Permissions

Setting up permissions in React Native CLI template

To access health data from the Health Connect app in your own app, you need to add the necessary permissions and filters to the app manifest.

Add the necessary permissions to AndroidManifest.xml:

android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
+   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.health.READ_HEART_RATE"/>
+   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.health.WRITE_HEART_RATE"/>
+   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.health.READ_STEPS"/>
+   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.health.WRITE_STEPS"/>
</manifest>

Create PermissionRationaleActivity.kt

android/app/src/main/java/com/healthconnectexample/PermissionRationaleActivity.kt
package com.healthconnectexample

import android.os.Bundle
import android.webkit.WebResourceRequest
import android.webkit.WebView
import android.webkit.WebViewClient
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity

class PermissionsRationaleActivity: AppCompatActivity() {
  override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

    val webView = WebView(this)
    webView.webViewClient = object : WebViewClient() {
      override fun shouldOverrideUrlLoading(view: WebView?, request: WebResourceRequest?): Boolean {
        return false
      }
    }

    webView.loadUrl("https://developer.android.com/health-and-fitness/guides/health-connect/develop/get-started")

    setContentView(webView)
  }
}

Add the following highlighted code inside the application tag as well:

android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
    <activity
      android:name=".MainActivity"
      android:label="@string/app_name"
      android:configChanges="keyboard|keyboardHidden|orientation|screenLayout|screenSize|smallestScreenSize|uiMode"
      android:launchMode="singleTask"
      android:windowSoftInputMode="adjustResize"
      android:exported="true">
      <intent-filter>
          <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
          <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
      </intent-filter>
+      <!-- For supported versions through Android 13, create an activity to show the rationale
+           of Health Connect permissions once users click the privacy policy link. -->
+      <intent-filter>
+        <action android:name="androidx.health.ACTION_SHOW_PERMISSIONS_RATIONALE" />
+      </intent-filter>
    </activity>

+    <activity
+      android:name=".PermissionsRationaleActivity"
+      android:exported="true">
+      <intent-filter>
+        <action android:name="androidx.health.ACTION_SHOW_PERMISSIONS_RATIONALE" />
+      </intent-filter>
+    </activity>
+
+    <!-- For versions starting Android 14, create an activity alias to show the rationale
+         of Health Connect permissions once users click the privacy policy link. -->
+    <activity-alias
+      android:name="ViewPermissionUsageActivity"
+      android:exported="true"
+      android:targetActivity=".MainActivity"
+      android:permission="android.permission.START_VIEW_PERMISSION_USAGE">
+      <intent-filter>
+        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW_PERMISSION_USAGE" />
+        <category android:name="android.intent.category.HEALTH_PERMISSIONS" />
+      </intent-filter>
+    </activity-alias>

Setting up permissions in Expo

You will need to use EAS Build and Config plugins in your project.

Edit app.json and add the permissions you need.

{
  "expo": {
    ...
    "android": {
      ...
      "permissions": [
        "android.permission.health.READ_STEPS",
        "android.permission.health.WRITE_STEPS",
        "android.permission.health.READ_ACTIVE_CALORIES_BURNED"
      ]
    },
   ...
  }
}

