What Icons and Symbols Mean on Apple Health App? Complete Guide
The Apple Health app is a powerful tool for tracking and understanding your well-being, but deciphering its many icons and symbols can feel overwhelming. From heart rate metrics to sleep analysis, these visual cues hold valuable insights into your health data. This guide will unlock the meaning behind every essential icon and symbol within the Apple Health app.
Summary Screen
The summary screen in the Apple Health app is a quick look at your daily health highlights. It’s designed to give you an overview of key health metrics. Let’s break down what you’ll find here, starting with sound levels:
1. Environmental Sound Levels (Noise Notifications)
This section of the summary screen keeps track of loud noises around you. This graph helps you know if you’re around sounds that could be bad for your hearing.
Inside the Environmental Sound Levels
When you tap on the Noise Notification from the Summary screen, you’ll be taken to this section. Let’s explore what you’ll find here:
Weekly Highlights Graph
If you scroll down a little, you’ll find a graph that summarizes your sound exposure over the past week. Here’s what it shows:
The height of each bar indicates the average sound level detected on that day. Taller bars mean louder average sound levels.
If a bar extends significantly above the blue line, it indicates a day with higher-than-average sound exposure.
2. High Heart Rate Notifications
In the “High Heart Rate Notifications” section of the Summary screen, you’ll see a graph that visually represents instances where your heart rate exceeded a certain threshold. Here’s what it shows:
Pinned Health Data (Summary Screen)
The Pinned Health Data section on the Summary screen allows you to keep track of your most important health metrics at a glance. you’re able to also customize which data appears here.
1. Activity
We have already covered this section in theApple Fitness app, where we explained all its icons and symbols.
2. Cardio Fitness
The Cardio Fitness section provides a snapshot of your cardiovascular health. Here’s what you’ll find:
Number and Letter (e.g., 20.9 VO2 max):This number represents your VO2 max, which is a measure of how much oxygen your body can use during exercise. VO2 max is a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness.
Graph:The graph next to the VO2 max number visually represents your cardio fitness level. It shows how your VO2 max compares to the average for your age and gender.
This section helps you understand your cardiovascular fitness level and track changes over time.
Inside Cardio Fitness (Graph)
When you tap on the “Cardio Fitness” section, you’ll see a more detailed graph illustrating your VO2 max over time. Here’s what it shows:
The Steps section provides a quick overview of your daily step count. Here’s what you’ll find:
Note:Beyond this, there are numerous more health data tabs, each with its detailed graph. While the units and specific metrics may vary (think sleep duration, heart rate variability, etc.), the core visual representation remains consistent. You can analyze these graphs just as we’ve demonstrated, focusing on the axes, lines, and data points to understand your health trends.
Highlights Section
The Highlights section on the Summary screen provides quick insights into specific aspects of your health. It presents data in a condensed format, allowing you to review key metrics.
Heart Rate: Sleep
This highlight focuses on your heart rate during sleep. Here’s what the graph shows:
Inside the Heart Rate Tab
When you tap on the “Heart Rate” section, you’ll see a more detailed graph displaying your heart rate data. This graph provides a detailed view of your heart rate over time. The blue bars that appear for a few seconds highlight the specific data related to sleep. The red bars cover the whole daytime period. Here’s what it shows:
You’ll also find aRespiratory Rate: Sleep graph, which functions similarly to the Heart Rate: Sleep graph. The only difference is that it displays breaths per minute instead of beats per minute (BPM).
Note:After approximately 4 seconds, you’ll notice that the graph’s display changes from a solid blue section to a red bar representation. You’ll observe a similar change in other sections of the Summary screen as well.
And there you have it, folks! We’ve decoded those graphs, icons, and symbols. Now, you can confidently navigate your health data, understand the insights at a glance, and take a more informed approach to your well-being. If you’re curious about the symbols in other apps, then don’t forget to check out our other icon-explanation guides below!
Anchit Srivastava
Working as a Tech Writer at Tech Wiser, I’m passionate about technology since childhood. I enjoy discussing it with friends, exploring new techs, and analyzing features in Android, iOS, and other technologies. My goal is to simplify complex information about current and emerging technologies, making them more accessible and understandable to people interested in learning more.
