iOS 8 Health App - constantly on?!

[Dino F]

Hi....!!

Can someone clarify something about the Health app? Does this app constantly run in the background - even when it is not in the app switcher?!

Only reason I ask is because I have never used it (apart from linking it to my contact card in the Contacts app, on my iPhone 6) however, the other day when I just decided to open it - it had counted all the steps I had done in that week?!?!

Like I said, I do not use any bluetooth devices to track my fitness/steps or anything and yet the Health app had managed to count all the walking steps I had done, in a week - even when the app was not even open?!!

 

[Tyler23]

Hi....!!

Can someone clarify something about the Health app? Does this app constantly run in the background - even when it is not in the app switcher?!

Only reason I ask is because I have never used it (apart from linking it to my contact card in the Contacts app, on my iPhone 6) however, the other day when I just decided to open it - it had counted all the steps I had done in that week?!?!

Like I said, I do not use any bluetooth devices to track my fitness/steps or anything and yet the Health app had managed to count all the walking steps I had done, in a week - even when the app was not even open?!!

Read this page, specifically all the parts regarding the M8 chip.

https://www.apple.com/iphone-6/technology/

 

[ecschwarz]

Hi....!!

Can someone clarify something about the Health app? Does this app constantly run in the background - even when it is not in the app switcher?!

Only reason I ask is because I have never used it (apart from linking it to my contact card in the Contacts app, on my iPhone 6) however, the other day when I just decided to open it - it had counted all the steps I had done in that week?!?!

Like I said, I do not use any bluetooth devices to track my fitness/steps or anything and yet the Health app had managed to count all the walking steps I had done, in a week - even when the app was not even open?!!

Your iPhone 6 has an M8 motion coprocessor which constantly measures movement and doesn't use much battery power. The 5s had an M7 which did the same thing, but prior iPhones did not have this feature. The phone is measuring movement overall and Health, Nike+Move, various pedometer apps, etc. can pull data and translate this to steps. I don't remember the window for it to pull data, but basically Health is reading existing data in the device.

 

[Dino F]

...ok cheers for clarifying guys - appreciated.

 

[jonblatho]

Your iPhone 6 has an M8 motion coprocessor which constantly measures movement and doesn't use much battery power. The 5s had an M7 which did the same thing, but prior iPhones did not have this feature. The phone is measuring movement overall and Health, Nike+Move, various pedometer apps, etc. can pull data and translate this to steps. I don't remember the window for it to pull data, but basically Health is reading existing data in the device.

Pretty sure it's up to a week when the user grants access to Motion Activity, or all available data when the app is granted read access to Steps data in Health.app.

 

[Defender2010]

The Can be turned off in 8.2 betas in Setttings- Privacy- motion and fitness