Apple is reportedly exploring new ways to monitor blood glucose levels, this time focusing on software-based solutions. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has already tested an app specifically aimed at helping pre-diabetic users manage diet and lifestyle choices. While Apple currently has no plans to launch the app to the public, it may influence future health-focused offerings.

The app was reportedly tested internally, with Apple identifying potential employee test subjects using blood test data. Participants were chosen if they were at risk of developing Type-2 diabetes and given software to actively monitor their blood sugar via various devices available on the market, logging glucose changes in response to their food choices. The app tracked these trends, correlating dietary adjustments to blood sugar levels.

Gurman mentions that Apple has since paused the app’s testing to concentrate on other health-related features. Apple’s Health app currently lacks a meal tracking feature — something that’s readily available on competing platforms. The report also suggests Apple could eventually integrate third-party glucose-tracking capabilities into its own ecosystem.

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The recent experiments by Apple are said to be separate from the company’s long-term goal of developing a non-invasive method for monitoring blood glucose levels — a project that has been under exploration for around 15 years. Apple’s current prototype device for non-invasive glucose monitoring is reportedly about the size of an iPhone and uses laser technology to penetrate the skin with light.

Gurman speculates that Apple’s initial consumer version may take the form of an alert system that notifies users if they are at risk of pre-diabetes, with specific blood glucose level readings possibly arriving in later versions of the device.