness service designed to be welcoming to all, will be available for iPhone users to subscribe to and enjoy, even if they don’t have an Apple Watch," Apple said via press release.

Apple also took the opportunity to confirm that the same date will see music by Taylor Swift become available in the Apple Fitness Plus service for the first time. There will be a dedicated Artist Spotlight series featuring songs from the new Midnights album.

Other new content is coming, too. New Time to Walk workouts will feature "Emmy-winning actor Hannah Waddingham, globally renowned singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, and former astronaut and colonel Eileen M. Collins."

Finally, Apple also notes that people can pick up free Apple Fitness Plus subscriptions via special offers from SilverSneakers, Target, UnitedHealthcare, and Mobile Health.

While Apple Fitness Plus remains one of the best Apple Watch workout subscriptions available for the wearable, being able to use it without a wearable at all makes it an option for a lot more people than ever before.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.