Connecting health data: Health Connect (Android) and Apple Health (iPhone)
1. How the connection works
Online Coach does not connect directly to your watch, your scale or your fitness app. The app reads only from Health Connect (Android) or Apple Health (iPhone). Garmin, Fitbit, Polar, Withings, Oura or Strava cannot be connected to Online Coach directly.
That is why there are two steps:
Your source (watch, scale or fitness app) writes its data to Health Connect or Apple Health.
Online Coach reads the data from there.
If the first step is missing, nothing arrives in Online Coach, even if Online Coach itself has every permission.
Online Coach reads these daily values: Steps, Calories (active calories), Sleep, Deep Sleep, REM Sleep, Awake, Core Sleep and Weight. Sleep is recorded in minutes. The app also imports Workouts with heart rate and distance.
Important: Online Coach only imports the daily values if your coach has set up a field for them in your check-in.
2. Android: set up Health Connect and connect your source
Open Health Connect
From Android 14 on, Health Connect is part of the system. You don't need to install anything. You find it under "Settings > Security and privacy > Privacy Controls > Health Connect".
Up to Android 13 you need the Health Connect app from Google Play. After installing it, you find it under "Settings > Apps > All apps > Health Connect".
Let your source write to Health Connect
Open Health Connect → "Get Started" → "App permissions". Tap your watch, scale or fitness app, choose the data permissions and tap "Allow".
Some apps also need you to start the sync inside the app itself.
Connect Online Coach
When you first start Online Coach after installing or updating it, it shows the notice "Health Data sync". Continue and allow access in the system dialog. The import dialog opens next (see "Importing older data").
Online Coach asks to read all data types. For workouts, steps, active calories, heart rate and distance it also asks to write. On Android it additionally asks for access to history and for background access.
Why write access? Activities and quick workouts you log in Online Coach are sent to Health Connect as a workout. Online Coach does not write sleep or weight.
You can also allow Online Coach to read directly in Health Connect under "App permissions".
Check that the connection works
In Online Coach, tap the gear icon at the top right of the dashboard (only shown when offline mode is off) → "Settings" → "Health & Privacy" → "Permissions". The row "Health data" shows "Granted".
3. iPhone: set up Apple Health and connect your source
Let your source write to Apple Health
Open the Health app → "Summary" → tap your profile picture or initials at the top → under "Privacy" tap "Apps" or "Devices". Tap your watch, scale or fitness app and turn on permission to write to Health for the data types you want.
Connect Online Coach
When you first start Online Coach after installing or updating it, it shows the notice "Health Data sync". Continue and, in the system dialog, allow reading all categories and writing workouts, steps, active calories, heart rate and distance. The import dialog opens next (see "Importing older data").
Activities and quick workouts you log in Online Coach are sent to Apple Health as a workout. Online Coach does not write sleep or weight.
Check read access
On iPhone, Online Coach cannot tell whether you declined a data type: to the app, a completed dialog counts as permission. So if a value is missing, check read access in the Health app: "Summary" → profile picture or initials → "Privacy" → "Apps" → Online Coach. Turn on reading from Health for each data type.
4. Importing older data
After connecting, Online Coach offers a one-time import. It fetches your data from the day your account was created up to today. You have two options:
"Fill missing days only": fills only empty days and days with 0.
"Replace all data": also overwrites your manual entries.
Workouts go both ways during the import.
You can repeat the import at any time: "Settings" → "Health & Privacy" → "Sync health data".
5. Common problems
My steps or weight don't arrive
Go through these points in order:
Does your source write to Health Connect or Apple Health? This is the first step of the chain (section 1). Check in Health Connect under "App permissions" or in the Health app under "Privacy" whether your watch, scale or fitness app may write the data types.
Does Online Coach have permission? "Settings" → "Health & Privacy" → "Permissions" → "Health data". If it shows "Denied" or "Not Requested", tap "Request Again" or "Open System Settings". Without permission there is no automatic sync. iPhone: "Granted" only means the dialog was completed. Check read access per data type in the Health app (section 3, "Check read access").
