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It still sensitive health data and it's logged without my consent.

It makes me sick that Apple is forcing this.

how is logging your steps sensitive data yet you leave location service on that tells you exactly where you're located?
 
Regardless Apple should have an option to turn it off. Say for example you told your GF you're gonna be home all day but want to surprise her later that night with a gift you decided to pick up. She comes home and hops on your phone and for some reason goes to the health app, and sees you have a few thousand steps. Well there goes the surprise.
 
Regardless Apple should have an option to turn it off. Say for example you told your GF you're gonna be home all day but want to surprise her later that night with a gift you decided to pick up. She comes home and hops on your phone and for some reason goes to the health app, and sees you have a few thousand steps. Well there goes the surprise.

Because one can't walk 1000 steps at home in a day..or, hell, even go for a short walk?
 
Every cell phone that has ever been used or ever will be use tracks all of your movements all the time it's on. It's all but impossible to get away from some type of tracking.
 
Because one can't walk 1000 steps at home in a day..or, hell, even go for a short walk?

so you're actually defending Apple for not giving us an option to turn it off? Actually days I stay home I don't even get 1000 steps.
 
Having the tracking permanently on is of little consequence. Having the ability to turn it off means thousands of customer support calls asking why their health apps aren't working because people don't know, or forget, how to turn it back on.
 
OP needs to smash his phone, withdraw as bank funds and move to Alaska or Siberia.
 
I went to health app - I have a 5s on 8.02 and it says no data. Is that where some people are upset about how many steps? Or should I look elsewhere?

I love it people use Google and Facebook who collect more data than anyone else and sell it, etc. but no one complains about them. Anyone who actually thinks the government is capable of using this data lives in a different country than I do (US).
 
Regardless Apple should have an option to turn it off. Say for example you told your GF you're gonna be home all day but want to surprise her later that night with a gift you decided to pick up. She comes home and hops on your phone and for some reason goes to the health app, and sees you have a few thousand steps. Well there goes the surprise.

Put a pass code on your phone or get a new girl friend.
 
Because one can't walk 1000 steps at home in a day..or, hell, even go for a short walk?

No. When you're home, you're not allowed to do any chores, run errands, walk the dog, etc. You have to stay in bed all day without getting up to eat or use the restroom.
 
If the accelerometer never moves your phone will never know you've taken a single step, problem solved

Spill-Proof-Beer.gif
 
I do think OP is being a little paranoid, if his stated reasons are genuine. At the same time, all the posts basically saying "get over it" might be missing the point. I don't blame OP for wanting the option of removing that kind of information from his phone, especially since it's not crucial for the device to operate properly.

It would be one thing if it took a tech wiz and special hardware to access the information, but this seems to be a case where any Joe Shmoe can view it at anytime, as long as OP or someone with the passcode wakes the device.
 
Regardless Apple should have an option to turn it off. Say for example you told your GF you're gonna be home all day but want to surprise her later that night with a gift you decided to pick up. She comes home and hops on your phone and for some reason goes to the health app, and sees you have a few thousand steps. Well there goes the surprise.

Then it's time to change your girlfriend for invading your privacy, which is what you are desperate to protect from Apple and everyone else...
 
It still sensitive health data and it's logged without my consent.

It makes me sick that Apple is forcing this.

You are being dramatic. You are probably the only person in the world who has a problem with this.
 
What distances I walk every day, how many steps, how many stairs, how much I run, with exact time stamps....

...YES that is sensitive health data.

And it's freaking creepy at best, that you can not turn it off.

How is this sensitive data? Everyone has the right to an opinion but I'm failing to see how anyone could use this information against you. Please explain..
 
So, due to this thread, I fired up the Health app for the very first time. I went to the Walking/Steps sections and was easily able to "Clear All". So, it's really not a big deal. It does seem like recording all that information is using up processing power, but it is what it is.
 
to the OP...the good news is the info my iPhone 6 tracks is shoddy at best.

Flights of stairs, totally OFF
Steps and time, OFF

Nike + App totally OFF


I wish I could find a way to calibrate this Health App. It is neat but doesn't actually work for me.


in the past pedometers would never accurately measure my steps (and thus mileage) at least most had a sensitivity toggle but even then it was off.

Out of the box most pedometers are 20% OFF my steps/movements. I can get close to 5-10% but it will always be under what I actually step.
I've been told I have a soft walk and guessing that's why these things are really off for me.

so, to the OP, put the phone down when you can around the house. don;t take it everywhere...and "you're walking wrong"
 
i think there needs to be an option to turn this off and likely will come down the pipeline later.

the app doesn't produce a any calories burnt for all those steps which seems like something it should estimate.
 
Regardless Apple should have an option to turn it off. Say for example you told your GF you're gonna be home all day but want to surprise her later that night with a gift you decided to pick up. She comes home and hops on your phone and for some reason goes to the health app, and sees you have a few thousand steps. Well there goes the surprise.

I think surprise would be ruined if she goes poking through your Frequent Locations history. Which records and shows every location you visit on the map. It also shows the number of visits, date, and time spent at a location.
 
I think surprise would be ruined if she goes poking through your Frequent Locations history. Which records and shows every location you visit on the map. It also shows the number of visits, date, and time spent at a location.
But frequent locations can be turned off, right?
 
The OP's seems to just have an axe to grind. Step counting and logging has been in place since the M7 chip was introduced with the iPhone 5s LAST YEAR. The data remains resident on the chip for one week before it automatically deletes. Installing a step tracking app can pull the data from the M7, and trace the data back for a full week. Did ANYONE complain about this, or cite privacy concerns last year?

Without taking additional steps, the Health app, by default, only tracks the steps and miles walked (plus altitude if you're using the new M8 chip that comes with the 6/6 Plus). Anyone who's paranoid, can delete the data from the app. But, as mentioned, the M7 chip implemented built-in step tracking more than a year ago. I have not seen any reports of anyone treating this as some privacy breach.

For the Health app, any other health information requires additional signal inputs that are not built into the iPhone. People who use the Health app for more sensitive health tracking would presumably not care that the phone tracks this information, given that they would have already authorized external devices to send this information to their phone.

And anyone who's really that concerned about step tracking being sensitive information that must be protected from peering eyes at all costs, would probably already use a strong passcode to lock their device.
 
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