Not impressed so far with Health

[iLondoner]

I've been using Evernote to track my weight and as well as the date and weight I often include a note (ill, arrived in Spain, active, whatever). But when I come to enter the data into Health, all I can enter is date and weight. Would it be so difficult to also include a note?

The weight has to be entered as kg which is fine for me as I am one of probably less than 1% of British people who use kg—most British people record their weight in stones and pounds, and I haven't yet found anywhere to change that. I'm currently in Morocco, is my location affecting this?

And now for a weird one. The weight shown on my Medical ID was fed in from the weight section, but as I entered more weight data points it didn't update. So it shows the weight from last March.

I then entered my blood group into Medical ID. I go to Health Data to check it's been recorded across and I see 'blood type not set'.

 

[MacFinnley]

First and most important: did you update to 8.0.2? As on 8.0 Health(kit) does not work right.

 

[X-X]

The Health app lets you keep all your important health and fitness information in one place.

Yeah except that 50% of all iOS users can't track the most important health info there is.

Women can not track their cycle.

Seems like a huge oversight on Apple's part.

Obviously there are no women in Apple's developer team.

 

[Gymgenius]

I've no interest in the Health Apps whatsoever.
I've consigned it to my Apple Unused folder.

I'm not even completing the emergency card.

 

[Mtmspa]

The Health app lets you keep all your important health and fitness information in one place.

Yeah except that 50% of all iOS users can't track the most important health info there is.

Women can not track their cycle.

Seems like a huge oversight on Apple's part.

Obviously there are no women in Apple's developer team.

There are apps for that, but if Health does have a spot for it that stinks.

 

[zone23]

I've no interest in the Health Apps whatsoever.
I've consigned it to my Apple Unused folder.

I'm not even completing the emergency card.

good for you, thanks for posting..

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I really haven't figured out how any of it works other than to add my walking. Guess next time I'm at the doctor I can get some information to fill in the blanks like blood type.

 

[Mtmspa]

My issue is step counting MFP and Pedometer both show over 5000 and Health shows 1600. WTF???

 

[trackbikes]

My issue is step counting MFP and Pedometer both show over 5000 and Health shows 1600. WTF???

Is health pulling the data from the m8 chip and not MFP?

It pulls data from the first listed device if they provide duplicate data

 

[DaveF]

Health is a weird, unfinished app.

The Emergency ID section doesn't pull data from Contacts, as it obviously should (it ignores name, age, spouse, phone #...). Once manually entered, the rest of the Health app ignores what is entered there, and asks you to re-enter it to setup your profile. It feels very slapdash.

The rest of the app is database with a "health" skin.

 

[Mtmspa]

Is health pulling the data from the m8 chip and not MFP?

It pulls data from the first listed device if they provide duplicate data

MFP is using my iPhone 5S, as is the Pedometer app. Health doesn't show that I can use those steps. BTW, I know the 5000 is correct, not the 1600.

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Health is a weird, unfinished app.

The Emergency ID section doesn't pull data from Contacts, as it obviously should (it ignores name, age, spouse, phone #...). Once manually entered, the rest of the Health app ignores what is entered there, and asks you to re-enter it to setup your profile. It feels very slapdash.

The rest of the app is database with a "health" skin.

Totally false on contacts. It pulls in the full name and phone number.

 

[heyyoudvd]

This app seems completely broken to me.

I've connected it to MyFitnessPal and I've enabled everything in the settings, but here's what I've noticed:


1. It only displays new data, not anything from the past. So it will only gather new entries I've made into MFP, not previous data I've inputted.

2. Even there, it often messes up. Some data seems to go in while a lot doesn't. For example, I entered my lunch and dinner calories into MFP yesterday, but only the lunch calories were shown in Health.

3. Today, the app seems to have stopped working altogether. I woke up this morning and saw that all the data is cleared. It doesn't have anything I've previously entered. Plus, even the graphs I've added to the dashboard are gone. I try to re-add them, and they simply won't add. My dashboard is empty and I can't seem to change that.

4. The design of the app just isn't very good. It's hard to read, you can't customize anything besides the time period, and you can't even go in and examine each day's calories or steps or whatever. The 'show all data' breaks it down almost to the second, but you can't see your daily results. Also, it would have been nice for more customization and perhaps, a landscape mode. But first they need to fix the thing so it's actually usable.


tl;dr - Health is quite possibly the most unfinished and downright half-assed app Apple has ever released.

 

[kerrikins]

I just came here to find out about the weight thing, it's driving me bonkers I live in Canada and everyone uses pounds and apparently there's no settings for it? Even random websites let you change measurements from kgs to pounds! So unlike Apple.

 

[thedeejay]

This app seems completely broken to me.

I've connected it to MyFitnessPal and I've enabled everything in the settings, but here's what I've noticed:


1. It only displays new data, not anything from the past. So it will only gather new entries I've made into MFP, not previous data I've inputted.

2. Even there, it often messes up. Some data seems to go in while a lot doesn't. For example, I entered my lunch and dinner calories into MFP yesterday, but only the lunch calories were shown in Health.

3. Today, the app seems to have stopped working altogether. I woke up this morning and saw that all the data is cleared. It doesn't have anything I've previously entered. Plus, even the graphs I've added to the dashboard are gone. I try to re-add them, and they simply won't add. My dashboard is empty and I can't seem to change that.

4. The design of the app just isn't very good. It's hard to read, you can't customize anything besides the time period, and you can't even go in and examine each day's calories or steps or whatever. The 'show all data' breaks it down almost to the second, but you can't see your daily results. Also, it would have been nice for more customization and perhaps, a landscape mode. But first they need to fix the thing so it's actually usable.


tl;dr - Health is quite possibly the most unfinished and downright half-assed app Apple has ever released.

