Do Smart Rings Share Your Information With Third-Party Apps? What You Should Know

Summary 

• Data sharing is often required for core features, such as syncing with Apple Health or Samsung Health.
• A company’s privacy policy explains what data is collected, how it’s used, and exactly who it’s shared with.
• Users can review connected third-party apps, revoke access, and opt out of certain data sharing (such as marketing or analytics).
• In the U.S., data collected by consumer smart rings is not protected by HIPAA.

Think of smart rings this way: they continuously collect health data, and yes, that data is often shared with other companies. Sometimes this is necessary, for example, when your Life Ring sends step data to Apple Health. Other times, data may be shared with analytics or advertising partners.

The key is understanding the fine print in the company’s privacy policy and actively managing the settings in the ring’s app. You can’t stop the ring from collecting data entirely, but you can usually control who else has access to it.

How Smart Rings Share Data with Third Parties

Smart rings collect highly personal, minute-by-minute data, including heart rate, sleep stages, and body temperature. To display this information in your app, the data travels from the ring to your phone and often to the company’s cloud servers.

That isn’t the only destination. Here’s how and why your data may be shared with third parties:

App Integrations

This is the most common and helpful type of sharing. When you connect your smart ring data to an app like Apple Health or Samsung Health, you are giving explicit permission for that two-way data exchange.

Analytics and Marketing

Many smart ring companies collaborate with third-party firms to understand how users interact with their products and assess the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

In many cases, this happens without being directly linked to your personal user account, as the goal is to identify big-picture trends that will improve the product for everyone.

Service Providers

Smart ring apps often rely on external vendors for essential services, including cloud storage, data processing, and customer support. Your data is shared with these providers so the product can function properly.

Don’t worry, these service providers are usually locked into contracts that require them to handle your information with the same care and privacy the ring company promises you.

Business Transfers

If a smart ring company is acquired, merges with another business, or sells its assets, user data may be transferred to the new owner. This allows the service to continue operating under new management.

Key Steps to Protect Your Data Privacy

Because smart rings collect sensitive health and lifestyle information, being proactive about your privacy settings is essential.

Review Privacy Policies

This is the single most important step. Privacy policies explain what data is collected, how it’s used, and which third parties receive it. They may not be exciting to read, but this is where the real rules are spelled out.

Control App Integrations

Regularly review your list of connected apps. If you connected an app last year and don’t use it anymore, go into your ring’s settings (or the ring app’s settings) and revoke its data access. It’s like changing the locks, ensuring that the old connection can’t keep pulling your new, private health data.

Adjust Privacy Settings

Many apps include simple toggles that allow you to opt out of data sharing for features such as analytics and marketing. Actively look for these switches! They are often hidden deep in the settings menu, so take a minute to explore and turn off anything you aren’t comfortable with.

Verify Security Measures

A quick search of the company’s security policy should tell you if they use end-to-end encryption for your data. This is a technical process that scrambles your data, making it unreadable to anyone, even the company itself, while it’s being sent or stored. Strong encryption is crucial for keeping hackers at bay.

Delete Your Data

If you stop using the ring or switch to a different brand, don’t just throw it in a drawer. Understand how to officially request the deletion of your data from the company’s servers. This ensures your past health history isn’t just sitting in their cloud forever.

Understand HIPAA Limitations

In the U.S., data from consumer wearables like smart rings is not protected by HIPAA. That law only applies to healthcare providers, insurers, and medical clearinghouses. Your privacy depends entirely on the company’s policies and your own settings.

Conclusion: Maintaining Control

Yes, smart rings share data, that’s part of how the technology works. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless.

Most reputable companies require your consent for third-party data sharing and give you tools to control it. Your responsibility is to use those tools consistently.

Make reviewing your privacy settings a habit, especially after app updates or when new features are introduced. Data-sharing practices can change, and silence often means consent.

If you stay vigilant, your health data stays under your control, not anyone else’s.

FAQs

1. Does the Life Ring share my data automatically?

Your smart ring collects data constantly. Sharing it with fitness apps like Apple Health or Samsung Health requires your explicit consent. However, the company may share data for internal analytics/marketing, which you can usually opt out of in the app’s privacy settings.

2. What kind of personal data does the ring collect?

Smart rings collect highly personal, sensitive health data, including heart rate, sleep metrics, stress indicators, and body temperature, creating a detailed, ongoing health profile.

3. What is the single most important step I can take to protect my data?

Read the privacy policy. Then align the app’s privacy settings with your comfort level. Everything else is secondary.

4. Is my smart ring data protected by HIPAA in the U.S.?

No. Consumer wearable data is not covered by HIPAA. Your privacy protection depends on the company’s policies and how well you manage your settings.