The short version
Apple Health sync in Habits works like this:
- You choose whether to connect Apple Health.
- iPhone shows the Apple Health permission controls.
- You choose which supported data types Habits can read.
- Habits can sync permitted supported metrics into its wearable data area.
- You can change Apple Health permissions later.
The current verified Habits integration reads:
- Steps;
- Heart Rate;
- HRV;
- Blood Oxygen.
It does not mean Habits has access to everything in the Health app.
Four data types are currently verified
Steps
Habits can read Step Count data available through Apple Health when access is allowed.
Heart Rate
Habits can read Heart Rate samples available through Apple Health when access is allowed.
Heart Rate Variability
Habits can read Heart Rate Variability (HRV) data available through Apple Health when access is allowed.
Blood Oxygen
Habits can read Blood Oxygen / SpO2 data available through Apple Health when access is allowed.
“Available” matters
Habits can only read data that:
- exists in Apple Health;
- falls within the access you granted;
- is part of the current Habits integration.
A missing value in Habits does not automatically mean:
- your device never recorded it;
- the metric is medically abnormal;
- the metric should exist for every user.
Apple Health contains more data than Habits currently uses
This guide does not currently claim Apple Health sync for:
- Weight;
- Sleep;
- Workouts;
- Active Energy;
- Water;
- Nutrition;
- Medication;
- Blood Glucose;
- Body Measurements.
You can still record supported Habits trackers through their normal in-app workflows.
Connecting Apple Health is not an all-or-nothing decision
Apple Health lets you control supported permissions individually.
For example, you may choose to allow Habits to read:
- Steps;
while not allowing:
- Heart Rate;
- HRV;
- Blood Oxygen.
You can change those choices later in iPhone's Health privacy controls.
Current iPhone management path
On current iPhone software, Apple documents this route:
Health → Summary → profile picture/initials → Apps or Devices → Habits
From there, you can review or change which Health information Habits is allowed to read.
Apple can change menu wording between iOS releases, so use current Apple Support if the route looks different.
Apple shows the permission request — Habits must explain the purpose clearly
When Habits asks for Apple Health access, iPhone shows Apple's standard Health permission experience.
The request should make clear that Habits is asking to read the supported health metrics for Habits health/fitness functionality.
You do not need to grant every supported type simply because the app asks for it.
“No data” can have more than one explanation
Apple designed HealthKit so apps cannot always distinguish between:
- no data being available; and
- the user not allowing read access to that data type.
So if a supported metric is missing in Habits:
- check whether that metric appears in Apple Health;
- check Habits' Apple Health permission;
- use Sync Now if the current Habits build provides it;
- reopen Habits if needed.
A missing metric should not be interpreted as a health conclusion.
Access can be limited to a more recent time window
Current Apple HealthKit supports limited read access for eligible sample data.
That means a person may allow an app to access only a recent window rather than their entire historical record.
So older Apple Health data may not appear in Habits even when newer data does.
Habits reads from Apple Health
Habits uses Apple's HealthKit framework.
That means supported data in Apple Health can come from sources such as:
- your iPhone;
- an Apple Watch;
- another app or compatible source that writes data into Apple Health.
Habits does not need to claim a direct Apple Watch connection simply because some Apple Health data originally came from a watch.
Why this distinction matters
If an Apple Watch has not written a particular metric into Apple Health — or if Habits does not have permission to read it — Habits cannot treat that metric as available.
You can manually ask Habits to sync current permitted data
The current product includes a Sync Now action for wearable data.
The source also documents automatic refresh behaviour:
- while Habits is active;
- when Habits comes back to the foreground.
This is not a promise of continuous background monitoring
This guide does not claim that Habits:
- continuously reads Apple Health while the app is closed;
- monitors Heart Rate in real time;
- runs as a medical monitor in the background;
- guarantees an immediate sync after every new Apple Health sample.
Apple also notes that HealthKit data on the device is protected while the device is locked, which can limit an app's ability to read HealthKit data during background execution.
Use Sync Now when you want the app to request a fresh wearable sync while Habits is available to perform it.
Apple Health permission and Habits storage are different questions
Apple Health controls whether Habits can read the selected health information from your device's Health store.
The current Habits product reference says synced wearable data is then stored by Habits as wearable logs on its server.
That allows Habits to use the synced records in supported product features.
The final Habits Privacy Policy should explain:
- the specific Apple Health data types collected;
- retention;
- deletion;
- processors;
- security;
- any optional AI/third-party processing;
for this stored data.
