Many iPhone users don’t know they already have a powerful health tracker in their pocket. The Apple Health app gathers and organizes your health data, making your phone a personal wellness tool. Whether you’re new or experienced, this guide will help you get the most from Apple Health.
Apple Health acts as the central hub for all your health and fitness data. It automatically records your steps, walking distance, and even walking asymmetry using the iPhone’s built-in sensors. When connected with an Apple Watch, it tracks heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), activity levels, sleep stages, and more. You can find more detailed information on the most valuable biomarkers here!
The app organizes this data into categories such as Activity, Heart, Sleep, Body Measurements, and Mindfulness. Even without accessories, it’s already monitoring key mobility metrics. For users with compatible devices, Apple Health expands into a full health ecosystem.
Key Features:
The Summary and Browse tabs in Apple Health show your health story in a clear way. The Summary tab highlights trends, like if your resting heart rate has improved this month. Browse lets you look closer at each type of data. Apple Health also points out important changes over time, such as better sleep or steadier walking. The Trends section shows your progress over months, so you can see how your habits shape your health.
Pro Tip: Tap “Show All Health Data” to reveal less obvious metrics like respiratory rate or sleep consistency.
Apple Health works with more than just Apple devices. You can connect it to hundreds of other apps and gadgets. For example, you can link fitness apps like Strava, nutrition trackers like MyFitnessPal, mindfulness tools like Calm, and even medical devices like blood pressure monitors or glucose meters.
How to Connect:
This permission-based approach ensures that you’re always in control. Apple doesn’t sell your data, everything remains encrypted and private.
Beyond automated tracking, you can add your own data. Whether it’s medications, symptoms, or lab results, Apple Health allows manual entry for a complete view of your wellbeing.
Useful Features:
If needed, you can edit or delete entries, and even export your entire health record in a secure ZIP file for backup or sharing with a healthcare provider.
To Export: Health app → Profile → Export All Health Data.
Apple Health becomes even more powerful when connected to wearables and healthcare networks. It can sync with hospital systems through Health Records, allowing you to access lab results, immunizations, and medical notes alongside personal data.
For advanced users, pairing devices like the Oura Ring, the Withings scale, or a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) provides a more holistic picture. Combined data from multiple sources creates a unified view of physical, mental, and metabolic health.
The real value of Apple Health lies in its ability to transform passive tracking into proactive prevention. Continuous monitoring helps users recognize changes before symptoms appear, like an elevated resting heart rate or irregular sleep. These early indicators can inform lifestyle changes or prompt timely medical consultations.
In an era where healthcare is shifting from treatment to prevention, Apple Health empowers individuals to take ownership of their well-being through accessible data literacy.
Check our blog post on health ecosystems here!
Your iPhone is more than a communication device, we see it as a silent health companion. By understanding and managing your Apple Health data, you can take informed steps toward better well-being. Whether you’re monitoring progress or building a health-focused business, the future of care is data-driven, personal, and secure.
At Thryve, we help digital health innovators use Apple Health data responsibly and effectively. Our API harmonizes Apple Health data with information from wearable sources, turning fragmented signals into structured, clinical-grade insights.
With Thryve, health organizations get:
By bridging personal tracking and professional healthcare, Thryve enables a new level of insight-driven wellness and preventive medicine.
Ready to unlock the full power of Apple Health?
Book a demo with Thryve and see how we can help your organization turn wearable data into meaningful outcomes.
Friedrich Lämmel is CEO of Thryve, the plug & play API to access and understand 24/7 health data from wearables and medical trackers. Prior to Thryve, he built eCommerce platforms with billions of turnover and worked and lived in several countries in Europe and beyond.
