Apple Fitness

What it does

Apple Fitness is a comprehensive health and activity hub designed to work with the Apple Watch and iPhone. The app serves two primary functions: it acts as a central dashboard for all daily activity data (steps, calories burned, workout history), and it provides access to the Fitness+ subscription service, a rich library of guided video workouts, meditations, and custom training plans.

Where it shines

Where Fitness truly stands out is in its deep integration and powerful personalization features. The 'Build Your Plan' flow (09:18) is a prime example, allowing users to create a detailed multi-week schedule based on activity type, duration, preferred trainers, and even music genre. This transforms a simple content library into a structured program. Another strength is the thoughtful approach to goal management. At 01:22, the app offers to 'Adjust Goal for Today' separately from changing the permanent daily goal, acknowledging the non-linear nature of fitness and helping users stay on track without feeling defeated.

UX highlights

Customizable Dashboard: The main 'Summary' tab is fully editable (00:49), allowing users to pin the metrics they care about most to the top, creating a personalized at-a-glance view.
Granular Data Views: Users can toggle between daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly views for metrics like steps (02:07), providing both immediate feedback and long-term perspective.
Contextual Actions: Deleting a workout is handled with a simple left swipe and a clear confirmation modal (02:38), an intuitive and familiar interaction pattern.
Flexible Goal Setting: The ability to set temporary daily goals (01:24) gives users control and flexibility, which is crucial for long-term adherence.
Deep Content Filtering: When browsing Fitness+ workouts, users can apply multiple filters for type, time, and music (07:22), making it easy to find the perfect session.
Seamless Playback Controls: The video player for trainer tips and workouts includes standard but effective controls like 10-second skips and access to speed, audio, and subtitle options (03:10).

Monetization & growth

The primary monetization strategy is the Apple Fitness+ subscription. The app acts as a freemium product, where activity tracking is free, but the vast library of guided content is behind a paywall. The offer is presented when the user navigates to the Fitness+ tab (05:22). At 05:31, a clean, system-level sheet prompts the user to start a 1-month free trial, after which the service costs $9.99 per month. The presentation is straightforward, with no visible urgency tactics like timers or steep discounts.

Who it’s for

This app is clearly designed for users within the Apple ecosystem, particularly those who own an Apple Watch. It caters to a broad audience, from beginners who need structure (via Custom Plans and beginner workouts) to experienced athletes who want to track detailed metrics and access high-quality training content. The inclusion of meditations, cooldowns, and diverse workout types like dancing and pilates makes it appealing to those seeking a holistic approach to wellness, not just high-intensity training.

Notes & opportunities

The app is incredibly deep, which can be a double-edged sword. For example, the powerful 'Trends' feature (04:06) is somewhat buried in the dashboard. Surfacing a key trend or a summary arrow directly on the main Summary screen could increase engagement with this long-term motivational tool. Additionally, while the workout deletion flow is simple, confirming 'Delete Workout Only' vs. 'Delete Workout & Data' (02:41) might be confusing for some users; a brief explanation of the difference could be helpful.