Restore deleted Health data

[dannyrothschild]

Hello, earlier today I was looking through my Health app and I noticed it had 18 devices listed under 'sources'. I'm assuming some of them where old phones, but a lot of them looked like repeated devices (I've only ever had one Apple Watch, and there were 4 or 5 listed). So I decided to go through and delete all the devices that said they weren't currently paired... only to find out that it deleted ALL of my Health data, which I have been building for about 4+ years. Along with it, it deleted all of my activity data from the 1st day I wore my Apple Watch, years ago.

I checked to see when my last iCloud back up was done, and was relieved that was only two days ago. So I immediately reset my phone and backed it up from iCloud, only to discover that all the Health data is still missing. The only other thing I can think of is a backup I did of an OLD phone, about a month ago, onto my computer—however, my old phone was 256GB, and since my new one is only 64GB, I cannot back it up from the computer.

Does anybody have ANY idea how to restore the health data, or pull it from a computer back up, or anything? I am absolutely devastated to lose years sand years of exercise data, sleep tracking, meditation minutes, etc. Please help—thank you!!

 

[Annie_M]

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I would be devastated if this happened to me. I found this article here on iMore that may be helpful. Also, you could contact Apple Support- they may be able to help you.

 

[gnirkatto]

I discovered the same issue a few days ago. Had several Apple Watches listed in my health app. One was 'coupled' the others weren't. All my data was under a non-coupled watch. All apps based on Apple Health data were running crazy, as there was no clear and dedicated unique data source.
So I spent the last 3 days or so on the phone with Apple support, in order to get my data back under a coupled watch or whereever else, to make it valid and usable again. Nothing that I was recommended worked. I reset the watch and my phone ~15 times, coupled them again, and immediately, at least 2 watches showed in health. One coupled with no data, the other not coupled but with data. surprisingly, although supposedly not coupled, this watch continued to collect data, whereas the other, 'coupled' one, didn't. Also, the activities-app only showed 50% data, trainings got tracked but no steps, no calories, no elevation.
Then I decided to sacrifice my data, and just wanted to get a clean installation back, with one functioning watch coupled to the phone. I deleted all watches from health, from my icloud account, factory reset both phone & watch again, and started over from scratch. This didn't work either. Instantly, 2 watches showed in health, with the same issues as described.
Finally, today, I got to a more competent support person who did some more in-depth research on the issue, and found it's a known bug! He claimed they were working on it and it should get fixed in the not so distant future. If they would have told me that 3 days ago, I would have been ok with waiting for an update, and would potentially have preserved my data.
So I'm not sure if and when such an update will be released, and if it will in fact fix the issues, nor if existing data will be preserved. But I'm afraid all we can do at this stage is to sit and wait.

 

[gnirkatto]

P.S. the Apple guy also told me to not continue removing things or trying out any other things until the update arrives. It might make things even worse.

 

[gnirkatto]

P.P.S. I also restored my phone from an iCloud backup once during this process, after I deleted my data, and it also didn't bring the data back.
Health data seems to reside in different areas in the cloud, or they simply didn't think of including it in the backup routines, as it usually IS in iCloud already, or it's another bug or - I don't know what. Very frustrating.

 

[Annie_M]

P.P.S. I also restored my phone from an iCloud backup once during this process, after I deleted my data, and it also didn't bring the data back.
Health data seems to reside in different areas in the cloud, or they simply didn't think of including it in the backup routines, as it usually IS in iCloud already, or it's another bug or - I don't know what. Very frustrating.

That is incredibly frustrating!

 

[Lee_Bo]

While I understand why the data deletes when you remove a device, there should be an option to keep the data when a device is removed. Apps do it and so should hardware removals. I've sent in numerous suggestions to Apple on this very topic.

 

[gnirkatto]

While I understand why the data deletes when you remove a device, there should be an option to keep the data when a device is removed. Apps do it and so should hardware removals. I've sent in numerous suggestions to Apple on this very topic.

I agree. Keep data or restore them from a backup. I removed the device on purpose, accepting the option for the data to be gone. However, why can't I restore them from a backup? In particular, health data, that might have been collected over a long period of time - there should definitely be an option to restore them. Deleting them consciously, as in my case, might not always be the reason for the data to be gone.

I think, this entire problem might be the most serious bug or misdesign in the history of the Apple Watch and the Health app. It makes the entire system totally useless - at least for me in the current stage. 90% of what I need the Watch & Health app for, does not work. It shows the correct time of day, though.

 

[Wotchered]

Why do you need a health app anyway ?

 

[gnirkatto]

Why do you need a health app anyway ?

I'm not sure if your question was serious or ironic, sorry.
For me, the health app is the central repository for all 'health' data that I want to keep track of. Weight, blood pressure, heart rates, activity levels etc. A significant part of it is being produced by the Apple Watch, if you have one, and if it works properly.

