Can I access HealthKit data for devices without an Apple ID?

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Created Dec ’21

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I'm working on an app to be deployed on shared devices in a hospital. The devices are managed by the Apple School Manager MDM solution and don't have an Apple ID associated with them.

My product aims to reduce the amount of overhead / trips down the hall for nurses. I want to measure steps taken before / after deploying our solution.

Will I be able to access HealthKit data without the devices having an associated Apple ID?

I'd build a sample app to test this out, but I don't currently have access to the devices.

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Answer 1

edorphy OP

Dec ’21

Kevin,

HealthKit is meant for a single individual, not 'shared'. HealthKit can be used without an Apple ID. It would be just the same as running on a simulator that isn't signed in. That having been said, while you could technically do it, it is overkill and using HealthKit outside of the intended scope.

I'll speculate that the built-in pedometer will also not have super reliable results given the way each user walks is different. This is what generates samples for HealthKit under the hood. If you're going to pursue this concept, I would instead recommend using the CMPedometer API directly, which allows for up to 7-days of historical data.

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