The Death Clock: HealthKit's 'Deadline' App Predicts Date And Time You'll Kick The Bucket
At one point or another, we have all been posed with the question, “If you knew the date and time you were going to die, would you live life differently?” The “Deadline” iOS app terrifies its unfit users into living a healthier life with a “date of expiration” prediction. The unsettling, gloomy reality check uses statistical information from HealthKit data such as blood pressure, sleep patterns, and number of steps walked, along with vital statistics such as age, gender, and height to arrive at its prediction.
“Deadline uses statistical information to attempt to determine your date of expiration, but no app can really accurately determine when you will die, so consider this a way to motivate yourself to be healthier, and consult a physician as necessary,” said Gist LLC, developer, on the iTunes page. However, the app reminds users, “You can often change the date by living a healthier lifestyle. Watch the ticker...”
Users must properly sync their HealthKit info with the Deadline app to get an accurate day of death estimation. A user’s health information is stored in a centralized location, and the user decides which data should be shared with the designated app, which is Deadline in this case. The “death clock” app requires users to be on iOS 8 or later and is compatible with the iPhone and the iPod touch. Unlike similar apps, Deadline uses a widget, which greets its users with the countdown clock to your death.
Currently, the app has two stars with 20 ratings. User Arti the One Man Party wrote on the iTunes page, “Guess I should stop drinking so much booze. It adds years on. This app is fun and a reminder that the choices you make now while you're young will greatly affect you when you're older.” User Jin Lee wrote: “A great and simple reminder we are all destined to perish at some point. How can I forget this all the time? I think this app has a great potential.”
Last week, Apple’s counterpart Google launched “Google Fit.” The app taps into your smartphone to monitor daily activities, like steps and active minutes. Soon Google Fit will connect with third party apps and devices like Android Wear smartwatches and fitness trackers like Nike. It’s unclear if a “death clock countdown” is in the works.
Chances are if you have sedentary behavior, like poor eating habits and no exercise, your longevity is shortened, and you don’t need an app to tell you that. You can eat and exercise to improve and lengthen your quality of life. However, if hearing the tick tock countdown of your fate motivates you, then this is the app for that.