Skip to main content

Apple Health will let you share health data with doctors and family

Promotional logo for WWDC 2023.
This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage
Updated less than 4 days ago

Apple has announced important new app updates at its June 2021 WWDC event, and these provide interesting new health-oriented capabilities as Apple continues to encourage broader use of its Health and Fitness apps.

 

Most notably, the Health app will now have a Sharing feature that will allow patients to send the health data the app has collected to their doctors or family members, as well as get notifications from people they are sharing with. This can include data like test results and COVID-19 immunization records, which means the Health app may now support more vaccine pass-related activities.

Recommended Videos

The feature appears to be a great way to allow for ongoing monitoring of health issues and goal tracking — and Apple’s full encryption ensures everything stays HIPAA compliant. The company made it clear that it will be unable to see any health data shared this way. If you do end up sharing test information with loved ones or your doctor, the app will also be able to show expanded lab results, making sharing more useful from a technical standpoint. Combined with the ability to share health trends, Apple is making the Health app a more attractive option for medical professionals and caregivers.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Health app is also getting more friendly for those aging in place, with a new Walking Steadiness feature that monitors gait and can bring up alerts when it looks like someone is in danger of falling, and can track other health issues over time with the Trends mode. This may be especially helpful for elderly users in more independent living situations. Combined with watchOS 8, the app can also monitor long-term breathing patterns and watch for any warning signs about breathing difficulty.

Breathing is a common theme for this year’s WWDC, as the Fitness app is also getting updates to add tai chai and Pilates, while the new Mindfulness app encourages breathing techniques for relaxation.

Public release of watchOS 8 to support many of these health upgrades is expected sometime in fall 2021, although features like Sharing will be available when iOS 15 launches. We’ll fill you in with all the details as the developer’s conference continues with important updates to Apple’s software!

Tyler Lacoma
If it can be streamed, voice-activated, made better with an app, or beaten by mashing buttons, Tyler's into it. When he's not…
The perfect earbuds for your dad (or even you) are just $40 for a limited time
JBL Vibe 2 Beam.

Recently, the staff has been collecting quality Father's Day gift deals — deals for fatherly gifts that you might not otherwise splurge on. One deal, in particular, is for the JBL Vibe Beam at $50, which is $10 less than its already attractive $60 price. They're pretty "dadly" earbuds (more on that in a moment) and have a super attractive price point for anybody. Tap the button below to go check them out directly yourself or keep reading for our take on what has to be one of the best-priced headphone deals out there at the moment.

Why you should buy the (very dadly) JBL Vibe Beam earbuds

Read more
Check your gadgets: FBI warns millions of streaming devices infected by malware
evil android mascot

The FBI issued a public warning last week about a massive cybercrime operation exploiting everyday internet-connected devices. The botnet, dubbed BADBOX 2.0, has quietly infiltrated millions of TV streaming boxes, digital projectors, tablets, car infotainment systems, and other smart gadgets commonly found in homes across the U.S.

What BADBOX 2.0 actually does

Read more
You Asked: Your biggest Switch 2 questions, answered
You Asked Ep. 94: Best TV For Switch 2

On today’s episode of You Asked: What’s the best TV for your shiny new Switch 2 and how does the screen compare to the OLED model we loved? We break down the top TV picks, answer your biggest Switch 2 questions, and share early hands-on impressions from launch week.

Best TV for the Switch 2?

Read more