Apple Health App Makes Organ Donor Registration as Easy as a Tap

When I first heard that Apple added organ donor registration to the iPhone Health app in 2016, I thought: this is what systems thinking looks like. With just a few taps, users can sign up as organ donors. The feature, developed in partnership with Donate Life America, connects directly to the National Donate Life Registry. Since its launch, it has become one of the most effective tools for driving new donor registrations in the United States. And it proves something we at YCOD have been saying all along — the problem isn't that people don't want to donate. It's that the system makes it too hard.

How It Works

When users open the Health app on their iPhone, they see an "Organ Donation" section in their health profile. Tapping "Sign Up with Donate Life" takes them through a simple registration process that asks for basic information — name, date of birth, zip code — and connects them to their state's donor registry. The entire process takes less than two minutes. Users can also modify their registration or remove themselves at any time.

"We believe that by making it easier for people to register as organ donors, we can help save lives." — Tim Cook, Apple CEO

Impact

The results have been remarkable. Donate Life America reported that in the first day after the feature launched, organ donor registration surged by 1,300% through their systems. Tens of millions of iPhone users have since viewed the organ donation section, and millions have completed registration. The feature has been particularly effective at reaching younger adults — the demographic most likely to own iPhones and least likely to have previously registered as donors.

Removing Friction

The Apple Health app success illustrates a principle I talk about constantly at YCOD: friction kills. Most Americans support organ donation — surveys consistently show support above 90% — but far fewer actually register. The gap isn't about opposition; it's about inconvenience. By putting registration on the device people carry everywhere, Apple removed the friction. This is exactly the same principle underlying opt-out legislation: changing the default saves lives. 17 people die every day because the current default is wrong.

"When you remove barriers, people do what they already want to do. Most people want to be organ donors — they just need a simple way to say yes." — Donate Life America, commenting on the Apple partnership

Technology as a Bridge

We at YCOD see technology as a powerful bridge while we work toward legislative change. The Apple Health feature, social media campaigns, and online registration tools all help. But here's the thing — they operate within an opt-in system that still misses millions of potential donors. I couldn't stay on the sidelines once I understood that. The ultimate solution combines technology's reach with legislation's power: opt-out donation as the default, with easy digital tools for anyone who wants to opt out. That's what Bill A07954 is about — fixing the system, not just patching it with apps.