- Apple is reviewing the future of Apple Fitness+ following a leadership reshuffle that puts the service under Apple’s Health organization led by Dr. Sumbul Desai, which in turn now reports to SVP of Services Eddy Cue. [1]
- Coverage today reiterates that Fitness+ is getting new management and added performance pressure, but there’s no shutdown announced. [2]
- Apple is exploring a broader Health+ subscription for 2026 with an AI health agent/chatbot—a move that could fold Fitness+ deeper into the Health app and Apple’s Apple Intelligence roadmap. [3]
- In the near term, Apple’s AI features already on the roadmap for fitness include Workout Buddy on Apple Watch, which uses Apple Intelligence for personalized, real‑time coaching. [4]
- Fitness+ continues to operate today at $9.99/month or $79.99/year and remains part of Apple One Premier. [5]
What’s new today (Nov. 10)
Fresh reports highlight that Fitness+ is now under Health VP Sumbul Desai’s portfolio, with the entire health group reporting to Eddy Cue. The reorganization is meant to “incentivize growth” after years of middling traction. There’s no indication of immediate cancellation, but the service is under closer scrutiny to improve results. [6]
Why Apple is reviewing Fitness+
According to summaries of Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, Fitness+ has been one of Apple’s “weakest digital offerings,” with high churn and limited revenue upside, even as a loyal core keeps usage steady. That dynamic—inexpensive to run but not a breakout hit—helps explain why Apple isn’t turning the lights off yet, but is pushing for change. [7]
The reorg behind the headlines
October’s broader shake‑up moved Health and Fitness under Services (Eddy Cue) amid COO Jeff Williams’s planned retirement. At the same time, watchOS oversight shifted to Craig Federighi and Apple Watch hardware to John Ternus, clarifying responsibilities as Apple leans into services and AI. [8]
Where Apple could be headed: Health+ and a deeper Health app integration
Reporting indicates Apple is exploring a Health+ subscription in 2026 featuring an AI‑powered health agent—and that moving Fitness+ under Health is part of aligning the product with that plan. AppleInsider also ties this to Apple’s longer‑term Apple Intelligence rollout and a more powerful Siri expected around iOS 27 timing in 2026. If Health+ arrives, Fitness+ could gain visibility, smarter recommendations, and a clearer role inside the Health app. [9]
AI is already on the roadmap for workouts
Apple has publicly previewed Workout Buddy on Apple Watch—an Apple Intelligence experience that analyzes your heart rate, pace, distance, rings, and fitness history to offer personalized, real‑time voice motivation using Fitness+ trainers’ voices. It’s a concrete sign of how Apple intends to fuse AI, Health data, and workouts. [10]
What this means for you right now
- Service status: Fitness+ is still available and receiving editorial programming; Apple has not announced any shutdown. [11]
- Price & bundles:$9.99/month or $79.99/year, and included in Apple One Premier. [12]
- Apple Watch optional: Fitness+ has been usable without Apple Watch on iPhone since late 2022, which widened the funnel to more users. [13]
Competitive pressure is rising
Apple’s review comes as rivals lean into AI coaching. Google’s Fitbit, for example, began rolling out a Gemini‑powered AI health coach to Premium users—a signal that personalized, conversational training is becoming table stakes across the category. [14]
The big questions we’ll be watching
Will Fitness+ stay standalone—or fold into Health+?
Given the organizational move and 2026 Health+ chatter, tighter bundling (or a new tier) is plausible. Apple’s goal would be higher engagement inside Health and lower churn for paid wellness features. [15]
What new AI features arrive before 2026?
Workout Buddy is the clearest example, and Apple has been methodical about shipping Apple Intelligence features in waves. Watch for incremental updates across iPhone, Apple Watch, and Siri that make workouts more context‑aware. [16]
Could Apple cancel Fitness+ outright?
Based on reporting, cancellation seems unlikely in the near term: the service is relatively inexpensive to operate, and scrapping it could invite a backlash from a loyal base. The review is about performance and strategy, not an imminent shutdown. [17]
Bottom line
On Nov. 10, 2025, the story isn’t that Apple is killing Fitness+—it’s that Apple is re‑tooling it. Moving Fitness+ into the Health organization and under Services signals a push to make Apple’s wellness offerings smarter, stickier, and more tightly integrated with a possible Health+ subscription and Apple Intelligence. For users, nothing changes today: you can still press play on workouts at $9.99/month while Apple decides how Fitness+ will evolve inside its expanding health and AI ecosystem. [18]
Sources
- MacRumors summary of Bloomberg (Power On): Fitness+ “under review”; leadership/oversight details. [19]
- 9to5Mac follow‑up: reorganization to “incentivize growth”; Desai adds Fitness+. [20]
- AppleInsider analysis: Fitness+ shift to Health as part of Apple’s 2026 AI/Health+ plan. [21]
- Apple Newsroom (official): Workout Buddy Apple Intelligence feature on Apple Watch. [22]
- Apple (official): Fitness+ pricing/availability. [23]
- Today’s coverage reinforcing new management/oversight: Livemint. [24]
References
1. www.macrumors.com, 2. www.livemint.com, 3. appleinsider.com, 4. www.apple.com, 5. www.apple.com, 6. www.livemint.com, 7. www.macrumors.com, 8. www.macrumors.com, 9. appleinsider.com, 10. www.apple.com, 11. www.macrumors.com, 12. www.apple.com, 13. www.apple.com, 14. www.theverge.com, 15. appleinsider.com, 16. www.apple.com, 17. www.macrumors.com, 18. 9to5mac.com, 19. www.macrumors.com, 20. 9to5mac.com, 21. appleinsider.com, 22. www.apple.com, 23. www.apple.com, 24. www.livemint.com
