Health Connect Archives

AppWizard

November 22, 2025

Five Android apps to challenge Google Fit

Google Fit is a foundational tool for Android users, but many are looking for more comprehensive fitness insights and community engagement. Alternative applications provide enhanced features and deeper analytics tailored to various training styles. Strava is a social platform for endurance athletes with over 100 million users, offering features like segment leaderboards and route planning, making it ideal for GPS-centric sports. Samsung Health integrates sleep coaching, stress metrics, and body composition estimates, providing a holistic dashboard for daily monitoring, especially effective with Galaxy devices. MyFitnessPal focuses on nutrition and weight goals, featuring a database of over 14 million foods for easy meal logging and customizable macro goals. Hevy is designed for strength training, offering a streamlined logging system for workouts and progress tracking, with a lightweight social component. AllTrails caters to hikers and trail runners, providing access to over 400,000 curated routes and safety features, including offline maps and GPS tracking. Users can choose an app based on their primary fitness goals, with options for GPS and community engagement, overall wellness, nutrition tracking, strength training, or outdoor adventures, all benefiting from data interoperability through Health Connect by Android.

AppWizard

October 28, 2025

You won’t be able to use these features in the redesigned Fitbit app preview yet

Google will begin rolling out a major redesign of the Fitbit app for Android users on October 28, available to Fitbit Premium subscribers with compatible devices. The update includes an AI-powered Fitbit Coach for personalized fitness experiences. However, many key features will be missing during this preview phase, including: - Menstrual health logging and tracking - Nutrition and hydration logging and tracking - Blood glucose logging and tracking - Body temperature logging and tracking - Stress Management Score, Body Responses, mindfulness days, and mood logging - Manual editing of sleep sessions and data - Heart rate zone analysis in exercise summaries - Sedentary time and hours - Advanced running metrics for Pixel Watch 3 and 4 users - Cardio Fitness Score - Friends, groups, leaderboard, and messages - Viewing badges - Sharing workouts on social media - Exporting TCX files from workout summaries - Switching to children’s view for data from children's accounts - Syncing data from Aria Air to the Fitbit app The app also cannot import exercise sessions, routes, and health metrics from third-party applications via Health Connect. Users can revert to the previous app version easily through the settings menu.

AppWizard

September 18, 2025

Pixel users can customize their app icons with the latest Android 16 QPR2 Beta release

Google has released the Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2, which includes the September 5, 2025 security patch. Eligible devices for this update are Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Fold, 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, 9a, 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, and Pixel Tablet. The update introduces Themed icon shapes with five options: Circle, Square, Four-sided "cookie," Seven-sided "cookie," and Arch. The Display & touch settings have been redesigned, and Health Connect now automatically tracks steps. The update has achieved Platform Stability, allowing developers to test apps without unexpected changes. It has the build number BP41.250822.010. Starting September 2026, verified developer registration will be required for app installations on certified Android devices in select regions.

AppWizard

September 11, 2025

Health Connect will soon track your steps without needing another app

Google is enhancing its Health Connect platform by introducing native step tracking capabilities, transitioning from a data aggregator to a direct data collector from phone sensors. Launched in 2022, Health Connect serves as a centralized hub for health and fitness data, allowing applications to share data like steps, heart rate, and sleep patterns. Users can manage permissions for which applications can access their health data. The integration with Android 14 facilitates easy downloading of health applications and data sharing. Recent findings indicate that Google is working on implementing native step tracking, with a new “Devices” page showing connected devices that can write step data to Health Connect. Although step counting is not yet functional, the technology is capable, suggesting ongoing refinement. This evolution positions Health Connect as a competitor to Apple Health and raises questions about the future of Fitbit, which may continue to serve users seeking advanced metrics.