I had the exact same problem. Total daily caloric intake via MFP was 1800kcal and Health shows 1078. I guess health is assuming that I'm starving myself

 

[BeeGood]

tl;dr - Health is quite possibly the most unfinished and downright half-assed app Apple has ever released.

I really wish Apple would stop making apps. They either end up being poorly done (First iteration of maps, Health, Tips) or they're completely useless wastes of time that no one wants (newsstand, passbook).

How many resources are being used making apps that could be used polishing up iOS 8?

 

[KUguardgrl13]

I'm just wondering what Health is good for with an iPhone 5 and no "extras" like a Fitbit. Can the phone itself track steps without an m coprocessor? I don't really care about calorie counts. I already know that what I'm eating isn't always the best (college problems...).

And they should've added a way to track menstrual cycles! I can't imagine how much easier it would make things for teenage girls these days. "Here's a reminder that your period is likely to start soon, so you should stock up on pads or tampons!" Or noting missed periods for women of any age.

Also medication reminders. So many meds need to be taken at a certain time like the Pill or insulin. Or where's the partnership with glucometer makers to track bloodsugars? I'd love to set my boyfriend's iPhone to remind him to check his bloodsugar (he's type 1 diabetic).

It just seems like they released it prematurely and only with the 5s, 6, and 6+ in mind. If I can't use it for its intended purpose, then why can't I remove it from my phone?

 

[Mtmspa]

I had the exact same problem. Total daily caloric intake via MFP was 1800kcal and Health shows 1078. I guess health is assuming that I'm starving myself

My dashboard cleared today and I can't add anything to it.

 

[thedeejay]

My dashboard cleared today and I can't add anything to it.

Are you using another app as a medium or directly inputting? I don't trust Health by itself atm and I'm an avid user of MFP anyways. You should look into MFP if you're into it

 

[tkermit]

tl;dr - Health is quite possibly the most unfinished and downright half-assed app Apple has ever released.

Agreed. It feels like a student project, or something that was developed by a summer intern – who didn't get much guidance at all.

 

[thedeejay]

Not impressed so far with Health

I'm just wondering what Health is good for with an iPhone 5 and no "extras" like a Fitbit. Can the phone itself track steps without an m coprocessor? I don't really care about calorie counts. I already know that what I'm eating isn't always the best (college problems...).



And they should've added a way to track menstrual cycles! I can't imagine how much easier it would make things for teenage girls these days. "Here's a reminder that your period is likely to start soon, so you should stock up on pads or tampons!" Or noting missed periods for women of any age.



Also medication reminders. So many meds need to be taken at a certain time like the Pill or insulin. Or where's the partnership with glucometer makers to track bloodsugars? I'd love to set my boyfriend's iPhone to remind him to check his bloodsugar (he's type 1 diabetic).



It just seems like they released it prematurely and only with the 5s, 6, and 6+ in mind. If I can't use it for its intended purpose, then why can't I remove it from my phone?

All the points you made are valid. I think they screwed up with health. If they had released it next year (with iwatch) and made it a more refined product I could've seen it work but as of now it's just in my "extras" folder. Aka the folder that is for apps that I don't use.

 

[megalaser]

It's a very confusing app, just empty and nothing seems to connect with it, I would like to know just how to get the iPhone 6 to work as a pedometer and the elevation thing maybe but I don't see how to do it.

 

[DaveF]

MFP is using my iPhone 5S, as is the Pedometer app. Health doesn't show that I can use those steps. BTW, I know the 5000 is correct, not the 1600.

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Totally false on contacts. It pulls in the full name and phone number.

I might have mis-remembered on the name / phone, but it ignored other Contacts info, like spouse, birthdate etc. And it definitely didn't pull that info from the Emergency section over to the baseline data section.

It had the feeling that no one actually used it at Apple before releasing it.

I have used it a bit for steps and weight. It's usable, but barely. RunKeeper Pro can't communicate with it, so cycling info can't go into Health. But then cycling activity gets mis-interpreted at Health as "Steps". This should start making more sense when apps and devices are able to communicate with Health.

 

[platoaddict]

It's a very confusing app, just empty and nothing seems to connect with it, I would like to know just how to get the iPhone 6 to work as a pedometer and the elevation thing maybe but I don't see how to do it.

In health, choose health dated, and select fitness. There you will see a variety of choices that you can add to the dashboard. By default, it appears that your phone is tracking your steps, etc.

 

[wolfpackfan]

I am still trying to figure out what Health app is good for. I had hoped it would be useful to track my Blood Glucose and Blood Pressure readings. But as OP said the data input is very rudimentary. Also the reporting is basically non-existent other than a very un-useful graph. My doctor has me take into him a list every three months of what my BG readings are. There doesn't even seem to be a way to print off the data, I enter in. From what I can tell everything is tied to other apps - both the entry of and reporting of the data. If that is the case, why do I even need Health app? For the time being I am just continuing to use Numbers for my BG readings.

 

[busterbluth]

Bmi calculations

Apparently even though I entered my weight and height, I still need to calculate my bmi myself and enter the data point separately. That is just bush league. Did a medical professional even look this app over before they finalized it?

 

[asleep]

Apparently even though I entered my weight and height, I still need to calculate my bmi myself and enter the data point separately. That is just bush league. Did a medical professional even look this app over before they finalized it?

I guess you need to grant iHealth access to your calculator...?