We're expecting big announcements at Apple's WWDC 2021 conference, and a new mental health app for iOS and watchOS could be on the cards. It seems to be called Mind, and while it may just be a reworked version of the existing Breathe app, it could be something much bigger allowing you to take control of your mental health and offer professional advice based on biometrics. We've seen a new focus on mental wellness as the pandemic wreaks havoc on mental health, and right now Apple is falling behind. The Breathe app is as basic as stress management; Open it on your Apple Watch and select the duration of your session, then breathe in and out in time with the animation presented on your device's screen. After the session is over, you can check how many times you have used the app during the week. It's very simple and falls far behind the mindfulness tools offered by Apple's competitors. You can download third-party mental health apps from the App Store, but the company's own tool has been very limited so far.
What are Apple's competitors doing?
Many smart watches and fitness trackers detect changes in heart rate throughout the day and use this data as an indication of stress levels. This can be combined with other mindfulness tools to help you become aware of how you are feeling and take steps to calm down. For example, Mobvoi (the company behind the TicWatch series) has two mental health tools: TicZen, which measures stress through changes in heart rate, and TicBreathe, which guides you through a breathing exercise to help you your heart rate returns to normal. Fitbit devices have offered similar breathing tools for several years, and in 2020 the company went a step further with the Fitbit Sense, a smartwatch that uses electrodermal activity to monitor stress levels. The watch transmits a small electrical current through your skin and detects changes in conductivity caused by adrenal activity. Essentially, the more stressed you are (physically or mentally), the more you sweat and the more conductive your skin becomes. After taking a stress test, you will be able to record any events or thoughts that may have affected your emotional state and take appropriate action. The Fitbit app also offers a range of mental health tools, and earlier this year the company also launched a new series of guided mindfulness classes for Fitbit Premium subscribers, led by meditation expert Deepak Chopra.
What Apple could do differently
The Apple Watch 6 doesn't have an EDA sensor, so the new Mind app won't work on the same principle as the Fitbit Sense, but it could use data from the watch's ECG sensor. Clinical studies show that psychological stress can lead to arrhythmias (an unusual or irregular heartbeat), and the new app can detect and interpret them. Apple could also stand out with a more robust mindfulness toolkit than its competition. In January, the company launched Time to Walk, an unusual twist on workout tracking. Instead of pushing you to exercise, it encourages you to take a leisurely walk while a celebrity tells you a story about her life and the importance of walking in her life. The new Mind app may be using Apple's influence in a similar way, bringing in trained mental health experts to give you expert advice to help you deal with the stress and strain of everyday life. It would be a big step up from simple breathing exercises, and the contribution of professionals would give Apple more authority than its competitors. Of course, this is all speculation at this point, but the possibilities are very exciting, and there has never been a better time to explore them. We'll keep you up to date with the latest news, including new mobile apps, with our live WWDC blog, so stay tuned for more.