iOS 27 could lose Apple’s rumored new AI fitness feature — but we could still see parts of it launch this year

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iOS 27 might lose out, but iOS 26 could benefit

Apple Health on iPhone and Apple Watch
(Image credit: Apple)

While Apple’s iOS 26 update may still be relatively fresh, we could soon see some new AI health features arriving in the coming months that were originally going to be part of iOS 27

We have been hearing about a new health-focused AI agent for iPhones for a while now, with speculation that it could appear as part of iOS 26. Unfortunately, that didn’t come to pass, and it was instead speculated that the feature could be included as part of iOS 27, expected to debut this summer and roll out to iPhones in September. However, a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman indicates that Apple is looking to scale back the feature, known internally as Health Plus.

According to the report, Apple has started to rethink how it approaches the market for wellness services as a whole. The rising competition from companies like Samsung, as well as OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Health, has reportedly led to Apple rethinking the launch schedule. Now, the apparent plan is to launch some of the features it had planned for Health Plus over time within the current Health app.

What do we know about Health Plus?

ios 26 logo on a phone with 26 in the background

(Image credit: Cheng Xin/Getty)

The aim of Health Plus, according to the reports, was to create a system that could quickly generate detailed health reports for users. Health Plus would then utilize AI to create and offer recommendations to help improve health. The feature would have gathered much of the data it needed through surveys, health assessments, Apple Watch data and external lab reports.

Part of this, Gurman's report continues, included the creation of a new content studio in Oakland, California, that would produce videos for Health app users. These videos would offer information on medical conditions, training plan guides, and wellness education. While we don’t know for certain what features Apple will introduce in the coming months, it appears that the produced videos and suggestions based on health data will be released to users as early as this year.

It isn’t just the health details that are mentioned in the report, as Gurman also makes note of the long-awaited Siri update. According to the report, Apple plans to release its updated assistant as part of iOS 27, with the intent being to offer credible competition to companies like OpenAI and Google.

All of this comes together to create an interesting situation for users. After all, there’s no doubt that iOS 27 getting fewer features isn’t amazing news; it was already reported that it was more focused on the upcoming iPhone Fold than anything else. However, iOS 26 hasn’t exactly taken the public by storm, with a recent poll indicating that a record low number of users were adopting the update.

With that in mind, it would make sense for Apple to release more features that users clearly want on their phones sooner rather than later, especially with the amount of competition. The question now is: Will having more health-focused features be enough to convince you to finally download iOS 26 if you haven't already?

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Josh Render
Josh Render
Staff Writer

Josh is a staff writer for Tom's Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer. 

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