Is sync switched on? The "Background Health Sync" switch under "Health & Privacy" must be on.
Does your check-in have a field for the value? Only values for which your coach has set up a check-in field are imported (see "My coach can't see my values").
Open Online Coach. The app syncs when you open it and every time you return to it.
Is the day more than 7 days ago? The automatic sync only covers the last 7 days. You get older days via "Sync health data".
Are you signed in with a coach account? Then the app never syncs, and the "Health & Privacy" section does not appear.
Android: is Health Connect available? Without Health Connect, Online Coach does not sync anything (see "Health Connect is missing").
Values are duplicated or wrong
For each day, Online Coach takes the value from Health Connect or Apple Health. For the last 7 days, every value other than 0 overwrites the value stored in Online Coach. So if a value in that period looks wrong, check it in Health Connect or the Health app first and correct it there. You correct older values directly in Online Coach.
Sleep counts for the day you wake up, not the day you fell asleep.
Workouts that arrive twice are removed by Online Coach itself.
Connecting a watch, scale or fitness app
There is no direct connection between your device and Online Coach. Connect your device or its app to Health Connect (section 2) or Apple Health (section 3). Online Coach then reads the values from there.
Google Fit is not a way into Online Coach: the app reads only from Health Connect or Apple Health. Google recommends moving from Google Fit to Health Connect.
What data does Online Coach read, and can my coach see it?
Online Coach reads the daily values Steps, Calories, Sleep, Deep Sleep, REM Sleep, Awake, Core Sleep and Weight, plus Workouts with heart rate and distance. It only writes workouts from Online Coach.
Your coach sees the values among your check-in values. They are marked there as imported automatically; with the "Source" filter your coach separates "Automatic" and "Manual". The values also feed into graphs and statistics, even without a manual check-in. Your coach sees workouts from Health among your recent activities and in the sports evaluation.
Your steps are also used for step leaderboards in the community.
Disconnecting
Turn off "Background Health Sync" and confirm the question. Online Coach then stops syncing. On iPhone the permission stays in iOS; the app points you to the iOS settings for that.
Where do I see my data?
The imported values are stored as check-in values in Online Coach and feed into your graphs and statistics.
How long until data shows up?
Online Coach syncs when you open the app and every time you return to it. There is no sync while the app is closed, neither on Android nor on iPhone, and not with the "Background Health Sync" switch either. At least 30 seconds pass between two syncs.
If a value still doesn't show up after opening the app, it usually hasn't reached Health Connect or Apple Health yet. Some apps need you to start the sync inside the app itself.
Read permission per data type
Android: open Health Connect → "App permissions" → Online Coach and choose the data permissions.
iPhone: Health app → "Summary" → profile picture or initials → "Privacy" → "Apps" → Online Coach. Turn on reading for each data type. On iPhone, Online Coach cannot tell whether a data type was declined.
Online Coach shows the overall status under "Permissions" in the row "Health data": "Granted", "Denied" or "Not Requested".
Health Connect is missing or my device isn't supported
From Android 14 on, Health Connect is built into the system. Up to Android 13 you install the Health Connect app from Google Play.
If Health Connect isn't available, Online Coach does not ask for permission and does not sync anything. The app shows no notice about this.
My manual entry gets overwritten
As long as sync is on, every value other than 0 from Health Connect or Apple Health overwrites the last 7 days, including your manual entries. Online Coach also tells you this when you enter a value for one of the last 7 days. Change the value in your health app instead, or turn off health sync in the settings to enter it yourself. Older entries you can correct directly in Online Coach.
During the import, "Replace all data" also overwrites manual entries; "Fill missing days only" leaves them in place.
My coach can't see my values
Online Coach only imports values for which there is a field in your check-in. If no matching field exists, the import shows this message: "Your coach changed the check-in setup. Health sync cannot automatically assign your health data to the current check-in fields yet. Please enter the values manually for now." The automatic sync then stops without a message.
Ask your coach to set up fields for these values in your check-in.
6. Help
If you're stuck, write to us directly from the app: "Settings" → "Health & Privacy" → "Support".