--- title: "Secret Apple Project Tracks Blood Sugar Using Apple Watch" description: "Apple has made breakthroughs in a confidential project that would transform its Apple Watches into noninvasive glucose monitors, Bloomberg reports." date: "2023-02-25" modified: "2023-02-25" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/secret-apple-blood-sugar-apple-watch" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Prosthetics and Devices" tags: - "apple" - "Diabetes" - "glucose monitoring system" - "health" --- # Secret Apple Project Tracks Blood Sugar Using Apple Watch ![Apple has made breakthroughs in a confidential project that would transform its Apple Watches into noninvasive glucose monitors, Bloomberg reports.]() *\Image: NurPhoto via Getty / Futurism\* Apple has entered the proof-of-concept phase for an intriguing confidential project — dubbed E5 — that would transform its Apple Watches into noninvasive glucose monitors, [*Bloomberg* reports](). Current means of glucose monitoring are pretty rough, with most diabetics relying on painful finger-pricking to take blood samples. Others use a variety of patches that are currently on the market, although those need to be regularly replaced. If realized, Apple's noninvasive monitor, which according to *Bloomberg* was first conceptualized by Steve Jobs and has been in the works for over 12 years, would undoubtedly turn the healthcare industry on its head — and, by making Apple Watches a must-have for diabetic patients worldwide, solidify Apple's place as a health tech giant. The Apple tech, which reportedly employs silicon photonics to do the job, really does sound fascinating. "The system uses lasers to emit specific wavelengths of light into an area below the skin where there is interstitial fluid — substances that leak out of capillaries — that can be absorbed by glucose," explains the *Bloomberg* report. "The light is then reflected back to the sensor in a way that indicates the concentration of glucose. An algorithm then determines a person's blood glucose level." Still, as *Bloomberg* notes, though this system makes theoretical sense, it'd be a staggering achievement to bring it to market. A lot of folks in the tech industry, notably the likes of Google, have been trying to develop noninvasive glucose monitors for some time now. But that said, while it's unclear what specific milestones have recently been met to move E5 forward, *Bloomberg's* sources were reportedly quite optimistic that the feature could actually reach patients. In an arena where so many startups have run into dead ends, that optimism feels pretty significant. Per the report, Apple's aspirations for the tech even extend into preventative diabetic support. According to *Bloomberg*, the Silicon Valley giant is hoping to incorporate a prediabetic functionality, warning users who might be at risk for developing diabetes. To that note, the feature really would make sense for the Apple Watch, which for many is already a health-and-wellness must. It tracks things like heart rate, blood pressure, ECGs, and more — indeed, the device was [primarily developed]() as a means of personal health monitoring, and less so as a means of wearing your smartphone on your wrist. And while some folks may not like the idea of the already-enormous Apple grabbing a fresh — and likely massive, should they succeed — chunk of market share, there's a reason other than just money that so many people out there have been working to develop a noninvasive glucose monitor: it could positively impact a lot of lives. Whether Apple or someone else gets there first, here's hoping that finger-pricking will soon go the way of the dinosaur. **READ MORE:** [*Apple Makes Major Progress on No-Prick Blood Glucose Tracking for Its Watch*]() \[*Bloomberg*\] **More on sophisticated health tech breakthroughs:** [*Urologist Powers Vasectomy with Electric Pickup Truck During Blackout*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()