Integrate with iOS Health

Hi there,

 

I'm really excited about Apple's announcement of the Health App in iOS 8 to be release this fall.  I'm looking forward to seeing a product announcement by Fitbit for a successor to the recalled Fitbit Force, and I'm really hoping to hear some exciting news about Fitbits intigration with Apple's new Health App to be released alongside iOS 8 this fall.  

 

This is a huge oportunity to make your devices even smarter and more integrated - Please support these APIs!  Thanks!

 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity and labels.

4,966 Comments
shanenjoyslife
First Steps

Adding my name to the list of individuals requesting an integration into the Apple Watch.  Thank you.

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

My wife has a fitbit and she loves it. I am considering to buy the Fitbit Surge, however the lack of integration is at the moment a huge con for me actually buying it.

If fitbit cannot commit to health kit integration for IOS devices then I will likely consider other devices that do the same with health kit integration.

majko
Stepping Up

Screw you, Fitbit developers. You totally don't care about this, it's been pretty long, the frequency of releasing updates are very low and it's very sad. Shame. Waiting for Apple Watch next generations and will switch to it.

rodriguex
Stepping Up
+1 for iOS HealthKit integration! 🙂
SunsetRunner
Not applicable

I've been a Jawbone user for over a year, and decided to switch to Fitbit's Charge HR.  I really do enjoy the device, but it was disappointing to learn that it didn't sync with the Health app. The reason for this is I have all that data from Jawbone in the Health app and I'd like to see Fitbit added so I can see a full year over year history of my activities and data.  Please consider bringing this to Apple!   

mbawkher
Recovery Runner

I would recommend also posting Health app integration requests on Fitbit's Twitter page.

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

@mbawkher At this stage, FitBit is very aware that people want this feature. They've also made it very clear that they don't care what we want. They have their own business reasons for not implementing HealthKit with their iOS app, so no amount of feature requests is going to change their mind.

 

Our only free/working option (that I'm aware of), is: 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/power-sync-for-fitbit-sync/id1071544839?mt=8

 

It does have limitations, probably due to the limitations in the FitBit API, but it's the best workaround I've found.

 

grantybe
Stepping Up
Hmm… I reckon it should be taken a step further. Print some sticky labels saying ‘Does not support HealthKit’ and mass-sticker all products in retail stores with them. I bet their sales would drop by 80% or more. That might actually make them change their tune.

What makes me laugh is this thread, which Fitbit’s Twitter account pointed me to, is so old that it still references iOS8!
SunsetRunner
Not applicable

I just assumed it would integrate with HealthKit before buying the Fitbit Charge HR. Had I know about this limitation, I would have seriously looked at the alternatives. Any fitness app on iOS that doesn't integrate with HealthKit by now is a joke.

 

It's a pity really, because the device and app are quite nice, but this HealthKit limitation makes no sense.

 

Putting warning stickers over all their products would have definitely made me choose something else. For now, I'll just give them a 1 star rating on Amazon, iTunes App Store, etc.

grantybe
Stepping Up
Just a side-note: If you haven’t actually voted (different to adding a comment to the thread) please make sure you do so at the top of the forum page (https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Requests/Integrate-with-iOS-8-Health-App/idi-p/319432 )
SunsetRunner
Not applicable

@grantybe Don't worry, I've voted for it, along with 2,600+ other ignored customers. I don't think it matters, even if we get to 10,000+ votes.

 

From the first post:

"10/8: We do not currently have plans to integrate with HealthKit." — I'm not even sure if that was posted in 2014 or 2015. 

 

"It is an interesting new platform and we will watch as it matures [...]" — it's pretty **ahem** mature already, which is why everyone else has integrated their apps already.

 

"The question we want you to keep in mind when providing feedback is: What do you imagine a HealthKit integration would entail and what do you expect to get out of it?"

— For me, my number one reason is that it's my data, about me, and I should be able to access my data in it's entirety. If I decided to go to a different service/product, then I should be able to take my data with me. It also provides a centralised location for all my health data to be stored. I can easily move my data to another product/device/phone if needed. Secondly, I want my other applications to easily sync with this data to provide features that Fitbit can't/won't provide.

 

 

There is a FitBit API at least, but I expect that's got limitations on what I can do with the data. 

SunsetRunner
Not applicable
Looks like there's a lot of interest here. I'm going to add my "me, too two cents' worth."

Ii would really like to see Fitbit's heart rate data sync with HealthKit. I know that through third party apps, fitbit heart rate data will sync a single data point (a 24 hour average).

I had read in a post by Fitbit back in 2014 that there were watching HealthKit to see how it "matures." I think we're there now.

I realize that the barriers to HealthKit are not technological, but are instead business model related. If we cannot have true HealthKit integration, can we at least get some usable heart rate data?
SunsetRunner
Not applicable

@SunsetRunner It's purely a business decision for FitBit, and as far as I can tell, probably based on a few reasons:

 

* HealthKit is limited to iOS devices and will not work with Android (shouldn't matter in my opinion)

* FitBit has a *lot* of data about us, and they don't want to let other app access via HealthKit (i.e. they want to keep us in the "Fitbit" ecosystem)

* Apple kicked FitBit out of their retail stores because a) FitBit refused to support HealthKit; and b) Apple wants to focus on selling their Apple Watch instead.

