You can view all your key metrics on whichever screen works best for you, whether that’s a quick glance at your phone while on the treadmill or checking pace targets on your watch during an outdoor run.
Workout Mirroring for Outdoor Runs
Starting from Apple Watch:
Open the Runna app on both your iPhone and Apple Watch
Start your workout from the Apple Watch Runna app by selecting your planned workout
Your iPhone will automatically show a modal screen with your workout metrics, plus a Live Activity on your lock screen
You can pause, resume, or end the workout from either device
Starting from iPhone:
Open the Runna app on both your iPhone and Apple Watch
On your iPhone, go to Today tab → Workout → Start Workout
Select Outdoor Run (on Apple Watch)
The workout will start on your Apple Watch and mirror to your iPhone
You can control the workout from either device
Workout Mirroring for Treadmill Runs
For the best experience recording a treadmill run, we suggest starting the workout from the Runna app on your phone and mirroring it to your Apple Watch.
Firstly, make sure you have Workout Mirroring turned on your phone by going to the Plan tab → Connected Apps → Apple Watch → Enable Workout Mirroring.
To start your treadmill workout:
Open the Runna app on both your iPhone and Apple Watch
On your iPhone, go to Today tab → Workout → Start Workout → Treadmill Run
Your Apple Watch will automatically start streaming heart rate, cadence, and calories
You can pause, resume, or end the workout from either the iPhone app or the Apple Watch app
Once you complete the workout, you can adjust the distance and speed directly in the Runna app on your phone. Both activities from the phone and watch will automatically merge, showing both as sources.
Audio Setup for Workout Mirroring
If you’re starting a treadmill run from the Runna app on your iPhone, connect your headphones to your phone via Bluetooth. Your phone is controlling the workout and will play the audio cues. Audio cues will be silenced on your Apple Watch.
If you’re starting a workout from the Runna app on your Apple Watch (outdoor or treadmill), you can connect your headphones to either device:
Audio cues will normally play from your watch
However, if you’re already listening to music or podcasts through earphones connected to your iPhone, Runna will automatically send audio cues from your iPhone instead. This ensures your music or podcast dims when cues play, so you can hear everything you need.
FAQs
Do I need to have both apps open to use Workout Mirroring?
It's not mandatory, but we strongly recommend opening both the Runna app on your iPhone and Apple Watch before starting your workout. This helps avoid delays caused by the operating system and ensures a smooth connection. If you experience any issues, force quit both apps and reopen them.
However, it’s not necessary to keep your phone unlocked once you start running.
Can I pause or end my workout from either device?
Yes! Once Workout Mirroring is active, you can pause, resume, or end your workout from either your iPhone or Apple Watch.
I have a chest strap connected - which heart rate will I see?
If you have a chest strap connected, we recommend using that instead of your Apple Watch, as chest straps are more accurate. We're working to ensure Apple Watch heart rate is automatically discarded when a chest strap is connected.
Why do I see two workouts in Apple Fitness or Apple Health?
When using ROT (treadmill) mirroring, Runna automatically merges both activities into one within the Runna app. However, if you have Apple Health sync enabled, you may see two separate activities in the Fitness app or Apple Health. We're working to improve this. For now, you can delete one of the duplicate activities.
I'm not seeing the Workout Mirroring option - where is it?
Go to your Profile → Connected Apps & Devices → Apple Watch → toggle on Workout Mirroring. Make sure both your iPhone and Apple Watch have the toggle enabled.
Need more support?
If you have further questions or need more support, please reach out via the in-app support tab and we’ll do our best to help!