Even though Apple’s iOS 8 is now available, the company has run into a bit of a snag this morning. Apple was unable to make HealthKit apps available due to a bug. Apple has not told press about the details of this bug, but the company has stated that the problem is currently being worked on.

Any apps that used HealthKit have been removed from the app store, though the previous versions of those apps should be available in the App Store sooner rather than later.

Some Surprise

Some of the developers that have been working to base apps on HealthKit were surprised to learn of the new HealthKit bug. Those developers have already tested their respective apps, and most have not found any issues with the apps that do rely on HealthKit. However, Apple still pulled the apps after informing all developers connected with the app. This news also comes as a surprise to many since Apple has just notified the public that HealthKit is being used in various university hospitals as part of a trial.

Clearly, the bug that Apple has found is enough to keep the company from allowing HealthKit to spread to the App Store. Apple has told press that they hope to have the problem fixed by the end of September. Amongst others, popular fitness apps that were linked with HealthKit included Carrot Fit, MyFitnessPal, and WebMD, and you can still find those apps in the App Store, they just won’t be linked with HealthKit quite yet.

A Big Setback

It’s never a good thing when a company announces something officially, like HealthKit, makes the app available to the public, and then has to withdraw the app due to problems and complications. For this reason, Apple’s move to pull HealthKit from the update is a big deal, though there’s little doubt that the company will fix the bug in due time. But, there’s another reason why this news from Apple might not be the best thing for the company’s image at the moment.

Apple has recently come under some scrutiny where privacy is concerned. Recently, a number of celebrity photos were stolen from personal iCloud accounts. The photo leaks were the result of hacker attacks on iCloud accounts. So, the fact that Apple has just had to remove apps that could potentially hold a lot of very personal and private information (health details) might make some people nervous.

If you add to that the fact that Apple has just introduced a new and very personal payment service called Apple Pay, those considering using things like HealthKit and Apple Pay may not be so keen on using either of these services if the HealthKit bug turns out to be a privacy issue (though Apple will not likely tell press about these details if this is the case). Apple’s HealthKit is also a really integral part of the new Apple Watch, but hopefully the company can fix the bug before it impacts the sale of Apple Watches.