Hello,
What is the best practice for sending customized workouts to the Apple Watch.
For example, sending a running workout that entails:
Run 1 mile at 8:00/mile
Walk 2 minutes
Run 2 mile at 7:00/mile ----
Walk 2 minutes ----
Repeat 2x
Run 1 mile at 8:00/mile
Any documentation or sample codes would be amazing. Thank you
HealthKit
RSS for tagAccess and share health and fitness data while maintaining the user’s privacy and control using HealthKit.
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In iOS 26, HKLiveWorkoutBuilder is supported, which we can use like HKWorkoutSession in watchOS - this is very exciting.
However, it currently seems to have a bug in calculating calories.
I tested it in my app, and for nearly 6 minutes with an average heart rate of 134, it only calculated 8 calories consumed (80 calories per hour), including basal consumption, which is obviously incorrect.
(I used Powerboats Pro 2 connected to my phone, which includes heart rate data, and HKLiveWorkoutBuilder correctly collected the heart rate, which is great.)
I think my code is correct.
func workoutBuilder(_ workoutBuilder: HKLiveWorkoutBuilder, didCollectDataOf collectedTypes: Set<HKSampleType>) {
for type in collectedTypes {
guard let quantityType = type as? HKQuantityType else {
return // Nothing to do.
}
let statistics = workoutBuilder.statistics(for: quantityType)
if let statistics = statistics {
switch statistics.quantityType {
case HKQuantityType.quantityType(forIdentifier: .heartRate):
/// - Tag: SetLabel
let heartRateUnit = HKUnit.count().unitDivided(by: HKUnit.minute())
let value = statistics.mostRecentQuantity()?.doubleValue(for: heartRateUnit)
let roundedValue = Double( round( 1 * value! ) / 1 )
if let avg = statistics.averageQuantity()?.doubleValue(for: heartRateUnit) {
self.avgHeartRate = avg
}
self.delegate?.didUpdateHeartBeat(self, heartBeat: Int(roundedValue))
case HKQuantityType.quantityType(forIdentifier: .activeEnergyBurned):
let energyUnit = HKUnit.kilocalorie()
let value = statistics.sumQuantity()?.doubleValue(for: energyUnit)
self.totalActiveEnergyBurned = Double(value!)
print("didUpdate totalActiveEnergyBurned: \(self.totalActiveEnergyBurned)")
self.delegate?.didUpdateEnergyBurned(self, totalEnergy: self.totalActiveEnergyBurned + self.totalBasalEneryBurned)
return
case HKQuantityType.quantityType(forIdentifier: .basalEnergyBurned):
let energyUnit = HKUnit.kilocalorie()
let value = statistics.sumQuantity()?.doubleValue(for: energyUnit)
self.totalBasalEneryBurned = Double(value!)
print("didUpdate totalBasalEneryBurned: \(self.totalBasalEneryBurned)")
self.delegate?.didUpdateEnergyBurned(self, totalEnergy: self.totalActiveEnergyBurned + self.totalBasalEneryBurned)
return
default:
print("unhandled quantityType=\(statistics.quantityType) when processing statistics")
return
}
}
I think I've found the source of the problem:
let workoutConfiguration = HKWorkoutConfiguration()
workoutConfiguration.activityType = .traditionalStrengthTraining //walking, running is ok
workoutConfiguration.locationType = .outdoor
When I set the activityType to walking or running, the calorie results are correct, showing several hundred calories per hour.
However, when activityType is set to traditionalStrengthTraining or jumprope, the calculations are incorrect.
PS:
I'm currently using Xcode 26 beta3 and iOS 26 beta3.
Hope this issue can be resolved. Thanks.
I'm trying to hook into the new workoutEffort score supported in iOS 18, I am collecting this information from users when they submit their workout and trying to add a sample to the HKWorkout in the same manner as I've been adding other samples like bodyweight, calories burned, etc.
I'm receiving the error:
HKWorkout: Sample of type HKQuantityTypeIdentifierWorkoutEffortScore must be related to a workout
I tried adding the samples using HKWorkoutBuilder.add([samples]) as which has been working perfectly for calories burned & bodyweight, but I am receiving the above error for workoutEffortScore
As a second approach, I tried adding the sample after I called finishWorkout on the HKWorkoutBuilder and received back the HKWorkout object using HKHealthStore.add([samples], to: HKWorkout) and am still receiving the same error!
