Use HealthKit to enable your iOS and watchOS apps to work with the Apple Health app.

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HealthKit bugs related to new workout effort score - heart rate samples take forever to fetch, Health app displays invalid data
I am encountering issues on my device running iOS 18 that fetching heart rate samples associated to a given workout is very slow. Like 10+ seconds slow. This is unacceptable and unexpected. In producing a video to attach to a feedback, I also observed that Apple Health app displays incorrect information if a workout effort score is associated to a workout. In this image, you can see the Health app bug: Total Resting Energy != Estimated Workout Effort Score Here is the same workout after I delete the workout effort score using the Apple Health app: Can anyone else see if attempting to view 'heart rate' data within the workout summary in Apple Health is unbearably slow if that workout also has an effort score associated? My steps: Record workout (Apple Activity app on watchOS) Associate effort score View the workout on Apple Health (iOS) Attempt to view it's heart rate samples Observe very slow loading times Observe the incorrect cell label and value and disappearance of resting energy cell data Remove/disassociate the effort score from the workout by tapping the workout effort row, and swipe to delete the value. Navigate back, navigate back, and then go into the workout detail again At this time the UI fixes itself, but the loading of heart rate data is still super slow FB15269657 - HealthKit: Sample query to fetch heart rate samples associated to a workout is taking over 10 seconds - computing 'time in heart rate zone' FB15278790 - Health: Workout summary 'Total Resting Energy' label has value of 'Estimated Workout Effort Score' for a value, pushed view shows empty
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634
Sep ’24
visionOS App Not Receiving Latest Heart Rate Data from HealthKit
Hello everyone, I'm developing an app for visionOS that utilizes HealthKit to query heart rate data. However, I'm encountering an issue where the app doesn't retrieve the latest heart rate values. Specifically, it fails to get live heart rate data even after the data has been saved to the Health app. The readings my app displays are outdated and do not match the current values shown in the Health app. Here's what I've tried so far: Fetching Heart Rate Samples: Used HKSampleQuery and HKAnchoredObjectQuery to fetch the most recent heart rate samples. Despite this, the data retrieved is still not up-to-date. Checking Permissions: Ensured that all necessary HealthKit permissions are granted. The app has authorization to read heart rate data and write workout data. My questions are: Is there a known issue or limitation with HealthKit on visionOS that prevents apps from accessing the latest heart rate data? Are there additional steps or configurations required to access live heart rate data in visionOS apps? Has anyone successfully implemented live heart rate monitoring on visionOS, and if so, could you share how you achieved it?
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457
Sep ’24
Missing manual - Training Load, .estimatedWorkoutEffortScore, .workoutEffortScore - Where are the Apple RPE CR-10 scale docs?
Apple is using the RPE scale for workout effort scores. This stands for the Rate of Perceived Exertion. They're specifically using the CR-10 scale, at least from what I can tell by saving values to HealthKit. They only accept value between 0 and 10. Has anyone been able to find a scientific or academic paper on how they have chosen their different effort breakouts? Right from the Fitness app on iPhone and Activity app on Apple Watch: 1-3 Easy 4-6 Moderate 7-8 Hard 9-10 All Out There is zero documentation on these new types, which makes it difficult for workout recording apps to properly and appropriately save this new data type. Sure, we can use the Apple apps as a reference, but since there isn't a built-in Apple SwiftUI sheet to present this data, and no references to academia to point our users to, our solutions would just look the same. FB15315876 - Documentation / HealthKit: Publish documentation about .workoutEffortScore and .estimatedWorkoutEffortScore FB15316109 - Documentation / HealthKit: Add documentation to .estimatedWorkoutEffortScore and .workoutEffortScore that you can't save those samples via the save API and that they must be related and let that API save the sample FB15316251 - Documentation / HealthKit: Add documentation for acceptible values of .estimatedWorkoutEffortScore and .workoutEffortScore - don't rely on a runtime error! Apple missed making an enum for all third party developers this year.
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653
Oct ’24
Seeking Feedback on an Idea: Real-Time Siri Running Coach for iOS
Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well. I’m not a developer, but I have an idea for an iOS app that I’d love to get your thoughts on. I wanted to share it here to gather feedback from this knowledgeable community and to learn from your expertise. Idea Overview: Real-Time AI Running Coach for iOS The concept is an iOS application that provides personalized, real-time running coaching by leveraging on-device data sources and Apple’s latest technologies. The app aims to offer an adaptive and motivating running experience while ensuring user privacy through on-device processing. Key Features: • Personalized Coaching: • Utilize real-time biometric data and personal insights to deliver AI-driven coaching tailored to the user’s mental and physical state. • Analyze health metrics, activity data, mood check-ins, and more to provide context-based motivational feedback. • Privacy First: • All data processing occurs on-device using Apple’s frameworks like Core ML, ensuring no personal data leaves the device. • Adaptive Motivation: • Implement Natural Language Processing to analyze user inputs like journal entries or mood check-ins. • Generate personalized coaching cues based on historical performance and mood trends. • Performance Enhancement: • Offer dynamic adjustments to pace, route, and strategy in real time to help improve running performance. • Seamless integration with Apple Watch for real-time data collection and haptic feedback. Technologies and Frameworks Involved: • HealthKit: Access health metrics such as heart rate, distance run, VO₂ max, sleep patterns, etc. • Core ML: On-device machine learning for real-time data analysis without latency. • Natural Language Processing: Analyze personal inputs for better coaching personalization. • Core Motion & Core Location: Track motion data and location services for runs. • AVFoundation & Speech: Provide real-time voice feedback and coaching cues. • SiriKit Integration: Allow users to initiate workouts and receive updates via Siri. Target Audience: • Runners of all levels seeking personalized coaching that adapts to their mental and physical states. • Users who prioritize privacy and want AI-driven insights without their data leaving the device. • Tech-savvy fitness enthusiasts who use iOS devices and Apple wearables. Questions for the Community: 1. Feasibility: Is this idea technically achievable using current iOS frameworks and technologies? 2. Data Access: Are there limitations in accessing and processing the necessary data on-device, especially regarding privacy and permissions? 3. Potential Challenges: What hurdles might developers face in creating such an app, and how could they be addressed? 4. Advice: As someone without a technical background, what steps would you recommend I take to move this idea forward? I truly appreciate any feedback or insights you can provide. I’m excited about the potential of this idea but also aware there may be complexities I’m not considering. Thank you for taking the time to read this! Best regards, Paul
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463
Oct ’24
Unable to retrieve certain data during live workout
I'm currently trying to collect some of the following data whilst running a workout in a WatchOS app I'm building. Below are the data points I'm trying to retrieve: HKQuantityType.init(.heartRate) HKQuantityType.init(.oxygenSaturation) HKQuantityType.init(.respiratoryRate) HKQuantityType.init(.bloodPressureSystolic) HKQuantityType.init(.bloodPressureDiastolic) HKQuantityType.init(.heartRateVariabilitySDNN) I'm using the following delegate function workoutBuilder(_:didCollectDataOf:) which is part of HKLiveWorkoutBuilderDelegate Something I'm realising whilst running this on the simulator and on my Apple Watch is out of all of the Quantity types I'm requesting. Only the heart rate is being called via the delegate function when trying to retrieve the statistic. Is this the intended behaviour of this API? Since there's no docs about what is and isn't exposed
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543
Nov ’24
HKCumulativeQuantitySample does not accumulate values
Hi, My app reports daily step counts, and I’m trying to use HKCumulativeQuantitySample to report them to HealthKit by adding such objects with each update: let sample = HKCumulativeQuantitySample(type: .stepCount, quantity: HKQuantity(unit: HKUnit.count(), doubleValue: dailyTotal), start: startOfDay, end: nowDate) However, HealthKit interprets them as regular samples—it sums them into a global aggregate instead of updating the daily cumulative value. So if I report the daily step count as 500 and then 550, HealthKit interprets it as 1,050 steps instead of 550. Is this expected behavior? If so, what is HKCumulativeQuantitySample intended for, and how should it be used? I’m struggling to find any examples. Thank you
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495
Nov ’24
HealthKit: Exercise Minutes Not Saving After iOS 18.1 Update
I'm working on an app that reads and writes exercise minutes to HealthKit. Everything functions correctly up to iOS 18.0.1, but starting from iOS 18.1, my implementation is no longer working as expected. Here's the code snippet I use to write to HealthKit: let workout = HKWorkout(activityType: .other, start: startDate, end: endDate) try await healthStore.save(workout) This code successfully writes to both workouts and exercise minutes in iOS 18.0.1 and earlier. However, from iOS 18.1, it only writes to workouts and not to the exercise minutes data source. Has anyone encountered this issue or have insights on how to resolve this?
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432
Nov ’24
Apple Watch 8 OS11.2 not synching my activity (intermittently)
My Apple Watch after the beta update is not syncing the activities sometimes with Apple Health. I just completed a 2.5 km walk, and it showed on Apple Health, yes, but it did not affect my daily goals. This is not the first time this has happened; this is just one of the examples that I'm sharing, other than what has been some problems that I am seeing after the beta update. Additionally, the camera remote app is not working correctly as I cannot see anything on the watch screen like I used to.
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430
Nov ’24
User-Entered Sleep Data Lacks Time Zone
As a user, there are times when I don't wear my sleep tracker to bed, but I nonetheless want to record my sleep times. Apple Health supports this with the "Add Data" feature, but it's not possible to provide a time zone in the form. Then as a developer, user-added sleep samples are missing time zone information. I would expect that the time zone is requested within the Add Data form. Without this information provided at input time, downstream applications are forced to infer the time zone ourselves, leading to potentially buggy or unintuitive behavior.
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411
Dec ’24
Is Using EAS Update (OTA) Compliant with Apple App Store Policies for a Health App?