AppWizard

September 5, 2025

How to use Pixel Journal on the Pixel 10

Google has introduced the Pixel Journal app, currently available exclusively for the Pixel 10, allowing users to capture thoughts and experiences through text and images while providing AI-driven insights. To set up the app, users search for "Journal" in the app drawer, select a journaling purpose from seven options, and can link it to other Google services. The app features two tabs: Entries, for viewing and searching journal entries, and Insights, which organizes entries chronologically and includes emotional emojis. Users can create new entries using AI-generated prompts or recent pictures, customize appearance, and log fitness data if connected to Health Connect. Privacy is emphasized, with all entries secured and not used for advertising or training AI models. The app uses an on-device service for audio transcription, and AI features are available only in English and Japanese for users aged 18 and older. Users must include a minimum of five words for AI reflections, and the Pixel 10 is powered by the Tensor G5 chip with Gemini AI features.

AppWizard

August 20, 2025

Google’s new AI health coach is coming to Fitbit and Pixel Watches next month

Google has introduced an AI-powered personal health coach for Pixel Watch and Fitbit devices, which acts as a fitness trainer, sleep coach, and wellness advisor. It personalizes recommendations based on individual goals, recovery needs, and activity levels. A revamped Fitbit app featuring AI capabilities will be rolled out, initially available as a preview for Fitbit Premium users. The AI health coach utilizes Google Gemini to tailor its suggestions and will adapt to users' habits and health over time. It is compatible with data from Health Connect and HealthKit. The feature is set to launch for Fitbit Premium users in the U.S. next month, with early access sign-up available now.

AppWizard

November 22, 2024

The end of Google Fit? Fitbit looks set to replace it on future Android phones – and bring its AI coach with it

The Oppo Find X8 series has adopted the Fitbit app as its primary fitness application, moving away from Google Fit. This marks the first time a non-Pixel Google smartphone features Fitbit in this capacity. Users can transition their data from Google Fit to Fitbit using Google's Health Connect service. New features for Fitbit, including an AI health coach and an AI-driven Sleep Journal, are in development, with potential availability by the end of the year.

AppWizard

November 22, 2024

Your next Android phone could swap out Google Fit for this alternative

Google is shifting its approach to fitness applications on Android devices, moving from Google Fit as the default app to the Fitbit app. The OPPO Find X8 Pro and Realme GT7 Pro have replaced Google Fit with the Fitbit app, which is now pre-installed on these devices. Google confirmed that the Fitbit app has been available to smartphone manufacturers as a default option since earlier this year, with several manufacturers choosing to preload it. This trend indicates that the Fitbit app is becoming a standard feature across more Android smartphones, and there is anticipation for the integration of Google Fit features into the Fitbit app.

AppWizard

November 22, 2024

Fitbit might come preloaded on your next Android phone

The Oppo Find X8 series introduces a significant change in the Android ecosystem by preloading the Fitbit application instead of the traditional Google apps. The Find X8 and X8 Pro are the first non-Google Android phones to include Fitbit in the standard "Google" app folder, replacing Google Fit, which has been the default fitness tracking application on Android devices. Google has deprecated the Fit API, indicating a strategic shift towards Fitbit as the primary fitness application, with developers required to migrate to Health Connect by June 30, 2025. A Google spokesperson confirmed that the Fitbit app is now available for Android OEMs to preload on their devices, enhancing health and wellness offerings. Despite the availability of the Fitbit app earlier in the year, it has taken until late 2024 for an Android OEM to officially ship devices with Fitbit as the default fitness tracking application.

AppWizard

November 21, 2024

Fitbit is now preloaded as the default fitness app in some Android devices, replacing Google Fit

Fitbit is becoming a default application on Android devices, starting with the Oppo Find X8 series, which replaces Google Fit as the primary fitness tracking app. This change reflects Google's strategy to integrate Fitbit into its ecosystem following its acquisition in 2019. Manufacturers can now include Fitbit in their default app packages, and the Find X8 series is the first to do so. Google has retired the Google Fit API, encouraging developers to transition to Health Connect by June 30, 2025. The shift raises questions about the future of Google Fit and its impact on user experience for those accustomed to it.