Apple Research App & Privacy

The Apple Research app allows you to find, enrol and participate in Apple research studies using your iPhone. You can manage the collection and use of your information for each study you are enrolled in and you can stop sharing data with any study at any time.
 

The Apple Research app is designed to protect your information and enable you to choose what you share.


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  • Any information collected or accessed by the Apple Research app is stored in encrypted form if you have a passcode on your iOS device. Research data may include your demographic information, health information, information about your usage of the Apple Research app, and sensor and usage data from your iOS and watchOS devices.
  • Information from the Apple Research app will be shared with a study only after you have joined that study by signing the consent(s) for that study and authorised in the Apple Research app the information that the study may collect or access.
  • If you choose to share your information with Apple as part of a study, your information will be encrypted when transferred to and stored on Apple-managed servers. Apple will not be able to read any information that directly identifies you (such as your name, email address and phone number) that is collected through the Apple Research app.
  • You can manage the collection and use of your information for each study you are enrolled in and you can stop sharing data with any study at any time.

The Apple Research app allows you to find, enrol and participate in Apple research studies using your iPhone, including allowing you to share certain information collected by your iOS, watchOS and other devices. This text describes and governs the privacy protections of the Apple Research app.

You can manage the collection and use of your information, including your personal data, for each study you are enrolled in. Any information collected or accessed by the Apple Research app is stored in encrypted form if you have a passcode on your iOS device.

Information from the Apple Research app will be shared with a study only after you have joined that study by signing the consent(s) for that study and authorised in the Apple Research app the information that the study may collect or access. If you choose to share your information with Apple as part of a study, your information will be encrypted when transferred to and stored on Apple-managed servers. Apple will not be able to read any information which directly identifies you (such as your name, email address and phone number) that is collected through the Apple Research app.

Research data collected or accessed by the Apple Research app may include:

  • Research Profile Information: When enrolling in your first study, you will be asked to provide certain information to create a research profile in the Apple Research app, which includes information such as your name, email address, phone number and date of birth. You must provide this profile information before you can participate in any study that is run within the Apple Research app. Your profile information may be used to determine whether you are eligible for certain studies. This processing of your profile information for study eligibility purposes will be done on device. Apple will not have access to your contact information or your full date of birth.
  • Demographic Information: You will also be asked to provide certain demographic information such as sex and ethnicity. You are not required to provide any demographic information before participating in a study. Your demographic information may be used to determine whether you are eligible for certain studies. This processing of your demographic information for study eligibility purposes will be done on device.
  • Health App Information: If you have information in your Health app, you can choose to share that information with certain studies. This information may include your health records, body measurements, vitals and reproductive health information such as menstrual cycle length and related symptoms.
  • Apple Research App Usage Information: This is information about your usage of and interaction with the Apple Research app and specific studies within it. For example, this may include information about study-related notifications that you receive and the actions you take in response to such notifications; when you enrol in a given study; the number of study-related tasks you have started and completed; how often and how much data is sent from the Research app; how you launch the Research app; and information about how the Research app is functioning.
  • Sensor & Usage Data: This sensor and device usage information is available only to research studies that meet certain requirements, including being reviewed by a research ethics committee. You can control the Sensor & Usage Data you share with each study you join, and you can stop sharing this data with any study at any time. Learn more at Settings > Privacy & Security > Research Sensor & Usage Data.
  • Other Data Types: Some studies in the Apple Research app may collect or access additional data types, such as audio or video data or information generated from tests or surveys administered through the Apple Research app. Each study consent will describe the collection, use and sharing of such data, as applicable.

You can stop sharing any data collected or accessed through the Apple Research app with any study within the Apple Research app at any time by going to the Your Data tab and following the onscreen instructions.

You also can stop participating in any study at any time. You can withdraw from a study that is run within the Apple Research app by going to the Studies tab, selecting the relevant study and tapping Withdraw from this Study. Note that deleting or offloading the Apple Research app will only pause data collection and sharing — not withdraw you from a study. The specific retention policies and steps you need to take to withdraw will be described in the Informed Consent for each study.

Information stored in your Apple Research app may not reflect your complete medical history and should not be used as a substitute for your official health records or any professional medical judgement. You should consult your healthcare provider prior to making any decisions related to your health. Information stored in your Apple Research app also may not reflect your complete study records. You should consult the contacts listed in the consent for each study if you have any questions about your study records.

At all times, information collected by Apple from your use of the Apple Research app or any of the features enabled through the Apple Research app will be treated in accordance with Apple’s Health Study Apps Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.apple.com/legal/privacy/apple-health-studies/en-ww.

Published Date: September 20, 2024