Skip to main content

Apple Health

Apple's next big thing

See All Stories
Dear Tim letters

When the Apple Watch was originally released in 2015, it was pitched as a great watch, an intimate way to communicate, and a comprehensive fitness device. While the original Apple Watch (later renamed Series 0) lacked GPS and was generally a slow device, it has shown dramatic improvements year over year particularly for Apple’s health initiatives.

When Apple released the Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watches, it added heart rate monitoring for Apple Health. When you enable heart rate monitoring, you  can also turn on heart rate notifications, so you know if your heart rate remains above or below a chosen beats per minute (BPM), or to occasionally check for an irregular heart rhythm. Irregular rhythm notifications are available only with watchOS 5.1.2 or later in certain countries.

With Apple Watch Series 4, Apple added a electrocardiogram monitoring (also known as ECG and EKG). The ECG app on Apple Watch (Series 4 or newer) can record your heartbeat and rhythm using the electrical heart sensor and then check the reading for atrial fibrillation (AFib). It then records that information into the Apple Health app.

Since the release of Apple Watch, there have been countless stories of people’s lives being saved by the health advancements in Apple Watch and Apple’s Health initiatives.

Apple Watch ECG

If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer, here’s a how to guide on how to take an ECG.

Apple also includes a Health app on the iPhone where it easy to learn about your health and start reaching your goals. It consolidates data from iPhone, Apple Watch, and third-party apps in one place.

Top Stories on Apple Health

The Apple Watch blood oxygen battle hurts the company and its customers

The Apple Watch blood oxygen lawsuit | Series 6 with the O2 app open

It’s not often that upgrading to the latest model of an Apple product means sacrificing a key feature, but that is the case for anyone in the USA upgrading to the Apple Watch Series 10 from the S6 or later.

The reason is that, if you bought a Series 6, 7, 8, or 9 (before January 18), then it includes a blood oxygen measurement feature; if you buy the Series 10 or Ultra 2, you’ll lose that …

Expand Expanding Close

Three Apple Watches get FDA approval for sleep apnea detection, from today

Three Apple Watches get FDA approval for sleep apnea detection | Apple Watch and iPhone alerts

Three Apple Watches have received approval for detecting sleep apnea, just in time for today’s launch of the feature in watchOS 11.

The Federal Drug Administration approval was able to be granted swiftly on the basis that the way Apple is doing it is “substantially equivalent” to methods already approved by the FDA …

Expand Expanding Close

Using AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid is better than an over-the-counter dedicated device

Using AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid is better than an OTC device | A close-up of a woman wearing a conventional hearing aid

When Apple issues the firmware upgrade needed to use AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid, it will put the company into direct competition with existing over-the-counter (OTC) products.

Most OTC hearing aids offer Bluetooth headphone functionality, so a single device will serve both functions either way, but AirPods will offer two significant advantages …

Expand Expanding Close

Expand your Apple Health data with these smart blood pressure monitors [Updated]

Over the years, Apple has vastly expanded the Health app on iPhone with ways to track weight, fitness, and much more. Earlier this year, we broke down the best smart scales for syncing weight with an iPhone. And with iPadOS 17, the Health app is also now on iPad.

Another measurement that can integrate with Apple’s Health app is blood pressure. Here are some of the current options on the market for syncing blood pressure with the Health app on your iPhone.

Expand Expanding Close

Best smart scales with iPhone and iPad sync for Apple’s Health app

Apple health

Whether you’re trying to lose a few pounds and gain muscle and put on some weight, smart scales that sync data to the iPhone and iPad can be a fun and useful way to keep an eye on your status. If you want to easily collect your weight and other measurement data in the Health app on iPhone and iPad, the thing to know is to find a scale that works with HealthKit or Apple Health.

Expand Expanding Close

Expand your Apple Health data with these smart blood pressure monitors [Updated]

Over the years, Apple has vastly expanded the Health app on iPhone with ways toa\ track weight, fitness, and much more. Earlier this year, we broke down the best smart scales for syncing weight with an iPhone. And with iPadOS 17, the Health app is also now on iPad.

Another measurement that can integrate with Apple’s Health app is blood pressure. Here are some of the current options on the market for syncing blood pressure with the Health app on your iPhone.

Expand Expanding Close

Should there be an Apple Ring with health tracking and gesture support? [Poll]

Would you buy an Apple Ring similar to the Samsung one shown?

Health and fitness tracking is the primary pitch of the Apple Watch, but has the time now arrived for the option of a more compact device in the form of an Apple Ring?

Samsung yesterday unveiled its Galaxy Ring, which collects health data (including sleep tracking), in a device with a claimed battery life of seven days …

Expand Expanding Close

Apple’s most impactful watchOS 11 feature will require this fall’s new Apple Watch

Micro-LED Apple Watch Ultra project not cancelled | Existing Ultra model shown

Next week’s WWDC is going to be all about software. iOS 18 will introduce a host of new AI capabilities dubbed ‘Apple Intelligence’ that are sure to be the star of the show.

Per a new report, however, watchOS 11 is surprisingly set to offer its own highly transformative feature for users. The catch? That feature will require this fall’s new Apple Watch to use it.

Expand Expanding Close

Apple Watch AFib feature gets new FDA seal of approval

Apple Watch AFib feature visualized in Apple graphic

The Apple Watch AFib feature – which detects abnormal heartbeat patterns indicative of atrial fibrillation – has received a new tick of approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Doctors have already credited the health feature with saving lives.

While the FDA had previously granted clearance for AFib detection, that was a limited endorsement …

Expand Expanding Close

New Apple Watch data shows the average person takes 334 days to walk/run a marathon

I can’t run a marathon (and I don’t plan on trying), but new data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study offers some insight into the training habits of people who do.

Published by Brigham and Women’s Hospital on Friday, the data reveals that more than 1,500 participants of the Apple Heart and Movement Study ran an estimated 2,623 marathons over the course of the study period (November 2019 – January 2024).

Expand Expanding Close

Review: Withings Body Scan w/ segmental body comp, nerve activity, Apple Health, more

Withings Body Scan review Apple Health

The most recent smart scale from Withings is so advanced the company calls it a “health station.” I’ve been testing the Withings Body Scan and its features like segmental body composition measurements, nerve activity, 6-lead ECG, and more, which all come with Apple Health integration. Is it worth the premium price? I think so if these features are valuable to you.

Expand Expanding Close

Vision Pro used in surgery “to eliminate human error”

Vision Pro used in surgery

A UK report describes how Vision Pro was used in surgery, with the spatial computer described as a “gamechanger.” It was first used last month by US neurosurgeon Dr Robert Masson in an operation seen in the above photo.

The headset was said to “eliminate human error” by ensuring that the correct processes and instruments were used throughout the operation …

Expand Expanding Close

Vision Pro helps surgeons plan and visualize operations carried out with a surgical robot

Vision Pro helps surgeons plan and visualize operations | Knee surgery visualization shown

Vision Pro is being used for a wide range of applications in the field of health and medicine, with Apple highlighting an app which helps surgeons plan and visualize operations which are carried out with the help of a surgical robot.

The company says that the device is also helping to familiarize nurses with new medical equipment, in a way that reduces anxiety when they start using the kit in real-life applications …

Expand Expanding Close

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications