Skip to main content

Getting to know iOS 8's Health app

By
Apple and its new Health app want you to use your iPhone to make you healthier.


ios8health.jpg
The Health app on iOS 8. Jason Cipriani/CNET
There's going to be a new icon on your iPhone's home screen after upgrading to iOS 8. The icon, white with a red heart floating toward the top of it, is for Apple's new Health app.
The app offers the ability for you to monitor your physical activity using the iPhone's motion sensors, enter your body measurements, and create an emergency medical ID. Outside of that, it would appear there's not much else to be done within the app. And until third-party developers and hardware manufacturers release updates for products, there's not a whole lot that can be done.
What the Health app is supposed to do, and eventually will, is aggregate all of your personal health information using different apps and fitness devices into one place. The result makes it easy for you to paint your entire health picture, without having to bounce among numerous apps and collect the data yourself.
As you add apps that either want to share or access information stored in the Health app, you'll be prompted to grant the app permission. For each type of data an app would like to access or share, you'll need to grant it access.
ios8healthapp.jpg
Screens from the Health app on iOS 8. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Dashboard

The Dashboard tab of the Health app is where you can pin the different data types you want to have quick access to. To pin something to the dashboard:
  • Select the Health Data tab
  • Then select a data type
  • Switch on Show in Dashboard
A card containing a graph for the corresponding data type will be placed on the Dashboard tab. Tap and drag the cards to rearrange them into your preferred order.

Sources

The Sources tab is where you can find the different apps or services currently streaming your health information into the Health app.

Medical ID

The last tab in the Health app is where you can enter your personal medical information to create a Medical ID. During the setup process you can enable access to your ID on the lock screen; something EMS workers will undoubtedly learn to look for in the near future. Otherwise, your Medical ID will be stored in the Health app in case of an emergency.
What's most appealing about Health on iOS 8 is that it allows you to buy whichever fitness product you want, instead of having to commit to an ecosystem (e.g., Fitbit or Jawbone). So long as the developers of the fitness trackers, scales, and other health-related accessories enable sharing of data with iOS 8's Health app, you can use the products that best fit you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top Windows Smartphones Apps

By
Apps 120 My Top Windows Phone Photography Apps Windows Phone Central App Roundup: Photography Apps While it may be a coin toss as to which genre of apps, weather or photo, are more numerous in the Windows Phone Store there is little doubt that we are fortunate to have plenty of quality choices with both. I have got several photography apps installed on my Windows Phone and this week's roundup is going to focus on some of my favorite photo editors. These are photo apps that I have found helpful for quick fixes of photos as well as apps that can add a creative flair to images. Now before you pass out the pitch forks and torches, there are plenty of photo apps out there that are solid Windows Phone apps such as Fhotoroom , Nokia's Creative Studio , , ProShot , Phototastic and even Fantasia Painter . While these are all quality apps, the apps in this week's roundup are ones that I currently find myself using w
1 comment
Read more

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

By
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact – Review Iterative products are just a way of life these days. We get a new slightly updated device every few months, sometimes every six months, sometimes even every year, Sony have mastered the iterative product cycle, releasing new products every six months ensuring they stay current. A manufacturer finds a new niche or use case and sometimes it’s a hit with the consumer, the Sony Z1 Compact was one such phone, for a while to buy a small compact Android device meant you’d have to compromise on specs, build quality and design. A few companies had tried something different but none had really made a success with them. Sony last year decided to offer a high spec device in a small chassis that would appeal to those people who wanted the latest flagship spec and high performance, but didn’t want a huge great 5″+ device that needed two hands to operate. This year they’ve gone
Post a Comment
Read more

LG G3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5

By
LG G3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 Introduction Inside and outside, the LG G3 is nothing short of a truly impressive, and quite intriguing, device. In fact, it's the first device to claim that it's both global and has an extremely detailed, 1440 x 2560 (QHD) resolution display. And that's not even half of it – the hardware configuration of the phone is just monstrous. But so is the one on the Galaxy S5 . The latest Samsung juggernaut has reaped major success with both consumers and critics alike, and that's not surprising in the least. So while the S5 display's pixel count falls short of that on the G3, the phone certainly has a ton to offer, including (but not limited to) an outstanding, 16-megapixel camera, a dust- and water-resistant body, and a vast array of software features. Today, in an attempt to at least partially defuse this seeming stalemate, we'll explore the depths of either phones, jotting down scores all
1 comment
Read more