Apple today informed developers that it has released updated Human Interface Guidelines for HealthKit, providing new guidance on using the Apple Health app icon, additional guidance on using Apple Health-related terms, and new privacy and data usage guidelines.
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HealthKit is the SDK that allows developers to create integrations with the Apple Health app for health and fitness-focused apps, allowing data collected by the app to show up in the Health app, where it can be aggregated with health data from other apps. Apps are also allowed to access relevant data from the Health app.
The new guidelines for developers who use HealthKit can be found on Apple's developer website. Developers who use HealthKit are required to provide a coherent privacy policy, request access to health data only when needed, and provide descriptive messages when asking for permission to access health data.
Developers are now able to use the Apple Health icon to promote their apps, and unsurprisingly, Apple has a list of specific guidelines for developers who want to use the icon.
Only the Apple-provided guideline can be used, no alterations are allowed, the name Apple Health must be close to the icon, and the icon can't be used as a button. HealthKit integrations should be referred to Apple Health with no outward mention of the HealthKit APIs.
Apple has also created a "Works with Apple Health" badge to allow developers to promote HealthKit-enabled apps on websites.
Apple's complete Human Interface Guidelines for HealthKit can be found on the developer website.
Top Rated Comments
That would be ideal. I wish I could step on my scale and have the data sent automatically to HK without having to launch whichever scale app I have. Same with BP, thermometer, etc. Plus it would save the manufacturers money, since they wouldn't have to write (or relabel) an app.I love HealthKit but it needs a cloud API for HealthKit devices like Wi-Fi scale and heart monitors. Having to use the device maker's iOS app to update HealthKit data isn't intuitive. Better yet, integrate them to HomeKit so that HomeKit hubs can act as intermediary (and to allow Bluetooth devices) to update these data.
Like there are already bluetooth profiles for health devices, so why doesn't apple just allow you to pair with the devices directly...assuming the device advertises the profile etc.