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How to add & remove data from the Health app on the iPhone

On the iPhone, users can closely monitor aspects of their personal health and fitness using the Health app, which was introduced in 2014 alongside iOS 8. If you own an Apple Watch, some of this data will be gathered and logged automatically, providing a fairly detailed insight into aspects of your lifestyle.

In the Health app, a dashboard offers at-a-glance information on your personal health and fitness, and you’ll want to ensure that your most important data appears in this interface. Usefully, the process of adding (and removing) data from the Health app’s dashboard is simple. Here’s how you can do it on your iPhone handset.

Adding data to the dashboard

First, you’ll need to launch the Health app on your iPhone. If you can’t find the built-in Health application, ensure your device is running iOS 8.0 or later. (You can check this using the Software Update section of the Settings app.)

When you launch Health, you should see an overview of your data at the aforementioned dashboard interface. This will include things like recent step counts, which the iPhone is able to measure thanks to its M7 motion-processing chip.

But let’s say that you’d like to add Sleep Analysis to this dashboard. In order to do so, you’ll need to navigate to the Health Data tab, which appears along the bottom of the Health application itself.

1. Touch the Health Data tab which appears along the bottom of the app.

1. Touch the Health Data tab which appears along the bottom of the app.

Here, you’ll be able to browse through all of the different data types Health can monitor and analyze. Navigating to Sleep reveals Sleep Analysis, and touching this opens up the data page in the Health application.

2. Next, find the data type you're looking for.

2. Next, find the data type you’re looking for.

You’ll recognize the familiar graph, and you’ll be able to add data points for Sleep Analysis manually into the application here, too. To add the Sleep Analysis page to the Health app’s dashboard, simply touch the toggle button labeled Show on Dashboard over to green: it’s as simple as that.

3. Once you've found it, you'll need to toggle the Show on Dashboard button into its on position. The data type will appear on the dashboard when the toggle is marked green.

3. Once you’ve found it, you’ll need to toggle the Show on Dashboard button into its on position. The data type will appear on the dashboard when the toggle is marked green.

Once this toggle has been enabled, iPhone owners will find that the data page they’re browsing will appear at the Health application’s dashboard, making it easier to check on this aspect of your personal health and fitness from the app itself.

4. Hey presto: you'll find that the data type is now showing on your Health app's dashboard.

4. Hey presto: you’ll find that the data type is now showing on your Health app’s dashboard.

However, actual data still needs to be tracked. Things like step-counts are calculated by the iPhone and sent straight to the Health app. However, sleep will need to be tracked by third-party apps like Sleep Cycle, which involves users placing the iPhone under a pillow. The device will then track the movement and send it to the Health app. To ensure an app or device sends data to the Health app, simply navigate to that third tab ‘Sources’ and any eligible apps will be listed. You can then tap on those apps in the list, and designate what you wish to track through them.

Add additional Data Sources in the Health app

Add additional Data Sources in the Health app

Removing data from the dashboard

Usefully, removing data from the Health app’s dashboard can be done in a similar way. As before, you’ll need to navigate over to the data page using the Health Data tab along the bottom of the application. This time, however, instead of toggling the Show on Dashboard button green, you’ll need to switch the button to its off position. This will instantly remove the data type from the Health app’s dashboard.

Elsewhere in the Health app, users can check on their activated sources (such as iOS-compatible medical equipment, or even the Apple Watch), and a Medical ID can be configured, too. However, the Health app’s dashboard is the app’s most significant page, and as you can see, editing its contents is both quick and easy to do.