Trace your commute

Health platform permissions and copies

How Health Connect and Apple Health move data

Health platforms can connect apps, devices, people and backups. Read permissions, write permissions, cloud copies and synced deletion have different scopes.

Sources checked .

Conceptual illustration

A platform can connect information from different apps

Google describes Health Connect as an on-device database. Permitted apps can contribute information and read data supplied by other apps. Supported categories include activity, sleep, cycle tracking and medical records, but not every app supports every category. Google: Health Connect storage, categories and copies

Read and write access are different permissions

Google documents app-level and data-type controls for reading and writing. Removing a connection revokes its read and write permissions; removing permissions does not delete stored data. Google: Health Connect read and write permissions

Local storage does not rule out an optional export

Google separately documents scheduled Health Connect exports to a chosen cloud provider on Android 14 or later. The export/import feature does not currently support health records. An on-device database description should not be read as a guarantee that no backup copy exists. Google: optional Health Connect exports and their limits

Apple Health combines device, app and manual sources

Apple describes data from iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, apps and Bluetooth devices, plus manual entries. Source ordering affects which overlapping contribution takes priority. Removing the Health app leaves Health data on the iPhone. Apple: Health sources, device data and iCloud sync

Sharing with a person is separate from app access

Apple describes sharing selected Health information, including alerts and trends, with people. Removing someone from Contacts does not stop an existing Health sharing relationship. Apple iOS 27: Health app access and sharing controls

Deletion can have a wider or narrower effect than expected

Google says deleting from Health Connect removes the local database data, while other apps or devices may retain copies. Individual medical-record entries cannot be deleted through that control. Google: Health Connect storage, categories and copies

Apple says deletion on one device removes the data from other devices syncing Health through the same iCloud account. Apple: Health sources, device data and iCloud sync

Questions and answers

Does revoking Health Connect access delete the existing data?

Google says removing permissions does not remove stored data. Google: Health Connect read and write permissions

Does disabling scheduled export erase old Health Connect exports?

Google says previously exported files are not deleted automatically. Google: optional Health Connect exports and their limits

Does removing a contact end Apple Health sharing?

Apple says it does not. Apple iOS 27: Health app access and sharing controls

Sources and scope

Official Google Android and Apple Health documentation checked 10-24-2026. Google access routes distinguish Android 14 and later from older installations; optional Health Connect export requires Android 14 or later and excludes health records. Apple sharing steps use the selected iOS 27 guide; general Health management help was updated September 14, 2026. The guide concerns information access and copy scope, not clinical accuracy, treatment or a particular app's legal compliance.

Keep exploring