Important
Do not interpret Apple Health's on-device protections as meaning every copy Habits uses remains only on your iPhone.
The Health app remains the source for the original Apple Health record
Apple Health lets you:
- add health information;
- delete health samples;
- change data sources;
- change app permissions.
Habits may already have copied a permitted sample into its own wearable records before you later change or delete the source record in Apple Health.
This guide does not claim that deleting or editing a Health sample in Apple's Health app automatically removes or updates an earlier Habits server copy until the current sync/deletion behaviour is verified.
Turning off Apple Health access stops future reads for the data you no longer allow
You can change Habits' access in Apple Health privacy settings.
Changing or removing Health access is separate from deleting data already stored in your Habits account.
If you want to remove Habits account data, use the relevant Habits deletion controls and review the Privacy Policy.
Apple Health source data stays in Apple Health
Disconnecting Habits does not mean deleting the original data from the Health app.
Apple Health remains a separate source controlled through your iPhone.
Learn more: How to Export or Delete Your Habits Data →
The current verified integration is described as reading selected Apple Health metrics
This Product Guide does not currently claim that Habits writes:
- Medication;
- Water;
- Food;
- Weight;
- Exercise;
- Mood;
- Sleep;
back into Apple Health.
If Habits adds write access later, Apple Health will require the relevant additional permission and this guide should be updated.
Habits syncs records — this guide does not diagnose them
Heart Rate, HRV and Blood Oxygen are health measurements.
This Product Guide explains:
- what Habits can read;
- how permission works;
- how sync works.
It does not tell you whether a value is:
- normal;
- abnormal;
- safe;
- dangerous;
- evidence of a health condition.
If you have a health concern about a measurement, discuss it with an appropriate healthcare professional.
The current plan matrix includes wearable sync in Free and Pro
Apple Health / wearable sync is not currently documented as a Pro-only feature.
Availability may still depend on:
- feature rollout;
- current app version;
- compatible iPhone/HealthKit environment;
- permission.
Apple Health sync questions
What does Habits currently read from Apple Health?
The current verified set is:
- Steps;
- Heart Rate;
- Heart Rate Variability (HRV);
- Blood Oxygen (SpO2).
Does Habits get access to everything in my Health app?
No.
Habits requests access to specific supported data types, and Apple lets you control those permissions.
Can I allow Steps but not Heart Rate?
Apple Health supports permission by data type.
The current running permission screen should be checked to confirm the exact options Habits requests.
Can I change the permission later?
Yes.
Apple lets you change app access through the Health app's privacy controls.
Does Habits connect directly to my Apple Watch?
The current verified integration is with Apple Health through HealthKit.
Data in Apple Health may originate from an Apple Watch or another source, but this guide does not claim a direct watch connection.
Why is a metric missing in Habits?
Possible reasons include:
- the metric is not available in Apple Health;
- Habits was not allowed to read it;
- Apple Health access is limited to a recent time window;
- Habits has not synced the latest permitted data yet;
- the current rollout/build does not expose the feature.
HealthKit intentionally does not always tell an app whether missing read data is caused by denial or absence.
Can I manually refresh?
The current product reference includes a Sync Now action.
Does Habits sync continuously while the app is closed?
This guide does not make that claim.
The documented automatic behaviour runs while Habits is active and when it comes back to the foreground.
Does Habits store the synced data?
The current product reference says synced wearable data is stored server-side as Habits wearable logs.
See the Habits Privacy Policy for the final approved retention/deletion details.
Does turning Apple Health permission off delete the data already stored in Habits?
This guide does not claim that.
Removing permission prevents future access according to Apple's controls; deleting existing Habits data is a separate action.
Does deleting Habits delete the original Apple Health data?
No.
The original Apple Health store is controlled separately through Apple Health/iPhone settings.
Does Habits write my trackers back to Apple Health?
The current verified integration is described as reading Steps, Heart Rate, HRV and Blood Oxygen.
This guide does not claim Habits writes its other trackers back into Apple Health.
Is Apple Health sync available to every Habits user?
The current product reference says the feature is rolling out.
Do not rely on universal availability until the current release status is confirmed.
Connect only the Apple Health data you want Habits to read.
When Apple Health sync is available to you, choose the supported permissions that fit how you want to use Habits.
Small print:
Apple Health sync availability may vary during rollout. Habits currently verifies read access for Steps, Heart Rate, HRV and Blood Oxygen. Habits is not a medical monitoring service.