Track Your Heart Rate With AirPods Pro 3 Workouts

AirPods Pro 3 introduced a feature that transforms Apple's premium earbuds from audio accessories into genuine fitness wearables: heart rate monitoring during workouts. Using photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors built into each earbud, AirPods Pro 3 can measure your pulse while you exercise and feed that data directly to the Fitness app on your iPhone. The earbuds pulse infrared light 256 times per second to measure blood flow through your ear canals, then use algorithms to calculate your heart rate in real time.

Key Takeaways

• Open the Fitness app on iPhone, tap Workout, and start any exercise to begin heart rate tracking
• Heart rate monitoring works with just one AirPod in your ear
• Ask Siri "What is my heart rate?" anytime during a workout for an instant reading
• The ear tip fit test ensures the sensors maintain proper contact with your skin
• Third-party apps like Nike Run Club and Strava can access AirPods Pro 3 heart rate data
• If wearing both Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 3, your devices automatically use the most accurate source

At-A-Glance: AirPods Pro 3 Heart Rate vs Apple Watch

The table below compares heart rate tracking capabilities between AirPods Pro 3 and Apple Watch to help you understand how these devices work together during workouts.

Getting Started With Heart Rate Tracking

Heart rate monitoring is enabled by default on AirPods Pro 3, so you do not need to flip any switches before your first workout. Connect your AirPods to your iPhone running iOS 26 or later, then open the Fitness app and navigate to the Workout tab. You will see a small AirPods icon in the corner of the screen confirming that your earbuds are connected and ready to track.

Start any workout type, whether running outdoors, a stationary bike session, or a strength training circuit, and your heart rate appears on screen in real time. The Fitness app displays your current pulse, average heart rate for the session, and heart rate zones if you have them configured. When the workout ends, all heart rate data gets saved to the Health app where you can review trends over time.

Apple designed these sensors to work even when you are wearing just one AirPod. This matters for runners who keep one ear open for traffic awareness or anyone who prefers single-earbud use during certain activities.

Checking Your Heart Rate Mid-Workout

During a workout, you can glance at your iPhone screen to see your current heart rate, but there is an easier method that does not require reaching for your phone. Simply say "Siri, what is my heart rate?" and you will hear your current pulse read aloud through your AirPods. If you have enabled "Siri" or "Hey Siri" wake phrases in Settings under Apple Intelligence and Siri, you do not even need to press any buttons. Just speak and Siri responds.

This hands-free approach proves particularly useful during intense intervals or when your phone sits in an armband or gym bag across the room. The response comes within a second or two, giving you immediate feedback without breaking your rhythm.

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Getting Accurate Heart Rate Readings

The accuracy of heart rate data depends heavily on how well your AirPods Pro 3 fit in your ears. A loose fit means the infrared sensors cannot maintain consistent contact with your skin, resulting in gaps in data or readings shown as dashes in the Fitness app.

Run the Ear Tip Fit Test before your next workout to verify your seal. Open Settings on your iPhone, tap the name of your connected AirPods near the top of the screen, then select Ear Tip Fit Test. The test plays a brief audio snippet while analyzing how well each earbud seals against your ear canal. If results indicate a poor seal on either side, try a different ear tip size from the five sizes included with AirPods Pro 3.

Environmental factors also affect sensor performance. Cold weather reduces blood flow to extremities including your ears, which can cause readings to drop out during winter runs. Earwax buildup on the sensor window will interfere with infrared light transmission, so wipe down your AirPods regularly with a soft, dry cloth. Metal piercings near where the earbuds sit may also cause interference; consider removing jewelry temporarily if you notice inconsistent readings.

Pairing AirPods Pro 3 With Apple Watch

If you own both AirPods Pro 3 and an Apple Watch, the devices work together during workouts rather than competing for heart rate duties. Apple's system automatically selects the highest-confidence data source at any given moment, switching seamlessly between wrist and ear measurements based on which sensor is getting better readings.

This dual-source approach fills gaps that either device alone might miss. Wrist-based optical sensors can struggle during activities involving significant wrist movement like boxing or kettlebell swings, while ear-based sensors maintain steady contact. Conversely, if your AirPods shift during a burpee or mountain climber, your Apple Watch keeps the data flowing.

You do not need to configure anything to enable this behavior. Both devices simply contribute their measurements to a unified heart rate stream in the Fitness app and Health app.

