- You can now sync your Fitbit data from Google Health to Apple Health
- Previously, data could only flow in the other direction
- The change makes it easier to manage your fitness info in one place
A quiet update from Google has the potential to make a big difference for fans of all the best Fitbits who also use an iPhone. Instead of spreading your health data across multiple apps — or having to rely on Google Health alone — you can now use Apple’s own solution for wearables that are spread across different platforms.
The change in question involves a new feature found in the latest Google Health update on iOS. Specifically, data stored in Google Health can now be synced to the Apple Health app, including data such as “exercise records, sleep, vitals, steps, and more,” according to Google.
That’s important news for a couple of reasons. The first is that it finally opens up Google Health data to a wider audience. Previously, you could sync Apple Health data to Google Health, but you couldn’t send it back the other way, meaning anything saved in Google Health was siloed off and isolated. Now, it’s much more accessible to iOS users, especially those who prefer the Apple Health app.
The second factor is that it now means Apple fans — or those who would rather use Apple Health instead of Google Health — no longer need to compromise if they have any Fitbit wearables. From now on, those users can happily manage their Apple and Fitbit devices from one place inside Apple Health, instead of having to either use multiple apps or Google’s offering alone.
Apple Health is all you need
To sync your data from Google Health to Apple Health, open the Google Health app, then tap your profile icon and select Partner Apps. Choose Apple Health, and follow the on-screen prompts to send your data across to Apple’s platform.
As mentioned previously, one group of people who will benefit from this change are those who use two or more wearables that operate on different platforms. Before, if these users wanted to get all their data into Apple Health, they had to use a third-party app or workaround. Now, things are much simpler.
The change seems to have gone down well with Fitbit users online. Posting on Reddit, for example, one user commended Google, saying: “Good job from Google, I didn't think they would actually add that feature anytime soon.”
Another happily noted that “Google did it quite fast. Nice to see when they care about customers.” A third, meanwhile, lamented that cross-platform functionality like this “Should have been there a long time ago.”
If you’re an iOS user with a Fitbit device, you no longer need to stick to Google Health to keep track of all your health and fitness information. With this change, Apple Health is all you need.
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