iOS 12 Diagnostic Reporting Options in Settings

With the release of iOS 12, Apple introduced several diagnostic and performance-reporting tools within the Settings app to improve device troubleshooting and system transparency. This article provides an overview of the specific diagnostic settings, privacy sharing controls, and hardware reporting features that Apple added or revamped in this update.

Remote Diagnostics Integration

iOS 12 streamlined the process for troubleshooting hardware and software issues with Apple Support. Users could access a dedicated diagnostic trigger directly inside Settings > Privacy > Analytics:

  • Start Diagnostics With Apple Support: This option allows Apple Support technicians to remotely run diagnostic suites on the device while on a support call or chat, removing the previous requirement of opening a specialized URL in Safari to initiate testing.

Improve Health Records Reporting

Building on the expansion of the Health app and the introduction of clinical Health Records, iOS 12 added a specific diagnostic data collection setting:

  • Improve Health Records: Located under Settings > Privacy > Analytics, this toggle allows users to share anonymized diagnostic data regarding how they interact with health records. Apple uses this data to enhance search indexing, improve medical terminology recognition, and identify interface issues without collecting personally identifiable medical information.

Enhanced Battery Diagnostic Metrics

While diagnostic reporting often refers to privacy logs sent to Apple, iOS 12 also overhauled on-device diagnostic reporting for users:

  • Advanced Battery Usage Charts: Located in Settings > Battery, Apple replaced simple list metrics with detailed diagnostic graphs displaying battery levels and screen activity over the last 24 hours or the last 10 days.
  • Battery Health Graduation: The Battery Health diagnostic tool officially exited its beta phase in iOS 12, providing diagnostic readouts of Maximum Capacity and Peak Performance Capability, while notifying users if performance management was actively applied due to battery degradation.

Refined Analytics Data and Developer Sharing

Under Settings > Privacy > Analytics, Apple refined its existing analytics reporting toggles:

  • Share with App Developers: Enhanced to capture more granular diagnostic crash logs and performance events for third-party applications, aiding developers in optimizing apps specifically for the performance-focused architecture of iOS 12.
  • Analytics Data Log Retention: The internal log viewer was updated to categorize and display diagnostic logs—such as crash reports, jetsam memory events, and power logs—more consistently for advanced troubleshooting and manual export.