Using Third-Party Workout Apps

Heart rate data from AirPods Pro 3 is not locked to Apple's Fitness app. Third-party workout apps can access the same sensor data once you grant permission. When you first open an app like Nike Run Club, Runna, or Strava with AirPods connected, you will receive a prompt asking whether the app can read heart rate data and record workouts to Apple Health. Accept this request to enable full integration.

Support varies by app, and some developers are still rolling out compatibility updates. If your preferred app does not yet display AirPods heart rate data, check for updates in the App Store or reach out to the developer. The underlying HealthKit framework supports the feature, so it comes down to individual apps implementing it.

Keeping your AirPods Pro 3 secure during intense workouts matters just as much as accurate sensor readings. The foam-infused ear tips included with AirPods Pro 3 grip better than the silicone tips on older models, but some activities still demand extra security. Sport ear hooks wrap around the outer ear and hold the earbuds firmly in place through burpees, box jumps, and sprints. The upgraded TPU material on modern ear hooks resists stretching and stays comfortable over extended sessions. Here's where you can get the Ear Hooks for AirPods Pro 3 that include an anti-slip design and a magnetic storage case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FPQXW81W?tag=zoneofmac-20

Accessibility and Clarity

Heart rate tracking on AirPods Pro 3 maintains strong accessibility for users with visual or motor impairments. Siri integration means you can check your heart rate entirely through voice commands, eliminating the need to look at or interact with your iPhone screen mid-workout. VoiceOver users receive spoken feedback when heart rate data appears or changes.

The Fitness app displays heart rate information in high-contrast text against a dark background, improving readability in bright outdoor conditions and for users with low vision. Workout data syncs to the Health app where it can be exported or shared with healthcare providers.

One cognitive accessibility consideration: the Fitness app interface becomes moderately complex when tracking multiple metrics simultaneously. Users who prefer simpler layouts can focus on heart rate alone by minimizing other displayed statistics. The ear tip fit test uses clear audio and visual indicators rather than relying solely on color changes.

What Heart Rate Data Tells You

Raw heart rate numbers become meaningful when viewed in context. The Health app and Fitness app break your workout heart rate into zones, typically labeled as zones one through five based on percentage of your estimated maximum heart rate. Zone one represents light effort, suitable for warm-ups and recovery. Zone five indicates maximum effort that most people can sustain for only brief intervals.

Tracking which zones you spend time in helps structure training. Endurance improvements come from spending significant time in zones two and three, while high-intensity interval training deliberately pushes into zones four and five for short bursts. The Fitness app shows a breakdown after each workout, letting you see whether your perceived effort matched your actual physiological response.

Over weeks and months, trends emerge in the Health app. You might notice your average heart rate during a standard three-mile run gradually decreasing, indicating improved cardiovascular fitness. Or you might spot unusual spikes that warrant attention from a healthcare professional.

If you want the full AirPods Pro 3 experience for workout tracking, the earbuds deliver twice the active noise cancellation of the previous generation along with an improved fit designed specifically for exercise. The heart rate sensor sits on the side of each earbud next to the foam-infused ear tip, using the same infrared technology found in medical pulse oximeters. Battery life extends to eight hours with ANC enabled or ten hours in Transparency mode, plenty for even marathon training sessions. Here's where to buy the AirPods Pro 3 with heart rate sensing and workout tracking https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQFB8FMG?tag=zoneofmac-20

Turning Off Heart Rate Monitoring

Some users prefer not to share biometric data with their devices. If you want to disable heart rate tracking on AirPods Pro 3, open Settings on your iPhone, tap your AirPods name, scroll to the Privacy section, and toggle off Heart Rate. This stops the sensors from collecting pulse data during workouts while preserving all other AirPods functionality including audio playback, noise cancellation, and spatial audio.

Disabling heart rate monitoring slightly improves battery life since the infrared sensors consume power when active. If you primarily use AirPods for music and calls rather than fitness tracking, turning off this feature makes sense.

For related accessibility features on Apple devices, explore how to transform your Mac with powerful accessibility features or learn about hidden watchOS accessibility features that complement your AirPods Pro 3 workout experience.

Quick-Action Checklist

Copy and keep this checklist for setting up heart rate tracking on your AirPods Pro 3:

1. Connect AirPods Pro 3 to iPhone running iOS 26 or later
2. Open Settings, tap AirPods name, verify Heart Rate toggle is on
3. Run Ear Tip Fit Test to confirm proper seal
4. Open Fitness app, tap Workout tab, confirm AirPods icon appears
5. Start workout and verify heart rate displays on screen
6. Say "Siri, what is my heart rate?" to test voice commands
7. After workout, open Health app to review heart rate summary