Apple to unveil redesigned Health app with AI-driven insights and new lab-test integration by late 2026

Apple said the Health app on iPhone and iPad will receive a comprehensive redesign, with the update expected to arrive in late 2026. The changes are tied to new sensor hardware in the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, which feature larger electrode surfaces, a ring of photodiodes for optical sensing, and power-efficient green LEDs that enable heart-rate readings every five seconds and more frequent heart-rate-variability measurements.

"In a head-to-head study against other wearables using an ECG chest strap as reference, the new Apple Watch had the most accurate heart-rate sensing," Apple stated.

The redesign will incorporate Apple Intelligence to turn collected data into personalized guidance. New sections include an Insights tab that provides AI-generated summaries of sleep, VO2 max and other metrics, and a Personal Guidance feature that offers activity suggestions based on user goals. A Readiness score, ranging from 0 to 10, will be calculated from recent activity, vitals and sleep, with recommendations displayed on the watch, in the Fitness app and within Health.

Additional updates add expanded Vitals views that incorporate HRV, a Longevity tab that evaluates heart health, sleep, mental wellbeing, movement, metabolic health, hearing and nutrition, and a Health Age metric that compares users' health data to their chronological age.

Apple is also introducing a lab-result workflow. Users can upload results manually or sync medical records, and Apple has partnered with Quest Diagnostics to sell a $119 full-blood-work panel covering more than 50 biomarkers. The test must be performed at a Quest location, after which results are integrated into the Health app alongside watch data, accompanied by video explanations from clinical experts.

The company plans to add at-home movement assessments, including a VO2 max test that uses the iPhone camera to track motion, as well as flexibility, strength, balance and mechanics evaluations. Cycle Tracking will gain perimenopause and menopause support.

Apple noted that the updated Health app will be available to users with an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, but the enhanced heart-rate and HRV features require a Series 12 or Ultra 4 watch. The initial launch will support U.S. English, with additional languages to follow.