Apple Fitness+ placed under new leadership as company rethinks its struggling health service

Apple

Apple is reportedly re-evaluating the future of its subscription-based fitness platform, Apple Fitness+, amid concerns over its limited growth and user retention. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the service is now “under review” within Apple as part of a wider strategic shake-up. Despite being launched with significant fanfare in 2020, Fitness+ has become one of Apple’s weaker digital offerings, plagued by high churn and modest revenue figures.

While Apple Fitness+ maintains a loyal user base, it remains a niche product within Apple’s services portfolio. Gurman notes that Apple is unlikely to shut it down entirely, given its relatively low operational costs and the potential reputational risk of discontinuing a wellness-focused product. The service, which offers ad-free, instructor-led workouts like yoga, strength training, cycling, and HIIT, costs $9.99 per month or comes bundled within the Apple One Premier plan.

To address stagnation, Apple is introducing a leadership change. Dr Sumbul Desai, the company’s vice president of health, will now oversee Fitness+, bringing it under the broader health division. Her team will report directly to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, a shift intended to tighten oversight and improve accountability. The restructuring signals Apple’s intent to better align Fitness+ with its long-term health and wellness strategy while improving engagement and profitability.

Gurman suggests the review could lead to new features or a refreshed business model, potentially integrating deeper AI-driven personalisation or tighter links with Apple Watch health data. Whether these changes will be enough to reverse the platform’s decline remains uncertain, but the leadership shift shows Apple isn’t ready to give up on its fitness ambitions yet.

Separately, Apple is also developing five new satellite-based features for upcoming iPhones, including an API that could let third-party developers integrate satellite connectivity into their apps. The rollout, however, will depend on developer participation and compatibility support.