Skip to main content

Apple reportedly preparing to maintain users' full medical records

Apple’s iOS Health app is mostly used for exercise and wellness monitoring and storing basic patient information in its current state. However, if a recent report is true, the company could be eyeing a massive shift with future versions of the app: full-on medical record-keeping and clinical data.

A handful of individuals with knowledge of the “secret” initiative inside the company have related to CNBC that Apple has been meeting with health care administrators and developers to build a system where users would be able to carry a complete copy of their medical history on their devices. Every blood test, prescription, diagnosis, or inoculation would be accounted for — empowering patients to easily and quickly share information between care providers.

Recommended Videos

Apple is reportedly looking to leverage its cloud storage capabilities and recent acquisitions of development talent in the health care space to make the project a reality. The company has hired top engineers and experts associated with the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources platform (FHIR), which is increasingly being used to exchange patient records.

Conquering the crisis of information sharing in the medical field would be a major boon to doctors and individuals alike, as a lack of data can lead to misdiagnoses and stalls in patient care. As it stands now, Apple’s Health software can be used to keep a snapshot of a person’s height, weight, and blood type as a sort of digital ID card, and import specific documents — though it can’t store much else.

There is no telling quite how much progress Apple has made in this project. It’s also worth stating that Google and Microsoft attempted similar programs years ago and ultimately failed. The difference is that many facilities already rely on iOS devices — so for them it shouldn’t require any new hardware or unfamiliar software.

Apple’s Health app was unveiled alongside iOS 8 in 2014, and already features a HealthKit API so third-party developers of fitness and wellness apps can make use of the data it collects.

Adam Ismail
Former Contributor
Adam’s obsession with tech began at a young age, with a Sega Dreamcast – and he’s been hooked ever since. Previously…
iOS 26 rumored to go back to basics with four intriguing upgrades
An iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18, showing its home screen.

In just two days from now, Apple will take the stage at WWDC 2025 and showcase the big yearly upgrades for its entire software portfolio. I am quite excited about the platform-wide design update and a few functional changes to iPadOS, especially the one targeting a more macOS-like makeover for the iPad’s software. 

Of course, analysts will be keenly watching for Apple’s next moves with AI, but it seems some of the most dramatic features have been pushed into the next year. Apple can afford some of those delays, as long as the company serves enough meaningful updates to its user base. Apple won’t exactly be running dry on AI, though. 

Read more
5 rumored iOS 26 features we could see at WWDC 2025
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2025 showcase is going to be a busy one, even though the expected AI-powered software rebirth may not land until next year. In the meantime, reliable sources have spilled the beans on what we might expect for the next major iOS overhaul. 

Starting with the name, Apple could skip iOS 19 and could go straight from v18 to v26. We are also expecting a design overhaul, something that could draw inspiration from Vision OS. On the functional side, an AI health coach would be a huge draw for fitness enthusiasts. 

Read more
Why you shouldn’t care what number Apple puts on your iPhone’s software
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max's screen.

One number may change to another number at an important industry event on June 9, and despite some of the headlines that have been circulating around the news, this succinct explanation of what may happen allows you to guage its real importance. Apparently, Apple may use the WWDC 2025 keynote presentation to announce a change from the expected iOS 19 software’s name to iOS 26, and here’s why you shouldn’t worry about it. 

Many people won’t even know

Read more