# What the Apple Watch knows about you Made by Apple. 13 findings on record, 13 verified against primary sources. Every line is checked; a maker's claim is labeled as a claim, and we say so when nothing is on record. ## Data deletion control HealthKit app permissions never expire on their own. One tap of Allow gives an app unlimited read access to all your health history and future data until you manually revoke it. Apps granted access before June 2022 still have it today, and Apple does not remind you when a connected app has not been opened in months. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2022-06-24 - Source: Apple Developer: Protecting User Privacy in HealthKit (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/healthkit/protecting_user_privacy) ## Cloud upload Health data in iCloud is only end-to-end encrypted if you turn on Advanced Data Protection, which is off by default. Without it, Apple holds decryption keys and complies with government requests. Most users are not protected. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2022-12-07 - Source: Apple Support: Advanced Data Protection for iCloud (https://support.apple.com/en-us/108756) ## Third-party sharing If you joined an Apple Research study, your ongoing body data goes to universities including Harvard and Michigan, and the NIH. Enrollment continues until you actively quit, and quitting does not delete data already sent. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2020-01-01 - Source: Apple Research App overview (https://www.apple.com/ios/research-app/) ## Data retention You control how long health data is kept and can edit or delete it anytime. Research study data is automatically and permanently deleted from your device after seven days. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-16 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/health-app/) ## Data sale Does not sell your health data under any US state privacy law, including California and Nevada. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2024-03-31 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/consumer-health-personal-data/en-ww/) ## Training data use If you opt into the Improve Health and Activity program, Apple uses your data to improve health features. This data is aggregated and not tied to you personally, and Apple says it does not train its core AI models on your private health data. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-16 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/improve-health-activity/) ## On-device processing Key health features including Medications, Mental Health, Siri health requests, Cycle Tracking, and Trends run entirely on your device, so that data does not leave your phone. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-16 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/health-app/) ## Location tracking Health features may use your region to check availability. If you opt into the Improve Health and Activity program, Apple also collects your approximate location along with workout data. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-16 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/improve-health-activity/) ## Biometric storage Continuously tracks your heart rhythm, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, breathing, and sleep patterns. When synced to iCloud with two-factor authentication, this data is end-to-end encrypted and Apple cannot read it. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-16 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/health-app/) ## Biometric storage Apple Watch collects health information relating to physical or mental health status, fitness and exercise details, precise location for Find My and region-specific services, device information including serial number, and usage data about activity on Apple services; biometric data is processed on-device where possible. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-17 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/) ## Data sale Apple does not sell your personal data including as sale is defined in Nevada and California; Apple also does not share your personal data as that term is defined in California, and does not share personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-17 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/) ## Data deletion control Users can access, delete, correct, transfer, and restrict processing of their personal data via the Apple Data and Privacy page at privacy.apple.com; personalized ads can be toggled off in Settings; consent can be withdrawn at any time; parents can manage children's data through the child's account. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-17 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/) ## Data retention Apple retains personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, working to retain data for the shortest possible period permissible under law; Apple uses administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal data with details in the Apple Platform Security guide. - Posture: Verified - As of: 2026-06-17 - Source: primary source (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/) --- Register the Apple Watch at https://deploy.report/my to be told when any of this changes.