 

[gnirkatto]

And miraculously, 3 days after the last reset, all data shows again in the activity app.
Health app data still messed up. A watch that is supposedly not coupled, collects some data.

 

[gnirkatto]

Well, I upgraded my iPone to 13.5, and the Watch to 6.2.5 yesterday. BAsed on the statements that I received from Apple support, the issues described in this thread were known and 'will be fixed in the next update'.

Unfortunately, this is NOT the case.

After updating the devices, I did the following:

• de-couple the Watch from the phone (which, according to the support pages, equals a factory reset).
• deleted the watches and collected data from the health app
• made sure the Watch disappeared from everywhere (BT etc.)
• re-coupled the Watch
• configured it as new, no restore from iCloud backup
• renamed it, just in case more watches will show again, to be able to tell which one the new one is

Results:

• I have now 3 (!) Apple Watches in the Health app.
• 2 old ones (showing as 'no longer coupled'), holding old data (although previously deleted)
• and the new one (showing as coupled).
• the Activity app seems to collect new data from the newly installed watch
• however, in the Health app, the new watch (coupled) does NOT collect any data
• instead, the 'old' Watches (not coupled) seem to continue to collect data.
• Apps that work based on data collected by the Watch (eg MyFitnessPal, also others) run crazy, due to different data sources for the same type of data. Also, certain features show 'zero' data, apparently because they look at the only Watch that is supposedly coupled but produces no data.

I will contact Apple support one last time, to discuss this issue, and to request more serious dealing with it, as the updates did not fix it as promised.

The Apple Watch, in combination with the Health App is currently of no use for me. For TOD display, I could also use my trusted analogue wristwatch, which served me well in the last 25 years.

 

[Annie_M]

Well, I upgraded my iPone to 13.5, and the Watch to 6.2.5 yesterday. BAsed on the statements that I received from Apple support, the issues described in this thread were known and 'will be fixed in the next update'.

Unfortunately, this is NOT the case.

After updating the devices, I did the following:

• de-couple the Watch from the phone (which, according to the support pages, equals a factory reset).
• deleted the watches and collected data from the health app
• made sure the Watch disappeared from everywhere (BT etc.)
• re-coupled the Watch
• configured it as new, no restore from iCloud backup
• renamed it, just in case more watches will show again, to be able to tell which one the new one is

Results:

• I have now 3 (!) Apple Watches in the Health app.
• 2 old ones (showing as 'no longer coupled'), holding old data (although previously deleted)
• and the new one (showing as coupled).
• the Activity app seems to collect new data from the newly installed watch
• however, in the Health app, the new watch (coupled) does NOT collect any data
• instead, the 'old' Watches (not coupled) seem to continue to collect data.
• Apps that work based on data collected by the Watch (eg MyFitnessPal, also others) run crazy, due to different data sources for the same type of data. Also, certain features show 'zero' data, apparently because they look at the only Watch that is supposedly coupled but produces no data.

I will contact Apple support one last time, to discuss this issue, and to request more serious dealing with it, as the updates did not fix it as promised.

The Apple Watch, in combination with the Health App is currently of no use for me. For TOD display, I could also use my trusted analogue wristwatch, which served me well in the last 25 years.

Awww I’m so disappointed for you! I do hope that you can get this fixed! It’s so aggravating! Please keep us posted!

 

[gnirkatto]

I just want to wrap up here, with the latest and final information on this issue, as I believe I owe it to readers who are interested:

• long discussions with Apple support lead nowhere. Having more than one (logical) watches in my Health-app, with one being connected but collecting no data, and the others being not connected but collecting data, cannot be resolved by Apple support, and the only further option would be t send both my phone(s) and the watch to Apple in Ireland for further analysis, with doubtful and questionable outcome (so they say). It is clear to me now that Apple only cares of and tries to fix bugs as long as they are a mass phenomenon.
• Current situation is that I once more changed my phone to a new one, coupled the Watch exactly according to the instructions on Apple's support site (actually I performed a total reset and set it up as new).
• Nonetheless, I now have 4 (!) Watches in my Health app, one coupled, the other ones...you know the story.
• The issue wouldn't be that problematic, if no other apps would get involved. The Health app somehow collects data from all Watches that are in the system, and seems to present them properly.
• Other apps get completely confused, as the only Watch thats supposedly coupled, produces no data. My Fitness Pal still produces incorrect results, as the coupled Watch says "no calories burned", all day long.
• As the whole Health app idea is based on other apps hooking up with it, and doing things that Health can't do, the entire system is useless, if no correct data is shown to these apps.

Quite a frustrating experience, and disappointment with the Watch/iPhone combo, which would otherwise be a stroke of genius, almost.