To back up your full Apple Health history, HealthSave Pro re-reads your entire HealthKit record, 10+ years if you have it, and exports it to CSV or JSON, or syncs it to a server you run. This is the difference between a rolling 90-day view and owning your whole decade of body data before you ever switch phones.
The problem with a decade trapped in Apple Health
Apple Health quietly holds everything your iPhone and Apple Watch have ever written, for a lot of people that's ten or more years of steps, heart rate, sleep, and workouts. But getting it out is the catch. The Health app's only export is a single enormous export.xml ZIP that's awkward to open and impossible to automate, and the in-app trend views top out at a rolling window. If you want your full history as usable data, you need something that deliberately re-reads all of it.
How the backfill works
HealthSave's Backfill re-reads your complete HealthKit record rather than just recent days. With Pro you get unlimited export history, so you can:
- Export a full date range to CSV or JSON on-device, pick the widest span and get the whole thing as files.
- Sync the backfill to your own server in batches, where it accumulates into a real time-series database you can chart in Grafana or query over your REST API.
Pulling a long range from your server
Once a backfill has synced, a single export call returns up to 100,000 rows, so for a decade of a high-frequency metric, page through with date bounds:
# 2017 of heart rate, then 2018, then 2019…
curl -H "x-api-key: YOUR_KEY" \
"https://your-server.example/api/v2/export?metric=heart_rate&format=csv&from=2017-01-01&to=2017-12-31"
Free vs Pro
| Capability | Tier |
|---|---|
| Recent export window (7 days) | Free |
| Unlimited export history (full backfill) | Pro |
| Background sync of full history to your server | Pro |
Pro is a one-time $24.99, Family Sharing included. For most self-hosters the decade-long backfill is the whole reason to buy it.
Honest limits
- It exports what HealthKit returns. Apple keeps long histories, but some very old samples may be summarized; your export mirrors the device exactly.
- Server backfills sync in batches, best-effort, a decade lands over time, not in one instant.
- One REST export call is capped at 100,000 rows, page longer ranges with
from/to. - iOS only; reads Apple Health.
- Unlimited history is Pro-gated ($24.99 one-time).
Related
- Apple Health's export is unusable XML, get clean CSV instead.
- Back up your data before switching to Android, the migration case for a full backfill.
- Chart your full history in Grafana once it's backed up.
FAQ
How far back can HealthSave actually go?
As far back as Apple Health holds data on your device, for many people that's their first iPhone or Apple Watch, ten or more years ago. HealthSave can only export what HealthKit returns; it re-reads your full history rather than a rolling window.
Why can't I just use Apple's export?
You can, but the Health app's only option is a single giant export.xml ZIP that's painful to parse and impossible to automate. HealthSave gives you the same history as clean CSV or JSON, or synced to your own server, in usable shape.
Is the full history free?
The free tier exports a recent window (7 days). Unlimited export history and background sync are Pro ($24.99 one-time). The backfill is the headline reason most self-hosters buy Pro.
Does a big backfill happen all at once?
On-device file export covers whatever range you pick in one go. Server sync sends the backfill in batches, best-effort, so a decade of data lands over time rather than instantly. A single REST export call returns up to 100,000 rows, page longer ranges with from/to.
Will older data be complete?
HealthSave faithfully exports what HealthKit has. Apple retains long histories, though some very old samples may be stored in summarized form; your export reflects exactly what the device returns.
HealthSave is not a medical device. It is for informational purposes only and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. The accuracy of any health data depends on your wearable device and its sensors. Privacy claims of zero data collection apply to the iOS app; self-host sync sends your data to your own server.
Get HealthSave
Download free to try a recent export, then unlock unlimited history and background sync with a one-time Pro purchase to back up your full decade of Apple Health data.
Download HealthSave on the App Store