- Apple is reportedly prepping a big Health app revamp for iOS 19
- It will feature a new health coach feature
- A new rumor says it will be powered by AI and could replicate a real doctor ‘at least to some extent’
Following reports that Apple is planning a major overhaul of its Health app in iOS 19, fresh and more detailed information has revealed that it might feature an AI agent that would act like a virtual doctor.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple “is planning a revamped Health app – as well as an AI-based coaching service.”
Now, the same source says Apple is working on a health coach that could replicate your doctor.
Writing in his latest Power On Newsletter, Gurman notes that some of the company’s grander health plans – notably, blood glucose monitoring – are still a way off. As such, he says Apple has turned to something that could arrive much sooner.
“The initiative is called Project Mulberry, and it involves a completely revamped Health app plus a health coach,” he writes. Most notably, Gurman says, “The service would be powered by a new AI agent that would replicate – at least to some extent – a real doctor.”
Apple’s AI Doctor
According to Gurman’s report, we can expect this major health revamp “as early as iOS 19.4”. Sadly, that means it’s unlikely to feature on the best iPhones until next year.
Gurman says the Health app will collate data from your iPhone, Apple Watch, earbuds (such as future AirPods with heart rate monitoring), and other third-party products.
Then, the AI coach “will use that information to offer tailor-made recommendations about ways to improve health.”
Apple is reportedly training its AI agent with data from physicians who work at Apple, and the company wants to bring in other doctors with expertise in sleep, nutrition, mental health, and more. Gurman says Apple will create videos to serve as explainers about certain conditions, along with pointers to make lifestyle improvements.
The videos are being filmed at a facility in Oakland, California, according to the report, and Apple is “also seeking to find a major doctor personality to serve as a host of sorts for the new service, which some within Apple have tentatively dubbed ‘Health+.'”
Another big part of the app will be food tracking, with Apple taking on the best fitness apps like MyFitnessPal. With Apple Watch integration a certainty, it’s likely that some of these Health upgrades will find their way into watchOS 12, too.
Gurman says the app is the top priority of Apple’s health team, and it may even lean on data from cameras on devices in the future.
While a revamp of the Apple Health app is an exciting prospect, it’s one that probably won’t arrive in time for the iPhone 17 in September, although it’s possible that some features could debut earlier, with the AI-powered agent following later down the line.
With Apple delaying other Apple Intelligence features like its big Siri upgrade, the company needs a big AI win and fast. Is an AI-powered doctor the answer?
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stephen.warwick@futurenet.com (Stephen Warwick)
