Apple Improved Heart Rate Tracking on the Powerbeats Pro 2 (but It’s Still Not Enough)

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When the Powerbeats Pro 2 with in-ear heart rate sensors came out earlier this year, I had trouble getting them to accurately measure my heart rate directly in my ears . Now, with the release of iOS 26, Apple and Beats are introducing new fitness features that make these earbuds better at monitoring heart rate. These features also apply to the new AirPods Pro 3 , which also measure heart rate. I tested the new features and found them to be significantly improved, but still have some serious flaws.

The heart rate measurement function now works on iPhone without third-party apps.

This is the biggest improvement, and it’s certainly a good one. In iOS 26, Apple transformed the Fitness app into a full-fledged workout tracking app, not just a viewer for Apple Watch data. It can also receive heart rate data from Powerbeats or AirPods with heart rate sensors.

Simply open the “Workout” tab, check the heart rate icon in the upper right corner to ensure your Powerbeats are connected, and press the start button for your desired exercise. It’s simple and straightforward—just the way it should be.

Previously, iPhones could only read heart rate data from Powerbeats Pro 2 through certain third-party apps. These included several popular paid and specialized apps, such as Runna and Peloton, but there was no basic option. Now, with updates to the Fitness app, you can record workouts that are simply built-in Apple workouts, without having to create an account in the new app.

Incidentally, this has never been a problem for Android users: they’ve always been able to connect the Powerbeats Pro 2 as a Bluetooth heart rate monitor, as well as a chest strap, and they still do. Unfortunately, iPhone users still lack this freedom. Only a few apps are supported—currently 16 of them, listed here —but at least the main Fitness app is included.

Now you can use one earbud (sort of)

Initially, the Powerbeats Pro 2 could only measure heart rate when both earbuds were in use. With the changes in iOS 26, you can now measure heart rate using just one earbud. I tried this method, but the results were mixed.

On the other hand, it’s true: the Fitness app shows my heart rate even with just one earbud. But there’s a downside: accuracy is reduced. Earbuds already have an accuracy issue, which I’ll discuss below, so they lose data if the fit isn’t perfect. Remove one earbud, and you’ll lose half the data.

This is good news for those who enjoy comfortable earbuds and high-accuracy measurements: they can choose one or both earbuds and still get heart rate data. But for those of us who can’t find the right-sized device to get accurate data (like me), this simply reduces the quality of the data.

The algorithm has gotten better, but perhaps not good enough.

Apple said its new heart rate algorithm can collect data faster, which should improve accuracy. It can also combine data from both your headphones and Apple Watch, rather than choosing just one. (Previously, if you were wearing an Apple Watch, heart rate data from your headphones was ignored.)

I tested the earbuds a few times (without the Apple Watch) to try out the new algorithm. I think the accuracy has improved slightly! It’s still not perfect, but since both earbuds were in the earbuds, I can at least see similarities between the chest strap data and the Powerbeats data.

However, my readings were still high—often exceeding the peaks of my intervals and barely dropping below them. This isn’t enough to accurately track heart rate zone workouts , and it’s likely to skew heart rate-based metrics like estimated VO2 max . But it does seem to be an improvement.

However, as you can see, my readings with just one earbud were terrible. To Apple’s credit, I received a poor fit notification after both runs, which led to the graphs above.

New Notice of Suitability

A new feature in iOS 26 is that you’ll receive a notification prompting you to check the fit of your earbuds if the data seems unreliable. This is a useful feature because otherwise, you wouldn’t know whether you’re getting good data. ( I sit down at my computer and compare the new devices to the chest strap data, but it’s unfair to expect everyone to do that.)

In my experience, the issue with Powerbeats’ heart rate accuracy seems to be related to the way they fit in your ears. The optical heart rate sensor is embedded in a hard plastic case, and it needs to be firmly pressed against your skin to detect your heart rate.

The headphones come with a variety of silicone ear tips to adjust the fit. You can perform an “ear tip test” in the settings to ensure a tight seal. If a notification appears prompting you to test the fit, it will redirect you to the test and provide recommendations for a proper fit.

But there’s still a serious problem here. Apple assumes that a good audio fit is the same as a good heart rate fit. This isn’t always the case, as my own tests showed. When I did the fit test, the heart rate data was terrible. If I flipped the earbuds back so the temples were vertical, the heart rate data was good, but the sound quality was terrible, and I failed the fit test.

So, these notifications may alert you to a problem, but they won’t fix it. I suspect that it’s actually impossible to fix. The plastic component only comes in one size, and if your ears are a different size or shape than the intended size, it’s impossible to get the sensor closer to your ears.

iPhone users still can’t play music and broadcast their heart rate to gym equipment at the same time.

I’m almost ashamed of Apple. The Powerbeats Pro 2 can transmit your heart rate data to exercise equipment, but not while playing music . This still feels a bit unfinished, and I hope Apple is working on a solution. For now, here’s what you can expect:

• Android users can play music from their phone and simultaneously stream it to their gym equipment.

• Fitness equipment that plays audio via Bluetooth can play it on your Powerbeats headphones while you broadcast your heart rate to that same fitness equipment.

• iPhone users will not be able to play music from their iPhone while streaming to sports equipment.

Overall, I’m pleased with the changes Apple made to improve the usefulness and accuracy of the heart rate monitoring feature in the Powerbeats Pro 2, but I’m still disappointed by some areas where it doesn’t live up to its promise. These are expensive earbuds, worth buying without knowing whether they’ll fit snugly enough to get reliable heart rate data. The lack of music streaming while training is particularly disappointing. However, fitness tracker notifications are a great addition, at least letting you know when people are having accuracy issues. I also appreciate the more accurate data sampling, even if the results aren’t perfect.

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