Apple is planning a major overhaul of the Health app on iPhone and iPad, with a long list of new features expected to be added. Apple announced the changes to the Health app during yesterday’s iPhone event.
The Health app is getting an update as Apple overhauled the sensors on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. There’s a health sensing system with three main improvements: increased electrode surface area for better skin contact during ECG readings, redesigned photodiodes arranged in a ring to capture light more efficiently for optical sensing, and energy-efficient green LEDs to capture continuous heart rate data.
New watches measure heart rate every five seconds throughout the day and measure heart rate variability (HRV) more frequently. All collected data is sent to the Health app on iPhone. Apple claims that in a comparison study with other wearables using an ECG chest strap as a benchmark, the new Apple Watch had the most accurate heart rate detection.
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Apple Intelligence Tips
The Health app will transform the data and metrics it collects into personalized advice through Apple Intelligence integration. Several new sections are arriving in the Health application.
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- Knowledge – The Insights tab offers an Apple Intelligence-generated summary of timely information such as your latest sleep measurements or a new VO2 max peak. There are options to get personalized advice on readiness, fitness, heart health and more in the For You section.
- Personal advice – Personal tips are part of the Insights tab. He knows what is important to you and will make relevant suggestions. Apple says that if you’re working on your cardio, you may see a suggestion to incorporate intervals into your morning run. Recommendations adapt to each user and their data.
- Preparation – New Apple Watch models calculate a readiness score that takes into account recent activity, vital signs and sleep score. It gives a score from 0 to 10 with recommendations on activity level. Readings include Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go. The information is displayed on the watch, in the Fitness app, and in the Insights tab of the Health app.
- Fitness – Insights integrates your daily activity and is updated throughout the day.
- Vitality – The Vitals option in the Health app offers new night and day views. HRV is integrated as a metric, providing greater insight into your ability to recover from stress. It measures overall HRV and recovery HRV.
- Longevity – There is a new Longevity tab in the Health app. It uses measurements from your iPhone and Apple Watch to assess overall health in terms of heart health, sleep, mental well-being, motor health, metabolic health, hearing and nutrition. The section shows you your performance in each category and how each measure ranks against the latest clinical guidelines.
- Health age – Health age is part of the Longevity tab. It uses metrics like VO2 max, resting heart rate, HRV, sleep, and biomarkers from blood tests to determine how your health metrics compare to your actual age. This will help you determine which habits have the greatest impact on your health and how you can improve them.
Laboratory results
Health age and longevity may be more helpful with laboratory results. Users can manually upload lab results or sync medical records.
Apple has also partnered with Quest to offer US users the option to purchase a comprehensive blood test panel covering more than 50 biomarkers. The test costs $119 and users will be able to purchase it directly in the Health app. This will require a visit to a Quest lab, and the results will be combined with data from the Apple Watch and analyzed on iPhone. Apple says users will receive videos from clinical experts related to their results.
According to Quest, the panel provides preventative health information and includes biomarkers to assess cardiometabolic health and organ function. It also includes biometric readings that measure blood pressure, height, weight, and waist and hip circumference. Since the test is not yet available in the Health app, the full list of what is included is not known.
Apple competitor Oura offers a similar testing option through Quest. The $99 test checks for more than 50 biomarkers, and Oura offers discounts.
Quest has approximately 2,000 locations in the United States. Results appear in the Health app shortly after the test.
Movement Assessments
Apple is adding new at-home health assessments you can take, like a VO2 max test. The test uses the iPhone’s camera to track your movements as you follow a trainer’s movements and instructions. The tests provide real-time audio and visual feedback.
There are in-depth physical assessments to measure flexibility, strength, balance and movement mechanics in addition to VO2 max.
Apple says the tests are useful to see how well your body is moving or to track your progress recovering from an injury. Tests run on the device without any video being recorded or stored, and users get an exercise plan after completing a test.
Cycle tracking
Apple adds support for perimenopause and menopause to cycle tracking in the Health app.
Device Requirements
Apple Watch users with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone will receive the updated Health app when it launches, but preparation, more frequent heart rate readings, and more frequent HRV readings require a Series 12 or Ultra 4.
Launch date
Apple says the new Health app will arrive in late 2026, but the company hasn’t given a specific launch date. It will be available in US English at launch, with other languages to follow.
