In the iOS Health app, the “heart” icon represents different aspects of heart health, like heart rate, blood pressure, and overall heart monitoring. It shows important health information that helps users understand and manage their physical health better. In addition, the designer did not choose to place the heart in the middle of the overall icon, but to the side, which corresponds to the fact that the human heart is located on the left side of the human body.
On the other hand, the heart in Egyptian hieroglyphics had a wider and deeper meaning. Egyptians saw the heart as the center of emotions, thoughts, and the soul. The image of the heart looked like a small jar. In the afterlife, the heart was very important, and people believed it was weighed against a feather to decide one’s fate in the next life.
The metaphors used are different. In the iOS app, the heart stands for health and vitality, directly linked to medical and physical health. In Egyptian culture, the metaphor of the heart reached into moral character and the essence of life and the afterlife, symbolizing a deep connection between physical existence and spiritual morality. But I think they also have similarities. The heart icon in the app corresponds to the location of the human heart; in Egyptian culture, the heart is expressed as a small jar that can hold things like emotions, thoughts, and the soul, which means that they both have some realistic elements.