I don't know otherwise how to relate a sample to a workout, I thought those were the APIs to do so? I'm using Xcode 16.0 RC (16A242) and testing on an iOS 16 Pro simulator
Has anyone had success using the HKWorkoutRouteBuilder in conjunction with the new iOS support for HKLiveWorkoutBuilder?
I was running my watchOS code that worked now brought over to iOS and when I call insertRouteData the function never returns. This happens for both the legacy and closure based block patterns.
private var workoutSession: HKWorkoutSession?
private var workoutBuilder: HKLiveWorkoutBuilder?
private var serviceSession: CLServiceSession?
private var workoutRouteBuilder: HKWorkoutRouteBuilder?
private func startRouteBuilder() {
Task { @MainActor in
self.serviceSession = CLServiceSession(authorization: .whenInUse)
self.workoutRouteBuilder = self.workoutBuilder?.seriesBuilder(for: .workoutRoute()) as? HKWorkoutRouteBuilder
self.locationUpdateTask = Task {
do {
for try await update in CLLocationUpdate.liveUpdates(.fitness) {
if let location = update.location {
self.logger.notice(#function, metadata: [
"location": .stringConvertible(location)
])
try await self.workoutRouteBuilder?.insertRouteData([location])
self.logger.notice("Added location")
}
}
} catch {
self.logger.error(#function, metadata: [
"error": .stringConvertible(error.localizedDescription)
])
}
}
}
}
I did also try CLLocationManager API with delegate which is what my current watch code uses (a bit old). Same issue.
Here is what I've found so far:
If the workout session is not running, and if the builder hasn't started collection yet, inserting route data works just fine
I've tried different swift language modes, flipped from main actor to non isolated project settings (Xcode 26)
Modified Apple's sample code and added location route building to that and reproduced the error, modified sample attached to feedback
This issue was identified against Xcode 26 beta 2 and iPhone 16 Pro simulator. Works as expected on my iPhone 13 Pro beta 2.
FB18603581 - HealthKit: HKWorkoutRouteBuilder insert call within CLLocationUpdate task never returns
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Health & Fitness
Tags:
Beta
Health and Fitness
HealthKit
WorkoutKit
Hi, i'm trying to get the number of step counts a person has taken. I decided to pull the data from health kit and the number of steps are incorrect. Come to find out apple health recommends an app called pedometer++ for the number of steps counted and after testing I realized that they are getting the correct number of steps a person is taking. How can I pull the correct number of steps a person has taken? I want to be able to merge the data from watch and phone to make sure we are getting the correct number of steps but not double counting the steps either.
any guidance on this would be appreciated!
Here's the code snippet that i'm using right now:
permissions: {
read: [AppleHealthKit.Constants.Permissions.StepCount],
write: [],
},
};
AppleHealthKit.initHealthKit(permissions, error => {
if (error) {
console.log('Error initializing HealthKit: ', error);
return;
} else {
dispatch(setAllowHealthKit(true));
getHealthKitData();
console.log('HealthKit initialized successfully');
}
});
const getHealthKitData = async () => {
try {
const today = new Date();
const options = {
startDate: new Date(today.setHours(0, 0, 0, 0)).toISOString(),
endDate: new Date().toISOString(),
};
const steps = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
AppleHealthKit.getStepCount(options, (error, results) => {
if (error) reject(error);
resolve(results?.value);
});
});
setStepsCount(steps);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error fetching HealthKit data:', error);
}
};
I'm reading hourly statistics from HealthKit using executeStatisticsCollectionQuery (code below).
Expectation
What I expect is to get back the list with one row per hour, where each hours has the same cumulative sum value.
Actual result
In results, first hour always contains less calories than next hours, which all have the same value.
