Can I use the JSON export with Python or R?

Yes. The JSON files can be loaded directly with Python's json module or pandas, R's jsonlite package, or any language with JSON support. The structured format with nested objects makes it easy to parse programmatically.

Export Apple Health Data to JSON

Structured data for developers, data scientists, and automated pipelines

Last updated: April 20th, 2026

By Marina

Co-founder, vitalina

Apple Health collects a massive amount of structured data — heart rate samples every few minutes, nightly sleep stages, workout metrics, blood pressure readings, and more. But Apple's only export option is a monolithic XML dump that can be gigabytes in size and painful to parse.

vitalina exports your Apple Health data as clean, structured JSON — pretty-printed with sorted keys, ready to import into Python, R, JavaScript, or any data tool. No cloud upload, no account, everything processed locally on your iPhone.

Why JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the standard interchange format for structured data. Unlike CSV, JSON preserves nested relationships and typed values — making it ideal for programmatic analysis. vitalina's JSON export gives you:

Nested structure — sleep stages, heart rate stats, and workout metrics are grouped logically instead of flattened into columns
Summary statistics — each export includes pre-calculated averages, min/max, and counts so you don't have to compute them yourself
Pretty-printed with sorted keys — human-readable output you can inspect before processing
ISO 8601 dates — standard timestamps that every language and tool understands
Typed values — numbers are numbers, nulls are null, no string-to-number conversion needed

How to export Apple Health data as JSON

Step 1: Download vitalina

Download vitalina from the App Store. It's free with no account or sign-up.

Step 2: Allow access to Apple Health

Tap Allow Health Access and confirm the permissions. vitalina only requests read access — it cannot modify your data. Everything is processed locally on your iPhone.

Step 3: Select the metrics you want

Choose from 30+ health metrics across 7 categories. Select individual metrics or entire categories — vitalina structures the JSON output automatically based on your selection.

Step 4: Pick a date range

Choose Last 7 days or Last 14 days for free, or upgrade to vitalina Pro for 30 days, 3 months, 1 year, all-time history, or a custom date range.

Step 5: Select JSON as your format

In the format picker, tap JSON. This produces a pretty-printed JSON file with sorted keys.

vitalina format selection showing PDF, CSV, and JSON options

Step 6: Tap Export Now

Tap Export Now. vitalina reads your Apple Health data and generates a structured JSON file — usually within a few seconds, even for months of data.

Step 7: Import into your tool or pipeline

Tap Export to open the iOS share sheet. From there you can:

AirDrop to your Mac and load into Python, R, or a Jupyter notebook
Save to Files or iCloud Drive for access across devices
Email to yourself or a colleague
Upload to a cloud service for automated pipeline ingestion

JSON output schemas

vitalina uses three JSON schemas depending on the type of health data you export. Each schema includes metadata (export date, version, time window) and the data itself in a structured, nested format.

Health Records

Heart Rate, Steps, Blood Pressure, Weight, and more

{
  "dataType": "Heart Rate",
  "exportDate": "2026-04-20T10:30:00Z",
  "exportVersion": "1.0",
  "summary": {
    "average": 72.5,
    "count": 1440,
    "max": 165.0,
    "min": 52.0,
    "unit": "bpm"
  },
  "timeWindow": {
    "end": "2026-04-20T00:00:00Z",
    "start": "2026-04-14T00:00:00Z"
  },
  "records": [
    {
      "date": "2026-04-20T08:30:00Z",
      "dataType": "Heart Rate",
      "sourceName": "Apple Watch",
      "unit": "bpm",
      "value": 72.0
    }
  ]
}

