What MCP changes
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It gives an assistant tools for requesting information from another service. It does not give the assistant direct access to HealthKit on your iPhone.
With telo, the iPhone reads the Apple Health categories you allow and sends the available history to the telo service. An authorised assistant can then request that context. The answer is produced by your AI assistant.
Native connection, exported file or MCP?
A native integration connects Apple Health inside the assistant’s own app. Claude and ChatGPT document US availability for their health integrations as of the review date. An exported file is a snapshot that you must replace when you want newer records.
MCP provides a separate connection to a data service. It can be useful outside the native integration’s supported regions, or when you use another client such as Codex. The assistant must still support the connection on your plan and in your region.
How the telo connection works
- Get access to telo. New users currently join the waitlist.
- On your iPhone, choose the Apple Health categories to share and complete the history sync.
- Add telo to a compatible assistant and approve its access with your telo account.
- Ask which records and dates are available before asking for a comparison.
Which records can be used?
telo works with available daily health metrics, sleep sessions and workouts. Coverage depends on the apps and devices that write to Apple Health, your permissions and the records actually synced.
Daily summaries are not raw sensor samples. Do not expect a second-by-second workout trace or a detailed sleep hypnogram. An Apple Watch can contribute records, but the source of the connection is Apple Health on the iPhone.
Where does the data go?
The data you sync is held by the telo service. Records returned to an assistant are also processed by that AI service. This is not an iPhone-only or fully local setup.
Review the categories you share and the permissions you approve. Removing a connection and deleting already synced data are different actions. telo makes records available; it does not diagnose or prescribe treatment.
Sources and availability
Plans, regions and interfaces can change. Check the official sources before setting up.
Practical questions
Do I need to export an XML file every time?
A manual export captures the records available at that moment. Once the telo app is configured, syncing sends updates to the service. Check the latest sync before asking about recent records: background delivery does not mean instant updates.
Why is a metric from my watch missing?
First check whether it appears in Apple Health on your iPhone. Then check telo’s read permission and whether sync completed. A proprietary score from another app may not be shared with Apple Health. MCP only exposes records that reached the service.
Does connecting an assistant open up my whole iPhone?
No. The assistant queries the telo service’s tools and the synced records belonging to the authorised account. This does not provide general iPhone access. Returned records are processed by the AI service you choose.
How this guide was prepared
Prepared with AI assistance using the cited official documentation and the telo workflow described in the project. Screens and permissions can vary by account. This review did not include a complete authenticated test in each assistant.