Did You Know Your iPhone Can Detect If You Are at Risk of Falling? Here’s How

Your iPhone tracks various aspects of your health to get an indication of your health, including how likely you are to suffer a fall.

Apple’s Health app is a secure place to keep track of various metrics surrounding your health. With iOS 15, Apple added new mobility metrics like Walking Steadiness, so you can gain more insights about your health and prevent the risk of falls.

Every year, one in four American adults will suffer from a fall. The iPhone’s Walking Steadiness is the first in the industry to use mobility data and trends to gain insights about a person’s risk of falling, to help avoid it.

What Is Walking Steadiness?

With Walking Steadiness, your iPhone gives an estimate of your stability based on your mobility data, like Walking Speed and Walking Asymmetry. The feature captures and assesses your data as you walk with your iPhone.

It does this using custom algorithms through your iPhone’s built-in motion sensors. Your iPhone automatically records mobility information whenever your iPhone is in your pocket or near your waist.

Related: How to Add Your Official Medical Records to the iPhone’s Health App

You can use the feature to detect and alert you of your potential fall risk, and it can assist you in meeting your stability goals using exercises based on validated methods to help improve your strength and balance.

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Walking Steadiness doesn’t tell you your likelihood to fall at any given moment but gives you an insight into your fall risk over the next 12 months.

How to Set Up Walking Steadiness on Your iPhone

Walking Steadiness is under Mobility in your Health app. Here’s how you can set it up:

1. Open the Health app.
2. Tap the Browse tab, then search for Mobility.
3. If it’s your first time to set it up, scroll down to find Walking Steadiness Notifications, then tap Set Up. Alternatively, you can also tap Walking Steadiness > Set Up.
4. Hit Next, then fill in your information for the Health Details and tap Next.
5. Select Turn On notifications to receive alerts when your Steadiness is Low or Very Low.
6. Tap Done.

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Are You at Risk for Falls?

Previously, you could only get an idea of your fall risk if you were evaluated in a clinic or answered a medical questionnaire. With iPhone’s Walking Steadiness, anyone can get a glimpse of their mobility stats, allowing them to detect early signs of fall risks.

About The Author

Rachel Melegrito (86 Articles Published)

Rachel Melegrito left her career as a university instructor to become a full-fledged content writer. She loves anything Apple —from iPhones, to Apple Watches, to MacBooks. She is also a licensed occupational therapist and a budding SEO strategist.

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