UPDATED 23:10 EST / JUNE 07 2021

APPS

Apple Health will now let users share data with others

Today Apple Inc. announced myriad new products at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, but an especially big focus was on the iPhone’s health app.

One of the new features for Apple Health will be the ability for users to share information with family members, doctors or anyone else they trust with the rather sensitive data. Once they have permission, those people who have access to the data will receive notifications if anything seems out of the ordinary, such as changes in heart rate or a sudden change in mobility.

Two practical examples Apple gives for people who might want to use such a feature are a partner looking at fertility window insights or someone with Parkinson’s disease who wants to share their mobility data with a physical therapist.

With “Sharing,” Apple says, the data is encrypted and will only be available to those who have been given permission to see it. This data will be packaged with trends and insights, which can then be used by a family member, physician or caregiver to offer advice. Users, of course, can also track their own goals.

“Many people around the world are caring for someone, and we want to provide a secure and private way for users to have a trusted partner on their health journey,”  Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, said in a press release.

Apple also wants to provide some relief for people who have family members at risk of failing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than a quarter of Americans aged 65 and up take a tumble each year, with 37% of those falls requiring medical attention. That’s said to cost in the region of $50 billion in medical costs.

Apple has now introduced a feature called “Walking Steadiness” to the iPhone, which it calls an industry first. Through the Health App, the feature uses custom algorithms and motion sensors to detect stability and it also judges surface classifications that can provide feedback about where people are walking. If users receive a notification saying the mobility score is Low or Very Low on a certain surface, they will be provided “curated visual exercises” to help with strength and mobility where they are struggling.

Photo: Laurenz Heymann/Unsplash

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