Example:
Start: 2025-06-02T00:00:00+03:00, anchor: 2025-06-02T00:00:00+03:00, end: 2025-06-02T12:00:00+03:00
🟡 2025-06-02T00:00:00+03:00 Optional(50.3986 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T01:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T02:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T03:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T04:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T05:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T06:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T07:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T08:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T09:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T10:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T11:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T12:00:00+03:00 Optional(14.0224 kcal)
As you can see, here we have 2025-06-02T00:00:00+03:00 Optional(50.3986 kcal)
Now, if I add one more hour to the request (from beginning of time window), the same hour has proper calories count, while newly added hour, has wrong value):
2025-06-01T23:00:00+03:00, anchor: 2025-06-01T23:00:00+03:00, end: 2025-06-02T12:00:00+03:00.
🟡 2025-06-01T23:00:00+03:00 Optional(50.3986 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T00:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T01:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T02:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T03:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T04:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T05:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T06:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T07:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T08:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T09:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T10:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T11:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
🟡 2025-06-02T12:00:00+03:00 Optional(14.0224 kcal)
And now first hour of the day, magically has more calories burned: 2025-06-02T00:00:00+03:00 Optional(64.421 kcal)
I suspect similar things happen with other quantity types, but haven't yet found a way to reproduce it.
Am I doing something wrong or is it a bug in HealthKit?
Code
let anchorDate = startDate
let predicate = HKQuery.predicateForSamples(withStart: startDate, end: endDate, options: [.strictStartDate])
healthStore.executeStatisticsCollectionQuery(
quantityType: .basalEnergyBurned,
quantitySamplePredicate: predicate,
options: [.separateBySource, .cumulativeSum],
anchorDate: anchorDate,
intervalComponents: DateComponents(hour: 1),
initialResultsHandler: { statistics, error in
if let error = error {
log(.error, "Error retrieving steps: \(error.localizedDescription)")
continuation.resume(throwing: SpikeException("Error retrieving steps: \(error.localizedDescription)"))
return
}
if let statistics {
let f = ISO8601DateFormatter()
f.timeZone = TimeZone.current
for s in statistics {
log(.debug, "\(f.string(from: s.startDate)) \(s.sumQuantity())")
}
}
continuation.resume(returning: statistics ?? [])
}
)
When I set the distanceFilter = 5 (5 meters) in the GPS CLLocationManager
I can't display the workout routes in the Apple Fitness app after writing the recorded GPS data to HealthKit via HKWorkoutRouteBuilder.
The smaller distanceFilter, Fitness will displays the route.
Should I consider setting up a small distanceFilter when developing a workout app on watchOS?
I am very happy to see that HealthKit with OS26 is bringing HKLiveWorkoutDataSource to iOS and iPadOS. I have been replicating a similar type for the last several years for users that only have an iPhone.
I did notice that the data types that the different platform data sources collect automatically is different. That makes sense if you think exclusively about what the device can actually capture. Bluetooth HRM is the only Bluetooth SIG profile that is out-of-the-box supported for Apple Health on iOS and iPadOS (right?). Whereas watchOS 10 got all of the cycling sensors (woohoo!).
It would be great if the types to collect were the same across platforms even if the device couldn't collect the data now, because then in the future when / if new sensor support is added, it will be transparent to developers. Fantastic. Easier life as an indie / third party developer. At least that is the idea.
And yes, I know I can also write Core Bluetooth code and roll my own SIG implementation for the cycling profiles, but Apple already has this code in one os, 'just copy it, it will be easy'. I know that isn't the reality especially against the new ASK framework, but one can hope and dream right? Imagine how many more apps would contribute that data if it was supported out of the box. An alternative, GitHub is a great place for Apple to share their Core Bluetooth implementation of the SIG profiles :). Just another thought.
