How to Protect Health and Fitness Data on Apple Watch

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Enable a device passcode

   Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone. Navigate to My Watch, tap Passcode, then select Turn Passcode On to ensure your health data remains encrypted when the watch is off your wrist.

   Note: A complex, alphanumeric code provides higher security than a four-digit numeric PIN.
2. 30 sec

   Activate Wrist Detection

   In the Watch app, go to Passcode and ensure Wrist Detection is toggled to On. This feature automatically locks the device the moment you remove it, preventing unauthorized access to your Health data.

3. 1 min

   Audit Health data permissions

   Open the Health app on your iPhone. Tap your profile icon in the top right, then select Apps and Services. Review the list of applications granted access to Workout, Sleep, and Activity data, and toggle off any apps you no longer trust.

4. 1 min

   Restrict data access in Privacy settings

   Navigate to Settings on your iPhone, select Privacy & Security, then tap Health. Select each specific category, such as Workouts or Sleep, to view and remove individual app access permissions.

   Note: Revoking access prevents new data writes but does not delete previously synced records.
5. 30 sec

   Configure iCloud Health sync

   To ensure your health data is encrypted during transit and at rest, go to Settings on your iPhone. Tap your Apple Account name, select iCloud, tap Show All, and ensure Health is set to On.

   Note: Health data is end-to-end encrypted when using two-factor authentication and a device passcode.