The software update unlocks Apple Fitness app integration and more, aligning the earbuds with AirPods Pro 3
Owners of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are getting a major software upgrade that unlocks the full potential of the earbuds’ built-in heart rate sensor.
The free update, which rolls out with iOS 26 today (15 September), delivers many of the new fitness features that Apple just announced for the AirPods Pro 3, transforming the Powerbeats into a much more powerful and integrated training tool.
The most significant change is the new integration with Apple’s native Fitness app. For iPhone users at launch, only a select few third-party apps (such as Runna, Nike Run Club, and Peloton) were able to support the Powerbeats Pro 2’s heart rate tracking.
As we noted in our review, this created a clunky experience for iOS users. Today’s update completely fixes that, allowing users to track their heart rate in real-time directly within the Fitness app for over 50 different workout types. The earbuds will also now work seamlessly with Apple Fitness+, displaying live on-screen metrics such as calories burned and the Burn Bar.
Beyond this core fix, the update brings a host of other quality-of-life improvements.
These features include a new algorithm for faster heart rate readings, step counting without requiring the iPhone to be nearby, and notifications that suggest ways to improve the earbuds’ fit for enhanced accuracy. The ability to monitor heart rate with just one earbud is being added, too.
The Wareable take
This update puts the Powerbeats Pro 2 on par with the AirPods Pro 3 for iOS users—at least from a fitness tracking perspective. The hardware and heart rate accuracy were always excellent. However, the software experience held the earburds back—until now.
It’s an update that delivers on the initial promise of the device. It addresses our biggest criticisms and makes the Powerbeats Pro 2 the powerful, integrated fitness hearable it was always meant to be for those in the Apple ecosystem.
With Beats’ offering now more aligned with Apple’s latest premium buds, it’s fair to wonder which is the best for fitness tracking. We’ll be pitting the two pairs against each other over the coming weeks, so stay tuned for our full, real-world comparison.