Here are some feedbacks related to this:
FB17931751 - HealthKit: Add built-in support for cycling sensors on iOS and iPadOS - copy paste the code from watchOS. It will be easy they said (June 2025)
FB12323089 - CoreBluetooth / Health / Bluetooth Settings: Add support for cycling sensors announced in watchOS 10 to iOS and iPadOS 17 (June 2023)
FB14311218 - HealthKit: Expected outdoor cycling to include .cyclingSpeed quantity type as a default HKLiveWorkoutDataSource type to collect (July 2024)
FB14978701 - Bluetooth / HealthKit / Fitness: Expose information about the user specified for Apple Watch paired Cycing Speed Sensor like isConnected and wheelCircumference values (August 2024)
FB18402258 - HealthKit: HKLiveWorkoutDataSource should collect same types on iOS and watchOS even if device cannot produce data today (June 2025)
FB14236080 - Developer Documentation / HealthKit: Update documentation for HKLiveWorkoutDataSource typesToCollect for which sample types are automatically collected by watchOS 10 and 11 (July 2024)
Tangentially related:
FB10281304 - HealthKit: Add HKActivityTypes canoeBikeRun and kayakBikeRun (June 2022)
FB10281349 - HealthKit: Add HKActivityType walkCanoeWalk and walkKayakWalk (June 2022)
FB7807993 - Add HKQuantityTypeIdentifier.paddleDistance for canoeing, kayaking, etc type workouts (June 2020)
FB12508654 - HealthKit / Settings / Bluetooth / Workouts: Cycling sensor support doesn't allow for 'bike selection' in use case of multiple bikes and multiple sensors (borrow a bike to ride together) - production usability issue (July 2023)
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Health & Fitness
Tags:
Health and Fitness
HealthKit
Core Bluetooth
AccessorySetupKit
The recent WWDC presentation on HealthKit demonstrated how to associate side effects with a medication dose using HKObjectType.categoryType(forIdentifier:) and HKCategorySample, a subclass of HKObject.
There also appears to be an object type specifically for medication doses: HKMedicationDoseEventType, accessible via HKObjectType.medicationDoseEventType(). However, there’s no corresponding public subclass of HKObject that supports this identifier. The most relevant class, HKMedicationDoseEvent, exists but has an inaccessible initializer.
Is there currently a supported way to use HKMedicationDoseEventType, or is this functionality not yet available?
https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/321/
I'm looking to maximise my Watch app's widget to be as up to date as possible.
If we imagined the app was a simple step counter, and we wanted to display the users count as up to date as possible. We can conclude:
We don't care about widget timelines beyond the current entry as we can't predict the future!
We need to refresh the count as often as possible
The refresh should be very quick with a straightforward HealthKit query, no networking or heavy work needed.
We will assume the user has the complication/widget on their active Watch face.
With the standard WidgetKit APIs we can expire the timeline after 15 minutes and in my experimentation a Watch app can usually update its widget timeline at that frequency if it's on the Watch face.
I'm experimenting with two methods to try and improve refreshes further
A user's step count might not have recently changed when the timeline update is called. I was therefore looking into the HealthKit enableBackgroundDelivery API (which requires the HealthKit Background Delivery entitlement to be enabled) to get updates limited to once an hour from a HKObserverQuery, I can then call the WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines() from there.
WatchOS also support the BGAppRefreshTaskRequest(identifier:"") and .backgroundTask(.appRefresh) APIs. I can request updates once every 15 minutes here too and then call the WidgetCenter.shared.reloadAllTimelines().
With option 1, this update opportunity is great as it will specifically update when there's new steps so even once an hour this would be helpful (A real shame to be limited to once an hour even if this used up WidgetKit standard reload budgets: FB13879817, FB11677132, FB10016177). But I can't determine if this update takes away one of the standard timeline expiration updates that already run 4 times an hour? Could I observe additional Health types to get additional updates? Do I need the Background Modes Capability as well as the HealthKit Background Delivery for this in Xcode or just the HealthKit one?
With option 2, I can't find a suitable option in the (short) list of supported background modes in Xcode. Does not selecting any mean my app will get 0 refreshes from this route and so should not be implemented in my use case?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Widgets & Live Activities
Tags:
WatchKit
HealthKit
WidgetKit
Background Tasks
Hi,
I've had trouble for a while now with HealthKit giving me different values if I make the request on iOS and WatchOS.
I am using the exact same method on both with the same parameters but I get vast differences in the results.