Complete list of permissions

Record class type	Read permission declaration	Write permission declaration
ActiveCaloriesBurned	android.permission.health.READ_ACTIVE_CALORIES_BURNED	android.permission.health.WRITE_ACTIVE_CALORIES_BURNED
BasalBodyTemperature	android.permission.health.READ_BASAL_BODY_TEMPERATURE	android.permission.health.WRITE_BASAL_BODY_TEMPERATURE
BasalMetabolicRate	android.permission.health.READ_BASAL_METABOLIC_RATE	android.permission.health.WRITE_BASAL_METABOLIC_RATE
BloodGlucose	android.permission.health.READ_BLOOD_GLUCOSE	android.permission.health.WRITE_BLOOD_GLUCOSE
BloodPressure	android.permission.health.READ_BLOOD_PRESSURE	android.permission.health.WRITE_BLOOD_PRESSURE
BodyFat	android.permission.health.READ_BODY_FAT	android.permission.health.WRITE_BODY_FAT
BodyTemperature	android.permission.health.READ_BODY_TEMPERATURE	android.permission.health.WRITE_BODY_TEMPERATURE
BoneMass	android.permission.health.READ_BONE_MASS	android.permission.health.WRITE_BONE_MASS
CervicalMucus	android.permission.health.READ_CERVICAL_MUCUS	android.permission.health.WRITE_CERVICAL_MUCUS
CyclingPedalingCadence	android.permission.health.READ_EXERCISE	android.permission.health.WRITE_EXERCISE
Distance	android.permission.health.READ_DISTANCE	android.permission.health.WRITE_DISTANCE
ElevationGained	android.permission.health.READ_ELEVATION_GAINED	android.permission.health.WRITE_ELEVATION_GAINED
ExerciseSession	android.permission.health.READ_EXERCISE	android.permission.health.WRITE_EXERCISE
FloorsClimbed	android.permission.health.READ_FLOORS_CLIMBED	android.permission.health.WRITE_FLOORS_CLIMBED
HeartRate	android.permission.health.READ_HEART_RATE	android.permission.health.WRITE_HEART_RATE
Height	android.permission.health.READ_HEIGHT	android.permission.health.WRITE_HEIGHT
Hydration	android.permission.health.READ_HYDRATION	android.permission.health.WRITE_HYDRATION
LeanBodyMass	android.permission.health.READ_LEAN_BODY_MASS	android.permission.health.WRITE_LEAN_BODY_MASS
MenstruationFlow	android.permission.health.READ_MENSTRUATION	android.permission.health.WRITE_MENSTRUATION
MenstruationPeriod	android.permission.health.READ_MENSTRUATION	android.permission.health.WRITE_MENSTRUATION
Nutrition	android.permission.health.READ_NUTRITION	android.permission.health.WRITE_NUTRITION
OvulationTest	android.permission.health.READ_OVULATION_TEST	android.permission.health.WRITE_OVULATION_TEST
OxygenSaturation	android.permission.health.READ_OXYGEN_SATURATION	android.permission.health.WRITE_OXYGEN_SATURATION
Power	android.permission.health.READ_POWER	android.permission.health.WRITE_POWER
RespiratoryRate	android.permission.health.READ_RESPIRATORY_RATE	android.permission.health.WRITE_RESPIRATORY_RATE
RestingHeartRate	android.permission.health.READ_RESTING_HEART_RATE	android.permission.health.WRITE_RESTING_HEART_RATE
SexualActivity	android.permission.health.READ_SEXUAL_ACTIVITY	android.permission.health.WRITE_SEXUAL_ACTIVITY
SleepSession	android.permission.health.READ_SLEEP	android.permission.health.WRITE_SLEEP
Speed	android.permission.health.READ_SPEED	android.permission.health.WRITE_SPEED
StepsCadence	android.permission.health.READ_STEPS	android.permission.health.WRITE_STEPS
Steps	android.permission.health.READ_STEPS	android.permission.health.WRITE_STEPS
TotalCaloriesBurned	android.permission.health.READ_TOTAL_CALORIES_BURNED	android.permission.health.WRITE_TOTAL_CALORIES_BURNED
Vo2Max	android.permission.health.READ_VO2_MAX	android.permission.health.WRITE_VO2_MAX
Weight	android.permission.health.READ_WEIGHT	android.permission.health.WRITE_WEIGHT
WheelchairPushes	android.permission.health.READ_WHEELCHAIR_PUSHES	android.permission.health.WRITE_WHEELCHAIR_PUSHES
WriteExerciseRoute	android.permission.health.WRITE_EXERCISE_ROUTE	N/A

You can read more about data types and permissions here.

Special Permissions

In addition to the standard record type permissions, Health Connect provides special permissions for specific functionality:

Background Access Permission

This permission allows your app to read health data in the background, even when your app is not in the foreground.

First, add the background access permission to your AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.health.READ_HEALTH_DATA_IN_BACKGROUND"/>

Then, request the permission in your app:

// Request background access permission
requestPermission([
  {
    accessType: 'read',
    recordType: 'BackgroundAccessPermission',
  },
  // Other permissions...
]);

Under the hood, this maps to HealthPermission.PERMISSION_READ_HEALTH_DATA_IN_BACKGROUND in the Android Health Connect API.

See the Background Access Permission documentation for more details.

Exercise Route Permission

This special permission is required to write exercise routes:

requestPermission([
  {
    accessType: 'write',
    recordType: 'ExerciseRoute',
  },
  // Other permissions...
]);

Setting up permissions in React Native CLI template​

Setting up permissions in Expo​

Complete list of permissions​

Special Permissions​

Background Access Permission​

Exercise Route Permission​