iOS 14: Check Out HealthKit's Latest Improved Updates

Apple has always focused on health and fitness in detail, and with iOS 14 and watchOS 7, HealthKit sees enhancements for developers to do even better with health-related apps. Updates contain a new ECG API that has read access to third-parties, 13 new symptoms that can be tracked, and four new mobility data types.

In a WWDC talk, Apple has detailed the new abilities in HealthKit with iOS 14 and watchOS 7: HealthKit is an essential framework that integrates first- and third-party health and fitness data to help people manage their health information. Learn about HealthKit's latest updates, which provide read access to electrocardiograms on Apple Watch and log and track over a dozen new symptoms and their severity. We'll also go through the latest mobility data types like walking speed and step length to help people monitor and understand their mobility over time.

Firstly, with iOS 14 now, 39 total symptoms can be tracked. That includes the 13 latest ones from the 26 available at present in iOS 13.5.1 (some of those may ship with iOS 13.6).

HealthKit consists of new symptom tracking and mobility types. Check out the full list:

Rapid Pounding or Fluttering Heartbeat, Vaginal Dryness, Mood Changes, Night Sweats, Chills Shortness of Breath, Heartburn, Runny Nose, Sore Throat, Acne, Chest Tightness or Pain, Diarrhea, Dry Skin, Wheezing, Lower Back Pain, Breast Pain, Hair Loss, Bloating, Abdominal Cramps, Dizziness, Tiredness or Fatigue, Pelvic Pain, Body Ache, Bladder Incontinence, Fever, Nausea, Appetite Changes, Headache, Memory Lapse, Vomiting, Sleep Changes, Loss of Smell, Coughing, Skipped Heartbeat, Hot Flashes, Sinus, Congestion, Fainting, Constipation and Loss of Taste.

This year another change for HealthKit is the ability for third-party apps to read ECG data with the HKElectrocardiogram sample and HKElectrocardiogramQuery.

The last main change is four new mobility types that HealthKit can measure:

• Step length and walking speed and

• Walking irregularity and double support percentage

• Stair climb and getting down speed

• Six-minute walk test distance

For more about HealthKit development, check out the link below and find the full WWDC talk on HealthKit updates.