iOS 17 Health App Features
Apple introduced several meaningful updates to the Health in iOS 17, focusing on mental wellness, eye health, medication reminders, and improved health tracking across devices.
These additions are designed to help users better understand their physical and emotional wellbeing through personalized insights and smarter monitoring tools.
Mood Tracking
One of the biggest additions in iOS 17 is the new State of Mind feature inside the Health.
This feature allows users to:
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Log emotions throughout the day
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Record overall daily mood
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Track mental wellbeing over time
How Mood Logging Works
Users can log their mood through:
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The Health app
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Notifications
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Apple Watch
Mood selection uses a slider ranging from:
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Very Unpleasant
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Neutral
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Pleasant
Each mood category is color-coded and includes descriptive emotion labels.
Mood Examples
Pleasant moods:
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Joyful
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Calm
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Amazed
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Peaceful
Unpleasant moods:
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Angry
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Sad
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Drained
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Stressed
Neutral moods:
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Content
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Indifferent
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Peaceful
After selecting a mood, users can identify factors influencing their feelings, such as:
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Work
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Family
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Relationships
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Fitness
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Weather
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Money
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Current events
Additional notes can also be added for context.
Mood Trends and Insights
The Health app organizes mood data into charts that display trends over:
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Weeks
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Months
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Six months
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One year
Users can analyze patterns connected to:
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Sleep
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Exercise
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Meditation
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Time spent outdoors
This helps identify habits or lifestyle factors that positively or negatively affect emotional wellbeing.
Mental Health Questionnaires
iOS 17 adds clinically recognized mental health questionnaires inside the Health.
These assessments help screen for:
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Anxiety
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Depression
Features
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Risk charts over time
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Symptom tracking
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Mental wellbeing insights
The questionnaires are based on tools commonly used by healthcare professionals and can help users determine when additional self-care or medical support may be needed.
Eye Health Features
Apple added new eye health tools in iOS 17, particularly focused on reducing eye strain and promoting healthier screen habits.
Screen Distance
A new Screen Distance feature in Screen Time monitors how closely an iPhone or iPad is held to the face.
If the device is too close:
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Users receive an alert
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A recommended viewing distance is shown
Apple recommends maintaining approximately 12 inches of distance from the screen to reduce eye strain.
This feature is especially useful for children but is available to all users.
Time in Daylight
With watchOS 10 and an Apple Watch, users can track the amount of time spent outdoors in daylight.
Benefits
Research suggests that spending:
- 80–120 minutes outdoors daily
may help reduce the risk of nearsightedness in children.
Apple also notes that daylight exposure can benefit:
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Mental health
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Physical wellbeing
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Sleep patterns
Time spent outdoors is integrated into Mental Wellbeing insights inside the Health app.
Medication Improvements
Apple improved medication tracking in iOS 17 with new reminder tools.
Follow-Up Reminders
If users do not confirm taking medication within 30 minutes of the original reminder, the app can send a second notification.
Critical Alerts
Critical medication alerts can:
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Override Focus modes
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Play sounds even when the device is muted
These features help users avoid missing important medications.
Health App on iPad
For the first time, the Health is available on the iPad with iPadOS 17.
Features
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Larger display for health data
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Improved navigation sidebar
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Access to synced iPhone health information
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Better visualization of charts and trends
While the iPad itself does not collect health data directly, it displays information gathered from:
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iPhone
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Apple Watch
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Connected health accessories
Design Updates
Apple also refreshed the Health app’s visual design in iOS 17.
Improvements
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New background colors for health categories
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Cleaner layouts
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Enhanced readability
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More visually organized data presentation
Sections like:
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Heart
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Sleep
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Medications
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Mobility
now feature distinct visual styles for easier navigation.
Final Thoughts
The Health app updates in iOS 17 place a stronger emphasis on mental wellness, preventative care, and healthier daily habits. Features like mood tracking, anxiety screening, eye health monitoring, and improved medication reminders make the Health app more comprehensive and useful for everyday wellbeing management.