Google Health's mistakes are a grave warning for Apples new AI-powered Health app

Date:
Sun, 13 Sep 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Description:
Apples Health app is getting an AI makeover, and Apple fans are hoping it
will avoid the fate of Google Health.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Any users of the best Fitbit devices that were watching Apple s iPhone Duo event yesterday might have felt a chill of all-too-familiar dread during the companys glitzy keynote presentation.

Thats not because Apple announced some sort of killer smartwatch feature that will bury the Fitbit range alive. No, its because viewers got to see Apples new plans for its Health app, which now comes with an AI-powered makeover
that will likely stir up some painful emotions for many Fitbit fans. Of course, adding AI into an app doesnt automatically doom it. But the parallels between Apple Health and the Google Health app that Fitbit users have been lumped with with all its wild hallucinations and crazy wellbeing
inaccuracies is undeniable. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Indeed, if the Fitbit experience is anything to go by, theres a risk that Apple customers could be in for a bumpy ride. Coming to your iPhone (Image credit: Future) Why might Fitbit fans be ringing a Google Health-shaped alarm bell? Well, Google-owned Fitbit announced a total overhaul of the companion app for its wearables back in May 2026 and it was almost immediately unpopular. You may like Fitbit users are sick of Google Healths food-tracking AI hallucinations Google Health has left Fitbit users incensed at its workout hallucinations 5 new Apple Watch features that are more than just health-tracking tools

The rebranded app was accused of being unbelievably bad amid missing features and confusing user interface decisions that made the app much less enjoyable to use than the one it replaced.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. As the weeks and months rolled on, social media started overflowing with user complaints directly squarely at
one target: Google Healths AI assistant. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

This tool is meant to analyze your wellbeing data and make suggestions on
ways you can improve your fitness and live a healthier life. The problem, though, is that the AI seemed to frequently go off the rails.

Ive written about how Googles AI has been giving people unhinged fitness advice , feeding them nonstop lies and spinning up completely fictional food-tracking metrics . Its a real concern and has proven to be a tremendous source of frustration to anyone unfortunate enough to have to use it.

And now with the Apple Health revamp, a similar feature might be coming to your iPhone. What to read next Google now lets you sync Fitbit health data to Apple Health on iOS Exclusive: Why Samsung has gone all-in on AI health, according to its executives The latest Google Health 5.02 update may be winning over users at last An anxious wait (Image credit: Future) In any
other app, patchy performance like this might just be a slight irritation.
But in an app like Google Health, where the AI is making suggestions that could directly affect your physical wellbeing, the effect is much more serious.

Can Apple escape such problems with its own AI revamp? Im not sure, despite Apple's excellent track record and cautious implementation of LLMs. After
all, Apple tried to go its own way with Apple Intelligence but fell so far behind the competition that it had to enlist the help of you guessed it Google.

That means that the same AI models that have messed up Google Health so badly are now propping up Apple Intelligence, and with it, Apple Health.

That said, theres no guarantee that Apple Health will go the same way as Google Health. While Googles AI is powering many of the features inside the likes of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI , we dont know exactly how thats
going to work in Apples Health app do-over. Has Apple tweaked Googles models to its own tastes or imported them wholesale? (Image credit: Future) Id hope that Apple has made some modifications of its own. Apple's website states
that 'all of our health innovations are subject to rigorous scientific validation and are developed with clinical experts from start to finish'.

Not only that, but the company is extremely hot on user privacy and security, and what could be more vulnerable than your health data? With almost every health-related feature that it has introduced in recent years, Apple has emphasized the steps it has taken to encrypt, protect and otherwise lock down your sensitive wellbeing information.

Considering that Google could be perceived to be, relatively speaking, far more lax about user privacy , Id be shocked if Apple hadnt taken a peek under the hood to ensure that its Health AI is as secure and reliable as possible. It would have been hard for Apple not to notice the furor that Google Health has caused Fitbit fans.

Theres no way Apple would want that kind of feedback from its own users, so
Im hoping its made some adjustments to ensure that its own AI is a little
less eccentric, shall we say, than Googles.

Were not going to know for sure until the new Health app becomes available, which wont be until 'later this year,' Apple says. Until that happens, its going to be an anxious wait for any Apple user aware of the carnage suffered by their Fitbit-wielding colleagues. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Todays best iPhone deals Contract Deals Sim Free gift Apple iPhone 17 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 25GB data 25 upfront 33.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk See all prices voucher gift Apple iPhone 17 Pro 48 months Unlimited mins 5GB data 30 upfront 55.97 /mth View at EE See all prices voucher gift Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max 48 months Unlimited mins 5GB data 30 upfront 49.22 /mth View at EE See all prices voucher gift Apple iPhone 17e 48 months Unlimited mins 5GB data 30 upfront 37.92 /mth View at EE See all
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/apple-intelligence/google-he alth-is-a-grave-warning-for-apples-new-ai-powered-health-app


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