Talk to your friends while you listen to music.
You and your buddy stay in conversation over your AirPods — each playing your own music. Hands-free, private, and zero setup.
AirPods with the H2 Chip
phone, and keep talking.
Connected in Three Taps
No accounts. No fiddling. Just point and go.
Create a call
One of you taps Create Call and shows a friendly QR code.
Scan to join
Scan each other's codes — you're connected, phone to phone.
Run and talk
Hit play on your music, pocket your phones, and chat the whole way.
Keep your own soundtrack
You each play your own music and hear each other right over your AirPods. No pausing, no fumbling for your phone.
Private by design
Audio is end to end encrypted. No sign-ups, no logins, no profiles. Open the app, create a call, and go.
Not just for running
You can use RunningBuds any time you want to chat with a friend and listen to music. Get out for a ride, go skiing, or anything else you love doing where you want to listen to music but keep talking.
Voice-activated
It only sends your voice while you're actually talking — not your footsteps or breathing.
RunningBuds relies on the latest features from Apple, so it requires:
Good to know
Does it use my data plan?
Yes, it connects over the internet, but you can also use it fully offline over a Personal Hotspot when you're off-grid on the trails.
Is it really private?
Yep. Audio is encrypted end to end. Depending on your network situation, a TURN server may be used to help facilitate your call, but it does not hold decryption keys and therefore cannot "listen" to your conversation.
Do we both need it?
Yes — both runners need RunningBuds, an iPhone on iOS 26+, and AirPods with the H2 chip.
Does it replace my music app?
Nope. RunningBuds rides alongside Apple Music, Spotify, or whatever you already love.
Can more than two people join?
Calls are one-to-one for now — just you and your buddy.
Do we both need a subscription?
Yes — each person needs an active subscription (or free trial) for RunningBuds to join a call. A one-time 14-day free trial is available to eligible new subscribers, then it's $4.99/month or $24.99/year, billed through your Apple ID. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings.