Apple is reportedly still working on glucose management, but this time with software. Bloomberg’s Mark Garman said the company tested an app this year to help people with pre-diabetes manage their diet and lifestyle. Apple is said to have no plans to release the app for consumers, but it could play a part in future health products.
The company reportedly tested the app internally and found that employees were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes through blood tests. The participants “actively monitored their blood sugar levels via a variety of commercially available devices” and recorded corresponding changes in blood sugar levels. The app then records the correlation between dietary changes and blood sugar levels (for example, “I don’t eat pasta”).
Garman said Apple paused testing to focus on other health features. Bloomberg notes that the Apple Health app currently lacks the meal tracking features offered by competing services. The publication also notes that Apple may eventually integrate third-party glucose tracking features more deeply into its products.
The research was reportedly not directly related to Apple’s 15-year effort to provide non-invasive blood sugar monitoring, which is a rumored cycle of the Apple Watch. The company’s current hardware prototype is reportedly an iPhone-sized wearable device that uses a laser to shine light onto the skin. Garman claims that Apple’s first consumer version, whether on the Apple Watch or some other format, will likely only notify users if they may be pre-diabetic. Providing a specific glucose level must be done in a later iteration.
