Apple Fitness+ Future Under Review Amid Major Reorganization to Health Division

Apple Shifts Fitness+ Team from Services to Health in Strategic Reassessment

Apple’s subscription fitness service, Fitness+, is undergoing a significant internal reorganization, with its strategic direction now officially “under review,” according to a recent report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. This move signals a critical pivot for the four-year-old service, which has reportedly struggled to achieve the subscriber growth Apple initially anticipated following its launch in 2020.

The core of the change involves relocating the Fitness+ team from the company’s expansive Services division—historically overseen by Senior Vice President Eddy Cue—to the dedicated Health team, led by Vice President of Health, Dr. Sumbul Desai. This organizational shift is far more than a simple administrative change; it reflects a fundamental re-evaluation of Fitness+’s purpose within Apple’s ecosystem, moving it from a media and entertainment offering to a core component of the company’s long-term health and wellness strategy.

For current subscribers and users of the Apple Watch, the immediate service remains unchanged. However, the move strongly suggests that the future development of Fitness+ will prioritize deeper integration with clinical health data, personalized wellness metrics, and the advanced sensing capabilities of the Apple Watch, rather than focusing solely on video content production and celebrity trainers.

The Rationale Behind the Strategic Pivot

When Apple Fitness+ debuted in late 2020, it was positioned as a premium, integrated workout service designed to leverage the ubiquity of the Apple Watch and the convenience of the Apple ecosystem. While the service has garnered a loyal user base, it has reportedly failed to reach the massive scale seen by other Apple Services like Apple Music or Apple TV+.

Challenges in the Subscription Fitness Market

The market for digital fitness content has become intensely competitive since 2020, flooded by rivals like Peloton, specialized boutique apps, and a wealth of free content on platforms like YouTube. Apple’s initial strategy—integrating tightly with the Apple Watch and offering high-production-value content—was strong, but the service often felt siloed from the deeper health tracking capabilities that define the Apple Watch experience.

Key factors driving the necessity for this review include:

• Slower-than-Expected Growth: Despite being bundled with the Apple One subscription, standalone adoption rates have not met internal targets.
• Content vs. Utility: The service was primarily viewed as a content library, competing directly with entertainment services, rather than a utility essential for health management.
• Organizational Misalignment: Placing a health-centric product under the Services umbrella, which focuses heavily on media and transactional revenue, may have limited its ability to integrate with the core Health app and clinical initiatives.

The Significance of Moving to the Health Team

The transition of the Fitness+ team to the Health division, under the leadership of Dr. Sumbul Desai, is the most telling detail of this reorganization. Dr. Desai is a physician who oversees Apple’s clinical health efforts, including partnerships with medical institutions, the development of regulated health features (like ECG and temperature sensing), and the overall architecture of the Health app.

Shifting Focus from Entertainment to Clinical Wellness

Moving Fitness+ away from the Services division, which handles subscriptions, media licensing, and entertainment, fundamentally changes the service’s mandate. Under the Health team, the focus will likely shift dramatically toward:

1. Personalized Health Prescriptions: Integrating workout recommendations based not just on past activity, but on deep health metrics like VO2 max, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep data, and potentially even blood oxygen levels.
2. Clinical Integration: Developing features that allow Fitness+ to be used as a tool in conjunction with medical professionals, perhaps offering specialized programs for recovery, chronic condition management, or pre/post-operative fitness.
3. Advanced Metrics and Feedback: Utilizing the sophisticated sensors in the latest Apple Watch models to provide real-time feedback that goes beyond simple calorie counts, focusing instead on form, efficiency, and safety.
4. Regulatory Considerations: As the service integrates more deeply with clinical data, it may need to navigate stricter health and medical regulatory pathways, which the Health team is already equipped to handle.

“This organizational change suggests Apple is doubling down on the medical utility of its wearables,” noted one industry analyst. “Fitness+ is no longer just a workout video library; it’s poised to become a personalized health intervention tool, leveraging the credibility and clinical focus of Dr. Desai’s team.”

Anticipating the Future of Apple Fitness+

While the service is currently operating normally, the “under review” status implies that significant product changes are likely forthcoming. Experts anticipate that the reorganization will lead to a version of Fitness+ that is far more tightly woven into the fabric of the Health app and the Apple Watch operating system.

Potential New Features and Direction

Based on Apple’s established trajectory in the health space, future iterations of Fitness+ could include:

• Adaptive Training Plans: Programs that dynamically adjust based on the user’s recovery status (measured via HRV and sleep) and personalized health goals set within the Health app.
• Integration with Medical Records: While sensitive, future features might allow users to share Fitness+ activity data directly with their healthcare providers, positioning the service as a verifiable component of a wellness plan.
• Specialized Health Modules: Introduction of content specifically designed for targeted populations, such as programs for seniors focused on balance and fall prevention, or fitness routines tailored for individuals with specific mobility challenges.
• Enhanced Coaching and Feedback: Utilizing on-device machine learning to provide more detailed feedback on workout performance, perhaps even analyzing movement patterns captured by the Apple Watch or iPhone camera (similar to existing third-party apps, but integrated natively).

The Role of Eddy Cue’s Services Division

While the Fitness+ team is moving, the Services division remains critical for Apple. It will continue to manage the subscription billing, platform infrastructure, and overall financial performance of Fitness+. However, the creative and strategic product direction will now be dictated by the Health team, ensuring that utility and clinical relevance take precedence over pure entertainment value.

This division of labor is common in large tech companies: the product team (Health) defines what the service does and why, while the platform team (Services) ensures how it is delivered and monetized.

Key Takeaways for Subscribers and the Industry

This reorganization is a clear signal that Apple is committed to its long-term health strategy, viewing Fitness+ not as a standalone revenue stream but as a crucial tool for driving engagement with the Apple Watch and reinforcing the value proposition of the entire ecosystem.

• Future Focus is Health: Expect Fitness+ to evolve into a more clinically relevant, data-driven wellness tool, moving beyond its current status as a simple video library.
• No Immediate Shutdown: The service is under review and reorganization, but there is no indication of an immediate discontinuation.
• Increased Apple Watch Utility: The changes will likely lead to features that make the Apple Watch even more essential for personalized fitness and health management.
• Industry Impact: This move validates the trend toward integrating consumer fitness technology with medical-grade health monitoring, setting a new standard for competitors.

Conclusion: A Healthier, More Integrated Future

The decision to place Apple Fitness+ under the direct purview of the Health team marks a pivotal moment in the service’s history. It acknowledges that the path to massive growth for Fitness+ lies not in competing with media giants, but in leveraging Apple’s unique advantage: the deep, trusted integration of health hardware and software.

By prioritizing clinical relevance and personalized health utility, Apple aims to transform Fitness+ from a popular workout app into an indispensable component of preventative and ongoing wellness management, solidifying its position as a leader in the digital health sector as we move further into 2025.

What’s Next

Subscribers should anticipate updates and new features related to deeper health integration to be announced potentially as early as the next major Apple Watch software update cycle. The success of this reorganization will be measured by its ability to create a more compelling, indispensable product that leverages the full power of the Apple Watch’s health sensors, thereby driving both subscriber retention and new user adoption.