Hi everyone, I’m developing a health-related mobile app and considering using EAS Update to deliver over-the-air (OTA) updates for JavaScript code and assets. Before implementing this, I want to ensure that this approach complies with Apple App Store policies, especially given the sensitivity of health-related apps. Here are my concerns: Does using EAS Update (OTA) align with Apple’s guidelines regarding app updates and dynamic behavior changes? Are there specific rules or restrictions for health apps using OTA updates that I should be cautious of? Could this approach be flagged as violating Apple’s policies on app integrity, especially those requiring updates to go through the App Store review process? I’d greatly appreciate any insights, advice, or references to Apple’s official documentation regarding OTA updates for apps distributed through the App Store. Thanks in advance for your help!
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452
Dec ’24
Adding segments/splits into workout
Hello, I am building a workout app that has an option to add segments to differentiate different stages of the training session. Segments are added the following way: func saveSegment(eventType: HKWorkoutEventType, startDate: Date, endDate: Date, inSeg: Int) async throws { let dateInterval = DateInterval(start: startDate, end: endDate) let event = HKWorkoutEvent(type: eventType, dateInterval: dateInterval, metadata: metadata) try await builder?.addWorkoutEvents([event]) } Inside Health -> Workouts -> Show All Data, the segments appear, but in Fitness app there are no segments. The workout is .paddleSports. I thought that maybe the workout type was the problem, but when I start the sessions from the native workout app, segments are added and shown in the Fitness app: In other posts I saw suggested to add an event as .marker instead of .segment, but the result is the same, it does not appear. Is there something I am doing wrong? How can I show the segments into the Fitness app? Another question, I would like to add stroke rate and stroke count to my paddling session, is there a way to add it? Paddle Sports workout was recently introduced and it would be great to have the option to add those values. Thank you in advance. Inaki
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735
Jan ’25
watchOS-Questions about HealthKit privileges
The WatchOS developer is not allowed to obtain healthKit permission status. The result is always unauthorized (either by clicking the dot/cross in the upper left corner or by turning on all Health, on some, off all). WatchOS 开发获取 healthKit 的权限状态authorizationStatus不准。结果始终都是未授权(无论是点击左上角的点叉号还是开启全部健康项开关,开启部分,关闭所有),怎么处理?
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42
Apr ’25
iOS companion app with no Watch connected
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?
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99
May ’25
Healthkit - Oura Sync Issue
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?
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70
May ’25
Evolution of HealthKit workout API on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 - HKLiveWorkoutDataSource and built-in Sensor Support
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)
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102
Jun ’25
Guideline 1.4.1 - Safety - Physical Harm
Hello everyone, my app is designed to help people sleep. It has been rejected multiple times due to issues with version 1.4.1 during the submission process. However, the app simply evaluates users’ insomnia and anxiety status based on their responses to questions and provides some relaxation methods. It does not involve any medical-related content. The reviewer provided screenshots of the assessment results page and some relaxation techniques. How should I handle this issue?
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46
Jun ’25
HealthKit - HKWorkoutRouteBuilder never returns from insert when created from newly added iOS HKLiveWorkoutBuilder API on 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
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137
Jul ’25
Some swimming activities are not fetched by combined predicate
I'm using following filters to fetch swimming activities from HealthKit. For some users it fetches all workouts (pool && open water) but for other it skips some open water activities. See screenshot, all those swimming activities are not fetched by following code. let startDate = Calendar.current.date(byAdding: .month, value: -1, to: Date())! let endDate = Date() let swimmingPredicate = HKQuery.predicateForWorkouts(with: .swimming) let timePredicate = HKQuery.predicateForSamples(withStart: startDate, end: endDate, options: .strictStartDate) let predicate = NSCompoundPredicate(andPredicateWithSubpredicates: [swimmingPredicate, timePredicate]) let query = HKSampleQuery(sampleType: .workoutType(), predicate: predicate, limit: HKObjectQueryNoLimit, sortDescriptors: [.init(keyPath: \HKSample.startDate, ascending: false)], resultsHandler: { [weak self] query, samples, error in ... Could someone help with ideads what is missing in this case?
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45
Jul ’25
A Discussion on Marketing Sensitive Apps & Navigating App Review with a Privacy-First Approach
Hello everyone, Ujjwal here, founder and CEO of a new iOS app in the mental wellness space. Our mission is to provide accessible, AI-driven support for individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. From the very beginning, this has presented us with a unique and critical challenge: How do we effectively market an app to reach those who need it most, while upholding the absolute highest standards of user privacy? We've built our app, ThunDroid, with a "privacy-by-design" philosophy. We leverage on-device processing for our core AI features, utilize end-to-end encryption, and have proudly integrated 'Sign in with Apple' to maximize user anonymity. We believe these are not just features, but ethical obligations to our users, especially given the nature of the data they trust us with. The challenge, however, arises in marketing. This leads us to focus on mission-driven, organic marketing, but it's a slower path to reaching users who might be in immediate need of support. This brings me to my question for this knowledgeable community. What best practices or creative strategies have you found effective for marketing applications? I appreciate any insights or experiences you're willing to share as we continue to grow ThunDroid responsibly. Thank you for your time and consideration. App Store link: (would love to hear your reviews) [https://apps.apple.com/in/app/thundroid-ai-human-companion/id6746182736)
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40
Jul ’25