Max Headroom 
Apple is planning a major redesign of the Health app on iPhone and iPad, with a long list of new features set to be added. Apple announced the Health app changes at yesterday’s iPhone event.
The Health app is getting an update because Apple overhauled the sensors in 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 power-efficient green LEDs for capturing continuous heart rate data.
The new watches take heart rate readings every five seconds throughout the day, and more frequently measure heart rate variability (HRV). All of the data collected is sent to the Health app on iPhone. Apple says 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 Intelligence Guidance
The Health app will turn the data and metrics that it collects into personalized guidance thanks to Apple Intelligence integration. There are several new sections coming to the Health app.
- Insights – The Insights tab offers an Apple Intelligence-generated summary of timely information like your latest sleep metrics or a new peak in VO2 max. There are options to get custom advice on readiness, fitness, heart health, and more in the For You section.
- Personal Guidance – Personal guidance is part of the Insights tab. It knows what’s important to you, and will make relevant suggestions. Apple says if you’re working on your cardio, you might see a suggestion to incorporate intervals into your morning run. Recommendations adapt to each user and their data.
- Readiness – The new Apple Watch models calculate a readiness score that takes into account recent activity, vitals, and sleep score. It gives a 0–10 score with recommendations on activity level. Readouts include Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It. Info is shown on the watch, in the Fitness app, and in the Health app’s Insights tab.
- Fitness – Insights incorporates your daily activity and it updates throughout the day.
- Vitals – The Vitals option in the Health app has new overnight views and daytime views. HRV is incorporated as a metric, offering a better look at 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 metrics from your iPhone and Apple Watch to assess overall health across heart health, sleep, mental wellbeing, movement health, metabolic health, hearing, and nutrition. The section shows you how well you’re doing in each category, and how each metric is classified against the latest clinical guidance.
- 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 work to determine how your health metrics compare to your actual age. It will help you figure out what habits make the biggest impact on your health, and how you can improve.
Lab Results
Health Age and Longevity can be more useful with lab results. Users can upload lab results manually or sync medical records.
Apple has also partnered with Quest to offer U.S. users an option to buy a full bloodwork panel that covers more than 50 biomarkers. The test is priced at $119, and users will be able to buy it right in the Health app. It’ll require a visit to a Quest lab location, and results are combined with data from the Apple Watch and analyzed on iPhone. Apple says users will get videos from clinical experts related to their results.
According to Quest, the panel delivers preventive health insights and includes biomarkers for assessing cardiometabolic health and organ function. It also includes biometric readings that measure blood pressure, height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences. Since the test isn’t available in the Health app yet, a full list of what’s included isn’t known.
Apple competitor Oura offers a similar testing option through Quest. The $99 test checks more than 50 biomarkers, and Oura runs discounts.
Quest has approximately 2,000 locations across the U.S. Results appear in the Health app shortly after testing.
Movement Evaluations
Apple is adding new at-home health assessments you can complete, such as a VO2 max test. The test uses the iPhone camera to track your movements as you follow moves and instructions from a trainer. The tests offer real-time audio and visual feedback.
There are in-depth physical assessments for measuring 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 device with no video recorded or stored, and users get an exercise plan after completing a test.
Cycle Tracking
Apple is adding perimenopause and menopause support to Cycle Tracking in the Health app.
Device Requirements
Apple Watch users with an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone will get the updated Health app when it launches, but readiness, 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 is coming in late 2026, but the company did not give a specific launch date. It will be available in U.S. English at launch, with more languages to follow.
This article, “iOS 27 Apple Health App Redesign: Every New Feature Coming in 2026” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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