The new functions in iOS 17 also include, for the first time, the option of using the health app Health to track personal well-being – an important building block in maintaining mental health. There are also standard questionnaires from psychology that can help to find answers – and to clarify the question of whether you should seek help from a therapist if you are not feeling well. All data is stored locally and encrypted, Apple emphasizes.
Health app drilled
Apple will revamp the Health app in iOS 17. In some places, operation and look have been optimized. In addition, for the first time – with iPadOS 17 – the data can also be found on the iPad – very useful because the larger screen promises a better overview. With regard to the new mental health tracking, Apple writes that it will be possible to record daily moods and current emotions. This way you can see what is affecting your mood. In the case of depression and anxiety, you get the first indications of what you can do. The group also wants to include information about local offers of help.
Mental health tracking is not to be confused with the new journaling app Journal, which Apple will release in parallel in iOS 17. It serves more to reflect and to record his days – for example in the form of a so-called gratitude diary. It also suggests suitable photos and other data recorded by the iPhone. For the psychological part, you then switch to the health app. Both programs are private, so even Apple has no access. However, it is possible to share entries with other people – in the Health app also with doctors.
More new health features
The health app has also been supplemented with a function to prevent nearsightedness. It’s all about the little ones in particular: In the screen time app, you can also set the iPhone to measure the distance to the device to avoid eyestrain. Getting outdoors a lot, especially when you’re young, is important because it helps develop eye health, researchers have found.
The distance measurement is also available for adults who want to use the screen in a healthier way. “Increasing the viewing distance of the device can help children reduce their risk of myopia and gives adult users the opportunity to reduce digital eyestrain,” Apple writes. iOS 17 is planned for autumn, we expect it to be released in September.
(bsc)