What's New With the Health App in iOS 15: Data Sharing, Lab Result Improvements, COVID Vaccine Records and More

Apple made some notable improvements to the Health app in iOS 15, primarily focused on helping iPhone users care for elderly parents and others who might need additional medical oversight and help.

iOS 15 Health Feature 2
There are extensive sharing features that let users keep an eye on the health data of a loved one, plus bonus features like walking steadiness metrics and improvements to how lab results are presented. This guide highlights all of the new additions in the iOS 15 Health app.

ios 15 health app overview

Walking Steadiness

Walking Steadiness is a new health metric that uses data culled from the ‌iPhone‌ to provide insight into a person's risk of falling down.

ios 15 walking steadiness health app
It uses algorithms that assess balance, strength, and gait, using metrics like walking speed, step length, and walking asymmetry data.

‌iPhone‌ users are able to opt in to receive a notification when walking steadiness risk is high. The feature also offers up curated exercises to improve walking steadiness.

Lab Result Improvements

Lab results imported into the Health app from a healthcare provider now include much more information on what the lab tests for, the result received, what the result received means, and how the result compares to prior tests.

ios 15 health app labs
It provides a clear visual on whether a lab result is normal or out of range so you can see at a glance if something is off. Lab highlights are shown in the health summary, and important labs can be pinned for quick access.

COVID-19 Vaccines and Test Results

iOS 15 supports digital storage of COVID-19 vaccination records. Healthcare providers or states can offer a QR code that ‌iPhone‌ users can scan to upload their vaccination records to the Health app.

ios 15 covid vaccine results
COVID-19 test results are also supported.

Blood Glucose Highlights

Users who monitor their blood glucose levels can receive highlights that display blood glucose during sleep and during exercise. Apple has added interactive charts to make it easier for users to view and analyze their blood glucose data.

In the Health app, the Trend feature analyzes shared data and provides details at a glance on how health metrics are progressing, such as heart rate and activity level. In iOS 15, users can opt to receive notifications when a new trend is detected in health data.

ios 15 health app trend info

Sharing Features

The iOS 15 Health app adds multiple sharing options for sharing your health data with your family members.

Share Health Data

Health data can be shared with others starting in iOS 15, so family members can exchange health info or a child can better care for an elderly parent. ‌iPhone‌ users can choose specific health data to share, including heart health, activity, labs, vitals, medical ID, cycle tracking, research studies, and more.

ios 15 health app start sharing interface
When data is shared, only a summary of each topic trend is shared rather than each data point. So, for example, the person who is seeing shared data with will see an overall heart rate summary if heart rate information is shared, but not all heart rate data.

ios 15 health app sharing details
Data that's shared shows up in the Health app of the other person so it's quick and easy to access. Whenever updated health information is available, the person who is seeing shared data will receive a notification to view it.

ios 15 health app shared data options
Health trend information is also shared when health data is shared, and there's a built-in Messages feature for discussing health changes and metrics.

apple health sharing trends

Share Notifications

Apple will send notifications when shared health info is updated, but notifications are also sent for high heart rate and irregular heart rhythms, so if an elderly parent has an emergency, their caretaker can be notified. Apple warns that notifications are not immediate, and could take time to appear.

Notifications can also be sent for significant changes in shared data categories, such as a large decline in activity or sleep, which is useful for lending extra assistance to those who need it.

Share Health Data with Doctors

Doctor's offices and hospitals that participate in Apple's Health Records feature can sign up to be able to access patient data. From there, patients can choose to share their data with their doctors, and data is viewable in a dashboard in the health provider's health records system.

ios 15 health app sharing doctor
This is opt-in and participating medical facilities need to use both Health Records and the data sharing features.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the Health app features in iOS 15, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Popular Stories

M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Announces New 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M5 Chip

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:07 am PDT by
Apple today updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, which is also available in updated iPad Pro and Vision Pro models. In addition, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro can now be configured with up to 4TB of storage on Apple's online store, whereas the previous model maxed out at 2TB. However, the maximum amount of unified RAM available for this model remains 32GB. Like...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

Apple Debuts New iPad Pro With M5 Chip, Faster Charging, and More

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple today announced the next-generation iPad Pro, featuring the custom-designed M5, C1X, and N1 chips. The M5 chip has up to a 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and six efficiency cores. It features a next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerator in each core, allowing the new iPad Pro to deliver up to 3.5x the AI performance than the previous model, and a third-generation ray-tracing ...
apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Expected to Announce These Two to Three Products 'This Week'

