Apple has introduced the Apple Health Study, a new research initiative aimed at understanding how its devices—like the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods—can help predict, detect, and manage health issues. The study is being conducted in partnership with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a leading research institution connected to Harvard Medical School.
This study is available through Apple’s Research app and will look at how different aspects of health are connected. For example, it will examine how mental health might affect heart rate or how sleep patterns influence physical activity. It builds on Apple’s earlier studies on women’s health, hearing, and heart health, which have already involved over 350,000 participants across the U.S.
What is the study about?
- Heart and circulation health
- Mental health
- Sleep Quality
- Hearing Health
- Aging and mobility
- Brain Health
The goal is to find early signs of health changes—whether physical or emotional—and see how technology can help detect these changes sooner. For instance, catching hearing problems early could help reduce the risk of memory or cognitive issues later in life. The findings may also help Apple create new features for its devices that support better health management.
How can I participate? The study is open to people in the U.S. who meet certain age requirements and agree to share their data through the Research app. Participants can choose what types of data they want to share and can stop participating at any time. Apple has stressed that it does not have access to personal details like names or contact information.
Medical research often struggles with recruiting participants and tracking long-term data. This study aims to tackle that by using everyday tech people already have, gathering better insights into physical and mental health.
Dr. Calum MacRae, a Harvard professor and lead researcher for the study, said:
“We are excited to be part of the Apple Health Study, as it will continue to explore connections across different areas of health using technology that so many people carry with them every day.”
Apple has emphasized that participation is completely voluntary and private. Users control what data they share with researchers, and no identifying information is shared with Apple itself.
The Apple Health Study is now available through the updated Research app (version 6.0) on iPhones running iOS 16 or later.
You can read more about it here.