Samsung Health is a fitness and health tracking app built into Samsung phones
Samsung Health is an app that comes pre-installed on most Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. It tracks physical activity, heart rate, sleep, stress levels, and other health metrics using sensors built into your device. The app stores this data on your phone and can sync it to Samsung's servers if you choose to connect it to a Samsung account.
Unlike some fitness apps that require a subscription or separate purchase, Samsung Health comes free with your device. It works with the accelerometer and heart rate sensor in your phone (if your model has one), and it can also connect to compatible smartwatches and fitness trackers. The app displays your activity history, trends over time, and daily goals you set yourself.
Samsung Health is not a medical app — it does not diagnose conditions or replace a doctor's information. It is a personal tracking tool that shows you patterns in your own behavior and physical activity.
Key Takeaways
- Samsung Health tracks steps, heart rate, sleep, and stress using sensors in your phone, and stores this data on your device by default.
- Your health data syncs to Samsung's servers only if you sign in with a Samsung account and enable sync — it does not happen automatically.
- You can see what data Samsung collects about you and request deletion through your Samsung account privacy settings.
- Turning off location services, disabling background activity, and signing out of your Samsung account all reduce the amount of data the app sends to Samsung.
- Samsung Health shares data with third-party apps and services only if you explicitly connect them — no sharing happens by default.
What data Samsung Health collects and where it goes
Samsung Health collects data from your phone's sensors: steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate (if your phone has a sensor), sleep duration and quality, and stress levels. It also records the time and location of your activities if you enable location services. All of this data initially stays on your phone in the Samsung Health app.
If you sign in with a Samsung account and turn on sync, the app sends this data to Samsung's servers. Samsung stores your health information in encrypted form, but the company does retain it. If you do not sign in or do not enable sync, your data remains only on your device — Samsung does not collect it.
Samsung Health also collects information about how you use the app itself: which features you open, how often you check your data, and which connected devices or third-party apps you link. This usage data helps Samsung understand which features people use most.
How to see and control what Samsung Health collects
To see what data Samsung Health has collected about you, open the app and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Select "Settings," then "Privacy." This screen shows you a summary of the data types the app tracks. You can turn off individual tracking features here — for example, you can disable heart rate monitoring or stress tracking without deleting the app.
To prevent Samsung Health from syncing data to Samsung's servers, go to Settings in the app and look for "Sync" or "Samsung account." Turn off the toggle next to sync. Your data will continue to be recorded on your phone, but it will not be sent to Samsung's servers. If you want to stop using Samsung Health entirely, you can disable the app through your phone's Settings under "Apps" — on most Samsung phones, you cannot uninstall it, but you can disable it so it does not run.
To request deletion of data Samsung already has on its servers, visit Samsung's privacy portal at samsung.com/account. Sign in with your Samsung account, go to "Privacy," and select "Delete my data." Samsung will delete your health records from its servers, though this may take several weeks to process.
What third-party apps can access from Samsung Health
Samsung Health can connect to other fitness and health apps — services like MyFitnessPal, Strava, and Google Fit. When you connect a third-party app, you are giving that app permission to read your Samsung Health data. Samsung Health will ask you to confirm before the connection happens, and you can see which apps are connected in your Settings.
Third-party apps do not automatically get access to your data. You have to manually authorize each connection. If you connect an app and later change your mind, you can revoke access by going to Settings in Samsung Health, finding "Connected apps," and removing the app from the list.
Be aware that once a third-party app has your data, that app's own privacy policy controls what it does with the information. Samsung is not responsible for how other companies handle your health data. Before connecting an app, check its privacy policy to understand what it collects and how it uses your information.
How location tracking works in Samsung Health
Samsung Health can record the location of your workouts if you enable location services on your phone. When you start a workout like a run or bike ride, the app can use GPS to map your route and show you where you traveled. This location data is stored on your phone and synced to Samsung's servers if you have sync enabled.
Location tracking is optional. You can turn it off in two ways: disable location services entirely on your phone (which affects all apps), or disable location within Samsung Health's settings. If you turn off location in Samsung Health, the app will still track your steps and activity, but it will not record where you were.
If you do not want Samsung to know where your workouts happen, disable location services before you start a workout. Your activity will still be recorded — Samsung will just not know the geographic location.
Background activity and battery impact
Samsung Health runs in the background on your phone, which means it continues to collect data even when you are not actively using the app. This allows it to track your steps and sleep throughout the day without you having to open it. Background activity does use battery power, though usually a small amount.
If you want to reduce battery drain or limit how much data Samsung Health collects, you can restrict its background activity. Go to your phone's Settings, select "Apps," find "Samsung Health," and tap "Battery." Choose "Restricted" or "Background restriction" (the exact wording varies by phone model). This will stop the app from running in the background, though it will also stop tracking your steps and activity when the app is closed.
Another option is to leave the app running but disable sync, so it collects data on your phone without sending it to Samsung's servers. This reduces the amount of data leaving your device while still letting you see your own activity history.
Comparing Samsung Health to other fitness apps
Samsung Health differs from popular third-party fitness apps in a few ways. Apps like Fitbit, Apple Health, and Garmin Connect are made by companies whose primary business is fitness tracking, so they focus heavily on health data collection. Samsung Health is built into your phone as a standard feature, so it is less aggressive about collecting data than a dedicated fitness company might be.
However, Samsung Health is tied to your Samsung account, which means Samsung can link your health data to other information it has about you — your phone usage, your Samsung apps, and any other Samsung services you use. Third-party fitness apps are usually separate from your phone's operating system, so they have less access to your overall device activity.
If you own a Samsung phone but prefer not to use Samsung Health, you can disable it and use a different fitness app instead. Google Fit is a free alternative that works on any Android phone and does not require a Samsung account. Apple Health is built into iPhones. Both of these apps work similarly to Samsung Health but are made by different companies with different privacy policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Samsung Health track me without my permission?
Samsung Health tracks your activity by default once the app is enabled, but it does not send data to Samsung's servers unless you sign in with a Samsung account and turn on sync. If you have never signed in to Samsung Health, your data stays on your phone only. You can check whether sync is enabled by opening the app, going to Settings, and looking for a "Sync" or "Samsung account" option.
Can I delete my Samsung Health data?
Yes. Data on your phone can be deleted by clearing the app's cache and storage in your phone's Settings, or by disabling the app entirely. Data stored on Samsung's servers can be deleted through your Samsung account privacy portal at samsung.com/account. Request deletion there, and Samsung will remove your health records within several weeks.
What happens to my data if I sell my Samsung phone?
Before selling your phone, sign out of your Samsung account in the Samsung Health app and perform a factory reset on your phone. This removes all your personal data, including health records, from the device. If you do not sign out first, your health data may remain accessible to the new owner if they know your Samsung account password.
Can I use Samsung Health without a Samsung account?
Yes. Samsung Health works on your phone without a Samsung account — it will track your activity and store the data locally. You just will not be able to sync your data across devices or access it from a web browser. If you want to keep your data private to your phone only, straightforward do not sign in.
Does Samsung Health work with non-Samsung devices?
Samsung Health works best with Samsung phones and Samsung smartwatches. It can connect to some third-party fitness trackers and smartwatches, but compatibility is limited. If you use a Fitbit, Apple Watch, or Garmin device, those companies' own apps (Fitbit app, Apple Health, Garmin Connect) will work better with your device than Samsung Health will.