Can Peloton Instructors See You? Everything You Need To Know About Your Peloton Camera

One of the main reasons you may have a Peloton is that you can work out in your own home, but one common question (and concern) is whether Peloton instructors can see you through the camera.

After all, this seems like a reasonable assumption for a bike with a camera… right? 

Well, the answer is actually no. Peloton instructors can’t see you, and nor can anyone else – unless you allow it. 

Ultimately, you are in control of your camera. Keep on reading to find out everything you need to know. 

Peloton Instructors Can’t See You – So What’s the Purpose of The Peloton Bike Camera?

If you were wondering if Peloton instructors see other users, you are probably happy to hear that the instructors can’t see you. 

The last thing you want when you’re doing the workout of your life is for random strangers to get a front-row seat!

So if Peloton instructors can’t see you, what’s the purpose of the camera? 

Video Chat

The main purpose of the Peloton camera is to video chat with fellow Peloton users. If you have friends who own a Peloton bike, you and your friend can do a live or on-demand class together and video call to be connected the entire time. This can make riding more fun and interactive. 

Motivation

Many users love this feature as it helps to increase motivation. While some riders prefer solo workouts, other Peloton members prefer to utilize their video cameras and ride with a friend. 

This is especially helpful if you are trying to lose weight or have a certain ride you always struggle with. It’s a lot harder to give up when someone is watching you! 

Socialization

Other users also like to use the feature to simply check in with their friends for a few seconds. If you happen to be in the same class as them and see them on the leaderboard, you can pop in and say hello. You don’t always have to use the video chat for workout motivation!      

What Do Peloton Instructors See?

So, what can Peloton instructors see if they can’t see you? It makes sense to question this, as instructors also have a Peloton monitor with a video camera.

What Peloton instructors see is very similar to what you see, actually. Like everyone else, they can see the leaderboard, metrics and how much time is left in the class. However, since they are instructors, they have a few other features on their screens as well. 

Instructors can also access different statistics, such as the average and total output of their classes. They also have a notes section where they can view pre written notes to help them guide the class while riding.

Can Anyone See You During Live Classes?

Peloton instructors can’t see you, but how do live classes work? Can anyone from the class on the leaderboard see you?

Nobody doing the same ride in a live class can see you unless you start or accept a live video chat. 

While the class being able to see each other like a big zoom call would be good motivation, it doesn’t work like that. 

As I mentioned before, Peloton instructors have several features on their screen, none of which includes a view of the class. (Even if they could view the class members, they have too much going on during their classes to pay attention!)

Other Peloton members on the leaderboard also have no access to your camera; not unless you enable video chat. 

Can Your Followers See You? 

Your Peloton bike has a social tab that allows you to make friends on the platform by following them. Other members can follow you as well. 

While this feature can help increase your workout motivation, you may be worried about privacy. Can your followers see you?

Just like instructors, your Peloton followers cannot see you while cycling. The camera on the Peloton will not turn on without your permission, as mentioned above. 

So if you have privacy concerns about the Peloton camera, take heart and know that you’re safe to make friends.

What Information Can Your Followers See?

Even though your Peloton followers cannot see you, they do have access to certain information. So, what information can your Peloton followers see? 

Your Peloton followers see your workout history and various statistics of your rides. The two main things they can view are your average resistance and average cadence.

They can also view your speed, distance and output. However, they won’t be able to access information like your weight and height. 

Having friends that can view your riding statistics may help to boost motivation, which is why many riders use this feature. Friends can also share fitness goals and help each other along the way. 

How to Increase Privacy 

You may be uncomfortable advertising your workout history and statistics to anyone that decides to follow you. To increase privacy, simply change your account to private (You can do this by going to your profile settings). 

This will help control who follows you and will keep your information a little more private.

How To Turn Off Your Camera

Even though Peloton instructors and followers cannot see you, you’ll probably agree that it’s still important to know how to turn off your built-in camera. 

Perhaps you think you won’t use the video chat feature a lot, or you simply want to turn it off between sessions. Luckily, it is easy to turn off your camera. 

The Peloton camera has a physical cover you can use. All you have to do is drag the privacy cover to the left; this will effectively block the camera. Now you can take on demand classes and not have to worry about what Peloton followers see. 

Is the Peloton Camera Always On By Default?  

Since Peloton bikes come with a physical privacy cover on the camera, you may be wondering if the camera is always on by default. 

Fortunately, the Peloton camera is not on by default. The only time the camera is active is if there is a green light beside it. Even with the privacy cover off, there are steps you need to take to turn the camera on. 

How To Start a Video Chat With Your Peloton Bike Camera

If you want more motivation for your workout session, you may be wondering how to start a call with your friends to video chat and ride.

Here is a quick step-by-step guide on how to enable video chat on your bike. 

1. Enable video chat. The first thing you need to do is make sure your video chat is enabled. You can do this by going to your profile settings, clicking on the social tab and hitting the “enable video chat” button. 
2. Make sure you’re following who you want to chat with. You need to be following the person you want to video call with before you can start a call. You will also need to be taking the same Peloton class, so you may need to do some planning to coordinate. 
3. Join the Peloton class your friend is in. After joining the class, check the leaderboard and scroll through the list until you find your friend’s username. 
4. Press the talk button. Once you’ve clicked on your friend’s name, all you have to do is click the talk button. You will now be able to chat with them throughout the class!

Before you start a video call, make sure there is nothing that will interfere with the chat such as a poor wifi connection. 

Furthermore, ensure that you and your friend share the same Peloton products. What this means is that you cannot call someone with a Peloton tread machine while using a bike, for example. Bike users can only call other bike users, while tread users can only call each other. 

You’re still having trouble figuring this out, check out this youtube video:

Final Thoughts 

So, can Peloton instructors see you? 

Even though your Peloton screen comes equipped with a camera, your instructors will never be able to see you. 

While you can start video chats with your followers, you are still in control as you have to enable the video chat feature yourself before anyone can see you. 

If you want to ensure privacy, simply flip on the privacy cover. However, the Peloton camera is always off by default. 

If you enjoyed this article, leave a comment and let us know if you enjoy Peloton video chats or not!