The code I am using to call HealthKit on both devices is:
let dateRange = HKQuery.predicateForSamples(withStart: Date().removeMonths(numberOfMonths: 1), end: Date().endOfDay())
let predicate: NSPredicate
predicate = NSCompoundPredicate(type: .and, subpredicates: [dateRange])
let query = HKStatisticsQuery(quantityType: HKQuantityType(.stepCount), quantitySamplePredicate: predicate, options: .cumulativeSum) { _, result, error in
if error != nil {
//print("Error fetching step count, or there is no data: \(error.localizedDescription), \(startDate) -> \(endDate)")
onComplete(0)
return
}
if let result, let sum = result.sumQuantity() {
let stepCount = sum.doubleValue(for: HKUnit.count())
DispatchQueue.main.async {
onComplete(Int(stepCount))
}
}
}
healthStore.execute(query)
}
This is probably a basic question but I wanted to ask your advice for the best way to take consenting users' Watch data from Apple Health Kit and send it to our central server? One idea we had was to create an iOS app that gets the data from Apple's Health SDK on the phone and sends it to our server. Would appreciate any help here, thank you.
When I update a variable inside my model that is marked @Transient, my view does not update with this change. Is this normal? If I update a non-transient variable inside the model at the same time that I update the transient one, then both changes are propagated to my view.
Here is an example of the model:
@Model public class WaterData {
public var target: Double = 3000
@Transient public var samples: [HKQuantitySample] = []
}
Updating samples only does not propagate to my view.
I have a Health & Fitness widget that runs on iPhone and Apple Watch. As Health data access requires the device to be unlocked, the iPhone widget is already slightly limited in capability because of updates.
With widgets further expanding to places like CarPlay, I know I can use the .disfavouredLocations{} API to try and prevent it being offered there. This is crucial as the widget functionality would be basically non-existent as your device is locked during CarPlay use.
My problem is, on the Mac despite using the .disfavouredLocations{.iPhoneWidgetsOnMac} etc...., the widget can still be added in the "other unsupported section". And yet, in that section the Apple Fitness app widget is no where to be seen. Is there an API I am missing to completely remove a widget from the Mac widget gallery and hopefully CarPlay, Standby etc.... (all places where the device running the widget is usually locked -> No Health data)?
Or does the Apple Fitness app have a private API to block it from these places where its function is not wanted and this isn't available to other apps?
For a given date, there are discrepancies between the step counts obtained from HealthKit and those displayed in the Health app. Is it possible for such discrepancies to occur even if step counts are not manually entered and multiple devices are not being used?
We are working on the health related application and use apple health kit to sync the data from different devices like watches or ring.
We are targeting oura ring to get sleep and other parameters data. We are able to sync the data from oura for all other parameters (like pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure, etc..) other than sleep. Surprisingly, sleep data that comes through other devices is syncing as expected from the health kit. We are even getting the data which is added manually in health kit. The only sleep data not syncing is from oura.
Can we get a document or any kind of help to sync the data from oura in to our application using health kit?
读取是不是解析 metadata 的对应键来获取值对吧~但我看了相关开发文档好像没找到这个的键是什么~于是也没法写入到对应的,现在只能自定义键来进行写入
但是这样写入后无法显示在心情下方的影响因素后面~
这个 key 是没公开的吗还是说我方法弄错了~请各位大大指教
Based on Cooordinate with the companion app in this article by Apple
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/healthkit/running-workout-sessions
if a workout were to be started on the iPhone companion app but with no Watch available, given HKLiveWorkoutBuilder not available in iOS, does the iPhone app need to implement it's own workout tracking such as a timer for counting the elapsed time and location updates for distance and GPS tracking?
If so in an instance where a paired Apple Watch were to exist and the workout is continued in the Watch app should the iPhone companion app stop this custom workout tracking and revert to the mirrored workout from the Watch to ensure accurate and synchronised data between the apps?
Hello,
I bumped into an issue where HealthKit functionality is optional for my library 1 only if users also add another of my libraries (library 2)
library 1: has basic functionality and using HealthKit types for some of the functions that are universal for library 1 and library 2 and using conditional checks. requirements are solid to keep it as is;
library 1 also calling functions from library 2 that have HK parameters
library 2: using basic library as a base and extending on it with HealthKit functions that library 1 can call
Is it ok to keep import HealthKit in library 1? won't it cause troubles for apps that use my library and post to AppStore?
I would like to get user's heart rate zones values in my watchOS app, is there any way to get it from HealthKit?
Furthermore, is it possible to display the Apple heart rate zones widget in my watchOS app?