If You Don't Need Fertility Tracking Features in iOS, Here's How to Disable Them

Apple and its latest lineup of devices are packed with the best features you will need in your everyday life. Not only are these devices made to help you stay connected with people you love, but they also help you promote your health and fitness.

The latest Apple Watch also includes features like heart rate notifications, an ECG app, a blood oxygen level test, and more.

Apple's Fertility Tracking Features

Apple is packed with a number of health and safety features. Some of them are groundbreaking in terms of purpose and usability. One of which is temperature sensing, a breakthrough feature that provides deep insights into women's health.

Apple's Cycle Tracking feature was introduced with iOS 13 and watchOS 6 and was continuously updated with later operating system overhauls.

This feature can help women track their menstrual cycle to get a better picture of their overall health and be more in tune with their bodies.

Despite the benefits of tracking menstrual cycles, Apple reminds users that it should not be used as a form of birth control, nor should data from the Apple feature be used to diagnose certain health conditions.

How It Works

Apple estimates ovulation retroactively based on temperature data. When ovulation has already occurred, devices like the Apple Watch Series 8 or Apple Watch Ultra can use wrist temperature data to predict the most likely day of ovulation and improve period predictions. Obviously, you need these devices to run these features.

Ovulation estimations are merely predictions and do not represent a guarantee that ovulation has taken place. They operate very similarly to ovulation-tracking apps that serve as logs.

Also, some users may be reluctant to share such data with their Apple devices, and that is perfectly fine, as the feature can be disabled.

How To Disable Fertility Tracking Features on iOS

These steps, first shared by The Verge, can assist you in disabling the aforementioned features if you believe you do not need them or do not feel safe logging your data in such Apple features.

Here's how to disable the wrist temperature feature:

• Navigate to Cycle Tracking in your iPhone's Health app.
• Tap Options to the right of the Cycle Log header.
• Scroll down to Watch Data and uncheck the Use Wrist Temperature checkbox. If you don't want to share any biometric data, you can turn off the Use Heart Rate toggle.
• You can do the same thing on your Watch by going to Settings > Cycle Tracking > Use Wrist Temperature / Use Heart Rate.

Here's how to disable fertility tracking:

• Open the Health app and go to Cycle Tracking > Options.
• Scroll down to Fertility Tracking and click the Fertility Window Estimates toggle.

How to disable Cycle Deviation Detection:

• Open the Health app and go to Cycle Tracking > Options.
• Tap Cycle Deviation Detection under the Period Tracking heading.
• You should see four toggles for Irregular Periods, Infrequent Periods, Prolonged Periods, and Persistent Spotting. Turn all of these off.

If you are having difficulty following these steps, you can contact Apple support via this link for more information.