Stop Apple Health Accessing My Contacts!

No. The volunteers that participate on this site are Apple product users just like you. We do so of our own volition, and the vast majority of  participants want nothing more than to help solve problems simply because we enjoy it.

Problem us some people refuse to accept or are incapable of understanding basic IT.

I came to this forum _solely_ because I found this post regarding this iOS issue, and I think the question is both valid and pertinent.

So to reiterate:

dnp607 wrote: "I have turned off all health app access that the UI allows in IOS 15.2. However, the health is still reading my contacts. Why? How do I stop this? I don’t use or want Apple health."

I too would like to be able to stop Apple Health from accessing my contacts (or preferably delete/deactivate the app).

Apple User Help claims it is possible to delete certain of these system apps, but I have found that to be untrue, at least for iOS 16.

I would also like to know if anyone has any factual knowledge regarding the rationale behind Health accessing Contacts (what functions?).

Knowing that often helps understanding where to look when trying to turn something off.

If anyone has any true knowledge or an earnest wish to help/discuss this please reply.

[Edited by Moderator]

By the way, you agreed to the ToU when you created your username, and you agreed not to call out or flame other members.

You are welcome to add your experiences of iPhones and iOS here, even write about your views and criticisms. However impolite references to other members, particularly those held in the highest esteem by other regular contributors and who have helped, yes helped, literally thousands of users, are not welcome.

Great link, thank you.

Although iOS 14 introduced this stock app deletion facility, when this thread was started a year ago in iOS15, I am sure that Health app was not on the list.

As far as I remember, android phones have to be rooted to remove many bloat apps.

Thank you for the link to Apple Help, Katana-san

Though I had already read that article and tried to uninstall Health, prior to finding this forum.

What it says in that Apple Help post is from my experience not correct, or at least not possible to do on my iPhone SE iOS 15.

Recap: I read privacy report on accessing Contacts, decided I didn’t want the Health app doing that and then decided I would like to delete it.

I then found info on Apple Help regarding deleting Health app, I tried to do so but my version iOS (15won’t allow it.

I have never used the Emergency contact function so there is 0 information for me to delete there, so that (very helpful) suggestion doesn’t work for me either.

I still have not found a way to either prevent Health from accessing my contacts, or delete the app (regardless of what the Help article claims).

But I will bring this issue to other channels instead.

Many thanks to all of you low-level users who tried to keep discussion helpful and relevant.

"...I still have not found a way to either prevent Health from accessing my contacts, or delete the app .,."

As has been explained over and over again the data does not leave your phone. There is no privacy issue. It is only as dangerous as allowing your shaving/makeup mirror to see your face. It ain't going anywhere else.

[Edited by Moderator]

it matters because we paid for a phone it's supposed to be our phone so we should be able to control the phone how we see fit. why are people on this site answering questions on apple support forms besides apple techs ? I appreciate your advice but i understand what op is asking/concerned it seems apple devices are limiting the users control over the phone and providing very little resolution ive called apple and ask how i can s/mime or encrypt emails by default and have yet to receive a answer also ive asked about sms/call reporting option not available on my phone and they can not tell me how to get this option available on my iphone 13 pro max why is there is menu option for this under settings and phone but has nothing available past that seems like apple is getting away from users who are not very tech savvy.

rlghtpype wrote:

it matters because we paid for a phone it's supposed to be our phone so we should be able to control the phone how we see fit. why are people on this site answering questions on apple support forms besides apple techs ?

Because Apple "techs" don't answer here. This is a user-to-user forum. The Community Specialists (Apple employees) do answer questions that have gone unanswered for more than 12 hours and can be answered by a reference to a support article.

I appreciate your advice but i understand what op is asking/concerned it seems apple devices are limiting the users control over the phone and providing very little resolution

Apple has a long and storied history of giving customers what Apple thinks customers should have, not what customers think they want. Some people are okay with this. Other people find it annoying. People who are really annoyed by it sometimes decide other phones will work better for them.

ive called apple and ask how i can s/mime or encrypt emails by default and have yet to receive a answer also ive asked about sms/call reporting option not available on my phone and they can not tell me how to get this option available on my iphone 13 pro max why is there is menu option for this under settings and phone but has nothing available past that

You should start separate threads for help on any other problems.

seems like apple is getting away from users who are not very tech savvy.

Interestingly, lots of very tech savvy users feel that Apple is "dumbing down" their products and abandoning the needs of the more sophisticated user. It just goes to show you can't please everyone.

👎🏼 Apps we’re not using, or features we’ve disabled and never use like the Health App — or Apps like safari, where we are simply navigating the web for news, should not access our contacts every few minutes. It is that simple.

That’s not true. I don’t use Apple Health. I have never set it up. I want to control what it does with contacts, location, calendar, etc

Hello ~ Here you go…

Delete built-in Apple apps from the Home Screen on your iOS 14 or later or iPadOS device or Apple Watch - Apple Support

~Katana-San~

Why do you feel the need to respond without looking at the screenshots I’ve provided or knowing what you’re talking about?

i don’t use Apple Calendar. But look at how often it accesses Contacts.

I am having this same problem. If you go to app privacy report it tells you what apps use certain things . Why is health app using my contacts. Please help

Settings, privacy, Contacts

can you turn off Health?