Sunday October 12, 2025 7:05 am PDT by
Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip. Gurman...
maxresdefault

Here's Everything Apple Announced Today

Wednesday October 15, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We didn't get a second fall event this year, but Apple did unveil updated products with a series of press releases that went out today. The M5 chip made an appearance in new MacBook Pro, Vision Pro, and iPad Pro models. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up our coverage and highlighted the main feature changes for each device below. MacBook Pro M5...
joz macbook tease

Apple Teases Upcoming M5 MacBook Pro Launch: 'Something Powerful is Coming'

Tuesday October 14, 2025 11:59 am PDT by
Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak today teased the launch of an upcoming product, saying "something powerful is coming" on social media. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. A short animation accompanying Joswiak's teaser reveals a brief glimpse of a MacBook Pro along with the words "coming soon." The shape of the MacBook Pro is a V, which is the Roman numeral...
airpods max 2024 colors

AirPods Max 2: Everything We Know So Far

Tuesday October 14, 2025 8:43 am PDT by
Apple's AirPods Max have now been available for almost five years, so what do we know about the second-generation version? According to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new AirPods Max will be lighter than the current ones, but exactly how much is as yet known. The current AirPods Max weigh 0.85 pounds (386.2 grams), excluding the charging case, making it one of the heavier...
Vision Pro M5 Announcement

Apple Updates Vision Pro With M5 Chip, Dual Knit Band, and 120Hz Support

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:14 am PDT by
Apple today updated the Vision Pro headset with its next-generation M5 chip for faster performance, and a more comfortable Dual Knit Band. The M5 chip has a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine, and we have confirmed the Vision Pro still has 16GB of RAM. With the M5 chip, the Vision Pro offers faster performance and longer battery life compared...
macbook pro blue

Apple's M5 MacBook Pro Imminent: What to Expect

Tuesday October 14, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is going to launch a new version of the MacBook Pro as soon as tomorrow, so we thought we'd go over what to expect from Apple's upcoming Mac. M5 Chip The MacBook Pro will be one of the first new devices to use the next-generation M5 chip, which will replace the M4 chip. The M5 is built on TSMC's more advanced 3-nanometer process, and it will bring speed and efficiency improvements. ...
MacBook Pro M5 Screen

New MacBook Pro Does Not Include a Charger in the Box in Europe

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:59 am PDT by
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip does not include a charger in the box in European countries, including the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, and others, according to Apple's online store. In the U.S. and all other countries outside of Europe, the new MacBook Pro comes with Apple's 70W USB-C Power Adapter, but European customers miss out....
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...

Top Rated Comments

jonnysods Avatar
54 months ago
I tell you all this data just takes on a whole new type of uneasiness for me in light of the CSAM tech.

“What happens on your phone, stays on your phone“

Well not anymore.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SuperCachetes Avatar
54 months ago

Article Link: What's New With the Health App in iOS 15: Data Sharing, Lab Result Improvements, COVID Vaccine Records and More ('https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-15-health-app/')
@arn Is there some deliberate reason that not a single one of these many recent iOS 15 feature posts says anything about how the software is NOT RELEASED YET? It is in beta - developer, public, or otherwise. It would seem like any of the words "upcoming," or "future," or "imminent" could be easily added to the post title or even the post content at very little effort, and could help prevent confusion from new members or casual observers.

I love this site, but I don't get the journalistic apathy on this. This post won't even be on the front page next week - if it's "relevance duration" we're trying to preserve, that ship sailed a long time ago. Please consider any sort of mention of how iOS 15 is NOT a mainstream release as of today. Thanks!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CE3 Avatar
54 months ago
Still no Health app on iPadOS ?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naraxus Avatar
54 months ago
Can't trust Apple on privacy anymore. Damn sure as **** won't trust them with my medical records
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
prizm Avatar
54 months ago
Why can't I look at all my health data on MacOS? Seems kind of dumb.

Siri is dumb. Health data can't be viewed in a larger format on a desktop. Dumb. Come on Apple.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rocko99991 Avatar
54 months ago
Scanning my images now you want to scan my health data-no.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)