How to export and delete health app data: you're in control

After months of logging medication times, period days and notes in a health app, a question comes up one day: what if I want to take these records out, or delete them completely? In this post we cover the two different kinds of export, the rights you have when your records are kept on a server, and the short check to do before you delete anything.

Why should you be in control of your records?

Health records are personal. They can include medication names, cycle dates, mood notes and doctor visits. Writing this information into an app doesn't mean it now belongs to the app.

Life changes, and so does what you want to do with your records. Sometimes you want to show a doctor the last three months. Sometimes you change phones. And sometimes you leave a chapter behind and no longer want those records around. In all three cases, the same thing makes it easier: knowing in advance where your records are kept and how to take them out and delete them.

If you've never thought about where your records are kept, you can start with our post on where your health data is stored. Your export and delete options depend largely on the answer to that question.

What does exporting mean: a report or a backup?

In apps, the word “export” can describe two different jobs. They serve different purposes, so knowing which one you need makes things easier.

• Readable report: Usually a PDF, a document a person can read. It's suited to taking to your doctor, printing or keeping in your own archive. A report isn't designed for loading your records back into the app.
• Backup file: A complete copy of your records that the app can read again. It's for bringing your records back when you move to a new phone or if something goes wrong. It's there to be restored, not read.

When you create a report, pay attention to what goes into it. If you can choose the date range and categories, share only what's needed. You don't have to add your private notes to a report. A backup file, on the other hand, usually contains everything, so if it's password-protected, keep the password somewhere you trust.

Here's a simple way to think about it: a report if you want to show someone else, a backup if you don't want to lose your records. Before changing phones or deleting a record, ask yourself whether you need one of them. Also make a note of where you save the exported file; a shared computer, a shared folder or email attachments aren't always a good place for files like these.

If your records are on a server: access, portability and deletion

Some apps keep your records on their own servers. In that case, your data isn't only on your phone but also in the company's systems. Many countries set out legal rights for personal data. For example, the ICO, the UK's data protection authority, explains that in certain situations people can ask an organisation to delete their data.

According to the ICO's guidance, these points stand out for requests like these:

• Right to erasure: You can ask for your data to be deleted in situations such as when it's no longer needed for the purpose it was collected for, or when you withdraw the consent you gave. This right isn't absolute in every case; there may be situations where the organisation has to keep the data by law.
• Data portability: You can ask for the information you gave an organisation yourself in a commonly used, machine-readable format. Getting your data doesn't automatically delete it; deletion is a separate request.
• Written request: You can also make a request verbally, but putting it in writing leaves you with a record. The organisation is generally expected to respond within one month.

Rights can vary from country to country. That's why reading the “how do I delete my data” section of your app's privacy policy is a good place to start. If your records are only on your phone, things are simpler: deleting and exporting are directly in your hands. In that case you don't need to send a request to an organisation, but you also manage your backup and your decision to delete on your own.

A 5-step check before you delete

Deleting records often can't be undone. Going through these steps without rushing helps you avoid regrets later:

1. Decide what you want to delete. All your records, just a date range or a single category? Most of the time you don't need to delete everything.
2. Ask yourself whether hiding is enough. If you just don't want to see an area, hiding or archiving it may be enough. Deleting is a separate and more final step.
3. Make a copy first. If there's a chance you'll need these records later, create a backup or a report first. We covered backup options in 5 ways to back up health records without the cloud.
4. Review the scope. Before you confirm, read through the dates and categories to be deleted once more. Check whether linked records will be deleted too.
5. Don't forget old copies. Deleting from the app doesn't delete files you exported earlier. If you want to remove those files as well, check where they're stored separately.

Exporting and deleting in Oveluni

Oveluni keeps your records on this iPhone; there's no automatic cloud backup or analytics tracking. In the app's own words: “You choose what to export or delete.” You'll find these options in the Data privacy section of Settings, which you open from the gear in the top right of any tab.

With Reports & export you create a PDF report for the dates and categories you choose; notes aren't included by default. With Back up / restore you can save all your records to a backup file encrypted with a password you choose; Oveluni can't recover this password. What happens to your records when a subscription ends is covered in the guide to your records after Oveluni Premium ends.

With Delete records you choose the date range and categories to delete. This can't be undone, and it doesn't delete backup files you exported earlier. If you choose Archive medication instead of deleting a medication, its history is kept; hiding a tracking area doesn't delete its records either. Even after your subscription ends, you can still view, export and delete your records. You'll find all the features on the Features page. Oveluni is coming soon to the App Store.

Sources

1. ICO: Your right to get your data deleted
2. ICO: Your right to data portability