Sleep Analysis

Nightly sleep sessions with stage breakdowns

{
  "dataType": "Sleep Analysis",
  "exportDate": "2026-04-20T10:30:00Z",
  "exportVersion": "1.0",
  "sessions": [
    {
      "date": "2026-04-19T22:30:00Z",
      "totalSleepDuration": 27000,
      "timeInBed": 28800,
      "remSleep": {
        "duration": 5400,
        "percentage": 20.0
      },
      "deepSleep": {
        "duration": 6750,
        "percentage": 25.0
      },
      "coreSleep": {
        "duration": 14850,
        "percentage": 55.0
      },
      "awakeTime": 1800,
      "sleepHeartRate": 58.0,
      "respiratoryRate": 14.5,
      "sourceName": "Apple Watch"
    }
  ]
}

Workouts

Workout sessions with performance metrics

{
  "dataType": "Workouts",
  "exportDate": "2026-04-20T10:30:00Z",
  "exportVersion": "1.0",
  "workouts": [
    {
      "date": "2026-04-19T07:00:00Z",
      "workoutType": "Running",
      "duration": 1935,
      "totalDistance": 5.0,
      "totalEnergyBurned": 340.0,
      "heartRate": {
        "average": 155.0,
        "max": 178.0,
        "min": 120.0
      },
      "cadence": 168.0,
      "elevationGain": 26.0,
      "sourceName": "Apple Watch"
    }
  ]
}

Durations are in seconds. Null fields indicate data was not recorded. All dates use ISO 8601 format.

What you can build with Apple Health JSON data

Custom dashboards — build personalized health dashboards with D3.js, Plotly, or Grafana
Data analysis in Python — load into pandas with pd.json_normalize() for statistical analysis and visualization
R analysis — parse with jsonlite::fromJSON() for biostatistics and research
Automated pipelines — ingest into ETL workflows, cloud functions, or database imports
Machine learning — use as training data for sleep quality prediction, activity classification, or anomaly detection models
Personal health APIs — serve your own health data through a self-hosted API

JSON vs CSV vs PDF — which format should you use?

JSON — for developers and automation

Best for programmatic access. Preserves nested structure and typed values. Ideal for Python, R, JavaScript, data pipelines, custom dashboards, and machine learning projects.

CSV — for spreadsheets and data analysis

Best when you want to open your health data in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Flat tabular format, one row per data point. Learn more about CSV export →

PDF — for doctors and appointments

Best when you need to share a report with your doctor. Includes trend charts, formatted tables, and clean layout your care team can read immediately. Learn more about PDF export →

How much does JSON export cost?

vitalina is free with 5 unique exports, all three formats (CSV, PDF, JSON), and date ranges up to 14 days. vitalina Pro is a one-time purchase (no subscription) that unlocks unlimited exports, extended date ranges up to all time, and Shortcuts automation. Re-exporting the same configuration is always free.

Download vitalina free on the App Store →

Frequently asked questions

Can you export Apple Health data to JSON?

Yes. Apple Health's built-in export only produces an unfiltered XML dump. vitalina lets you pick specific metrics and date ranges and export them as structured, pretty-printed JSON — ready for any programming language or data tool.

What does the JSON export look like?

vitalina exports three JSON schemas: Health Records (individual data points with timestamp, type, value, unit, and source), Sleep Analysis (nightly sessions with stage durations and percentages), and Workouts (sessions with duration, distance, heart rate stats, cadence, and elevation). See the examples above for the exact structure.

Can I use the JSON export with Python?

Yes. Load the file with json.load() or flatten it into a DataFrame with pd.json_normalize(). The structured format with nested objects makes it straightforward to extract exactly the fields you need.

Is the JSON export free?

Yes. JSON export is available for free with up to 5 unique exports and date ranges up to 14 days. vitalina Pro (a one-time purchase, no subscription) unlocks unlimited exports and extended date ranges up to all time.

Is my health data safe when I export to JSON?

Yes. vitalina processes everything locally on your iPhone. Nothing is uploaded to any server. There is no account, no cloud storage, and no analytics. The JSON file stays on your device until you choose to share it.

Export guides by metric

Step-by-step tutorials for exporting specific health metrics from Apple Health.