How to connect Apple Health to Moves+ on an iPhone, which permissions Moves+ needs and why, how long syncing takes, and what to do if your activity stops counting.
Time required: 5 minutes
User role: App user
Applies to: iPhone only
Module: Moves+ app > Profile > Edit Profile > My Tracker
Overview
Apple Health is the supported way to get your activity into Moves+ on an iPhone. It is built into every iPhone, so there is nothing extra to install and nothing extra to sign up for.
You do not have to give up your wearable. Most watches, rings and fitness apps send their activity into Apple Health, and Moves+ picks it up from there. That includes Apple Watch and Garmin.
Strava, Withings and Fitbit are no longer supported. Moves+ no longer connects to them and they cannot be reconnected. Your past activity and points are unaffected: your history, totals and leaderboard positions all remain as they are. To keep earning points, connect Apple Health.
Before you start
- Update Moves+ to version 5.5.0 or later from the App Store.
- If you use a wearable, set it up in its own app first, so its activity is already flowing into Apple Health.
- Keep your iPhone with you when you are active. Apple Health can only share activity your iPhone or a connected device has actually recorded.
How to connect Apple Health
1. Sign in to Moves+
Open the Moves+ app, select your country, then your organisation, and sign in with your credentials.
2. Allow notifications
Allow notifications so Moves+ can keep you updated on your progress.
3. Open your tracker settings
Tap the Profile tab in the bottom right corner.
Select Edit Profile.
Go to My Tracker and tap Connect next to Apple Health.
4. Grant data access
Apple Health asks which data you want to share. Enable the data you are happy to share.
We recommend selecting Turn All On, so that all of your activity can be counted.
Apple Health is now connected and your activity will start syncing into Moves+.
Which permissions Moves+ needs, and why
Moves+ asks Apple Health for read access to your activity data, such as steps, distance and workouts including running, cycling and swimming. It uses that data for one purpose: to convert your activity into Moves+ points.
This is why we recommend Turn All On. Apple does not tell an app which categories you have turned off. If a category is off, Moves+ cannot tell the difference between "you did no activity" and "I am not allowed to see it". That activity simply never earns points, and there is no error message to warn you.
You can review or change what Moves+ is allowed to read at any time in the Health app: Sharing > Apps > Moves+. Turning a category back on there is enough, and you do not need to disconnect anything in Moves+.
What Apple Health shares, and what it does not
- Moves+ only reads. It reads activity out of Apple Health and does not write anything back into it.
- Only what you allow. Moves+ receives the categories you have switched on, and nothing else. Anything you have not granted stays private.
- Only activity. Moves+ does not ask for, and does not receive, your medical records or other health information held in the Health app.
- Actual, not perceived. Moves+ counts "actual" activity, which can be lower than the totals shown on your watch. See 'Perceived' versus 'Actual' activities affecting your Moves+ points?
- Only what was recorded. Apple Health cannot share activity that was never captured. If your iPhone stayed on your desk and you were not wearing a device, those steps do not exist to share.
How long syncing takes
Moves+ syncs your Apple Health activity when you open the app, and you can start a sync yourself by going to the home screen and pulling down to refresh.
The first sync after you connect takes longer than later ones. It can take several hours, so please allow at least one full day before reporting a problem. Points can also settle over the following day or two, so small differences on the first day usually correct themselves.
My activity has stopped syncing
Work through these steps in order.
- Update Moves+ to version 5.5.0 or later from the App Store.
- Open the app. You may be asked to sign in again. Once you are in, you should be prompted to reconfirm your Apple Health permissions and choose how much data Moves+ can access.
- Go to the home screen and pull down to refresh. You should see a "sync in progress" message.
- Wait. The sync can take several hours. Please allow at least one full day before reporting a problem.
Do not disconnect Apple Health, and do not uninstall the app. Neither is needed, and neither makes the sync run any sooner.
About the points you have missed. These steps get your activity counting again going forward. Some historical activity may be picked up when the sync runs, but we cannot promise it. Adjustments for a missed period are made by your organisation, not by OpenPlay. If you would like a missed period looked at, contact your organisation's Moves+ team with the date it stopped and the date it started again.
Troubleshooting
Do I need an Apple Watch?
No. Your iPhone counts steps on its own. A wearable such as an Apple Watch, or a workout app that writes into Apple Health, is what adds running, cycling and swimming.
Should I disconnect Apple Health and connect it again?
No. Disconnecting is not a fix and you do not need it at any point. If something looks wrong, reconfirm your permissions in the Health app and pull down to refresh on the Moves+ home screen.
I have connected, but I cannot see any points yet.
Give it a full day. The first sync can take several hours, and points continue to settle for a day or two afterwards.
My watch shows more steps than Moves+ has counted.
Moves+ counts actual activity rather than the perceived totals a wearable shows. See 'Perceived' versus 'Actual' activities affecting your Moves+ points?
I turned a data category off by mistake.
Open the Health app, go to Sharing > Apps > Moves+, and turn the categories back on. Then pull down to refresh on the Moves+ home screen.
Can I connect Strava, Withings or Fitbit instead?
No. These are no longer supported and cannot be connected or reconnected. Everything you have already earned with them stays on your account. Apple Health is the route on iPhone.
What about my Garmin?
Garmin is no longer available to new users. If your Garmin is already connected it will keep working, so please do not disconnect it, because it cannot be reconnected. Garmin also sends your activity into Apple Health, so Moves+ can pick it up from there.
Will I lose my existing points and badges?
No. Everything you have already earned stays on your account, and so does your leaderboard position.
Who do I contact if none of this helps?
Email moves@openplay.co.uk, or contact your organisation's Moves+ team.