 

FitBit does have an API at least, so we're not completely screwed. I know http://gyrosco.pe integrates nicely with FitBit. It also shows accurate heart rate throughout the day (rather than a 24 hour average), so it's obviously possible to get that information from FitBit via the API. I'm not sure why Power Sync only syncs the 24 average instead of the complete HR data.

mbawkher
Recovery Runner

@SunsetRunner

 

"* Apple kicked FitBit out of their retail stores because a) FitBit refused to support HealthKit; and b) Apple wants to focus on selling their Apple Watch instead."

 

It's probably part of an agreement that products sold in bpple brick & Mortar stores must be fully compatible with iOS, Health Kit included, and Fitbit's refusal to do so in one way or another breached that agreement.

It's possible to purchase alternative (and cheaper) health trackers (such as Jawbone, Misfit & Moove) other than the Apple Watch both in-store and Apple website. The Apple Watch is a smart watch, which offers more features and better build quality than most health trackers, and as such commands a higher price (how much higher is debatable). 

Fitbit is trying to distinguish themselves from others by isolating their data from the Apple Health Kit eco system rather than generate a substantial amount of good will becoming an Apple Care Kit partner (the program that helps diagnose/manage medical conditions). This strategy is a gamble because it hinges on Fitbit being a 'lone wolf'.

I love my Charge HR, it's the best tracker I have ever used and the best product produced by Fitbit, but seriously, for Fitbit to not make a decision on this feature request for the last 2 years (yes since iOS 😎 will only cause enthusiastic Fitbit users to switch to other brands, as has been stated many times in previous posts.

PKDaba
Recovery Runner

Well said @mbawkher. However, Fitbit continues to deceive consumers by claiming that its products are iOS compatible on its packaging. Fitbit also continues to perpetuate this deception by keeping this thread alive riding on giving new customers false hope that this feature is “under consideration”.

 

With regards to CareKit, new apps have now been coming online that are worth exploring. Apple’s HealthKit, ResearchKit, and now CareKit all provide open API’s to developers and companies willing to adopt and integrate with them. The horizons will continue to expand for companies that play along with Apple’s ecosystem as far as fitness and health tracking is concerned. Fitbit, not so much. You do get what you pay for.

 

HopefulRunner
Recovery Runner

I switched to a competing device because I need my fitness tracker to work with my blood sugar tracking.

 

Take a look at One Drop (http://onedrop.today). The bigger the dot, the larger the reading. Pink for Blood Glucose, Green for Carbs, Orange for Activity, Blue for Meds.

 

It is very interesting to see how they all interact. But I don't use a fitbit any more because it would not play ball.

 

IMG_3616.jpg

Corconx
Jogger
I am hoping this will happen soon. Basically because as I don't carry my iPhone 6+ everywhere my Fitbit HR which I do wear links only some aspects

On top of that as I am diabetic I use an app called One Drop which does link with Apple Health app and also the iwatch (which I don't currently have but am considering when v2 comes out

Having both would make my life and possibly many others easier.

Love my Fitbit just would love this adding in to Apple Health as well

Please
TGW
First Steps

Add me to the list. I wear an Apple Watch most of my work days due to the travel app integration it presents.  I own a Charge HR and would upgrade to a Surge HR if true integration existed; I would rather use the fitbit device for workouts; as of now I don't, so my opinion of Fitbit is that I now own an obsolete piece of junk (my Charge HR) since it doesn't work for my life without the true integration.  Please do the integration as requested by your real-life customers & users (and MANY devotees!!).  Thanks.

SunsetRunner
Not applicable
Here's another request. When using third party tools to sync step, distance, etc., to HealthKit, Fitbit only allows a one time sync. It shows up at midnight. It does not sync the data as it happened during the day (there's no way I went 9 miles at midnight, but that's what HealthKit reads from Fitbit's data).

How about making this data USEFUL?
Sultanmerchant
Tempo Runner

This should be in FITBIT UNITS from Charge upwards..

aidangaller
Jogger
Agreed I want health app to have Fitbit data
KAT03
First Steps
STILL a need! Charge HR has so much data and can sync to so many other apps why not Health on the iPhone??? It's needed!
mbawkher
Recovery Runner

@JuliaGreer Agreed, as it can be seen in the image below this feature request has 3,218 comments, almost 10x more than the next feature request below it. 

 

Capture.JPG

Corconx
Jogger

Glad I wasn't alone wanting this

Maybe someone knows who the CEO is and can do as suggested above



Moderator Edit: Removed personal information

JuliaGreer
Jogger

The CEO is James Park, and here is his contact info. Instead of just a link, it would probably be worthwhile to compile the best comments from this thread to send him (something I don't have time to do at the moment). The key message should be, thousands of customers are saying they will leave Fitbit over this and the company WILL go out of business over this issue.

 

Moderator edit: personal information removed

 

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