Integrate with iOS Health

[so-rich]

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.

[humanista]

@steffieagle Apple actually doesn't have to do anything. It is all on Fitbit whether they want to integrate with HealthKit. Fitbit used to be sold in Apple Stores and then Fitbit decided they did not want ot integrate with HealthKit and was booted. The ownership of this issue is all on Fitbit. My advice to anyone who asks is Fitbit doesn't value their customer feedback because they prefer to make money from owning your data. If this is an issue for you, find another ecosystem. I recommend Apple Watch, Jawbone, or Withings.

[iwatts]

Everyone is making an assumption that the reason that Fitbit don't integrate with HealthKit is that they want to own your data, and that they want to have a closed ecosystem. Yet they share with apps like My Fitness Pal, and they share with Microsofts version of HealthKit, Health Vault. So obviously they aren't as closed as people think. It's easy to jump on the bandwagon and accuse them of all sorts, but they are willing to share. Just not with Apple. I suspect there are things going on we don't know about as to why they don't integrate. I wish they would just make an announcement that they aren't going to and close this thread.

[humanista]

@iwatts If Fitbit were truely open with their data policies they would not require you to get a premium membership in order to export it. Can you export data out of MFP? I haven't seen that option. Neither I nor many others (based on sales) use MSFT's Health Vault so I can't speak about that. I do know that when I was an active Fitbit user I had to go premium to get access to my data.

[iwatts]

@humanista I didn't say they were completely open or that you could export from MFP. I'm just saying the assumption that Fitbit don't play with others is flawed. There are plenty of fitness apps that you need a premium subscription to export your data. Don't get me wrong. I'd love for HealthKit integration to happen. I've asked the moderators several times why they share with health vault and not HealthKit and never had a response. I just think the rabbit hole goes deeper than they don't want to share. And I don't think we'll ever know. Which is why this is a pointless thread. Sheer numbers would have done it by now if it was going to. They aren't going to integrate. End of story.

[JuliaGreer]

No plans to integrate with HealthKit? Oooh, that is a deal-breaker for me then. I recently got an iPhone 6s and am in love with the Health app and all the other apps it interacts with.

The iPhone Health app interacts with apps I've used for years, such as Nike+ and FatSecret. It also interacts with jawbone's UP. If FitBit is firm on choosing not to work with HealthKit, you've just made my decision to buy an UP rather than a FitBit. 😞

I won't be buying a device until March, so will stalk this thread in case the company changes its mind and makes the right decision. 😄

[catywaller]

Please please integrate Fitbit with the Apple HealthKit. I use HealthKit to measure a range of different things through 3rd party apps. I just got a Fitbit, but I still plan on keep using a sleep app I really like, as well as some other health apps. It just makes my life a lot more complicated if I have two seperate data sets for my footsteps for example (among other things); the data from my iphone and from my fitbit. 
I think there is a big potential for integrating Fitbit to the HealthKit, a potential that grows with each update of both apps. Please reconsider your decision to not integrate. 

[dersman]

I bought the FitBit to use with my iOS Health App, and don't understand why this hasn't been implemented yet. If this isn't implemented soon I'll be returning mine for the Nike Fuel. There's 1900+ feature requests for this... come on

[Towdart]

I humbly request HealthKit integration. I have been using HealthKit extensively with my other apps and data sources and just bought a Fitbit today, unaware that it does not work with HealthKit (I probably wouldn't have purchased it if I knew that at the beginning). There are too many hoops to jump through to get it, and it's kind of a no-brainer to have it if you are the "premier" fitness tracking app. It would make it much easier for your Apple users to justify using a Fitbit over a Jawbone if it was simple to integrate. 

[BurtDaddy]

I appreciate everyone weighing in on this, but honestly it’s not going to happen. With no response from FitBit in over 18 months, they either don’t care, don’t want to for reasons they’re not sharing, or are stupid. I’ve seen too many companies like this, and worked one who was in the same position, and they failed as will FitBit if they don’t change course. FitBit: either make your case for not doing it, or say your on it, or go down the tubes like so many others.

/Burt

Burt Cummings
cummingsbu@gmail.com

[Towdart]

Agreed.

[steffieagle]

We all want our data talking to each other, but whatever each app or device has their strong points. I love my FitBit for easy recognition of the step count and the sleep activity. My Apple Watch has a strong presence all day for me with their Activity App. I only recently discovered how the Health App on Apple worked and was delighted to see the integration with some of the apps I already had. They are all pieces of the pie and while we cannot eat the whole pie the pieces are all delicious. I wear my FitBit and Apple Watch side by side and don’t leave home without them.
I did have a surprise today. The FitBit logo miraculously appeared on my Apple Watch face, and when I tapped it I was congratulated on surpassing my 10,000 steps for today. Had never seen a FitBit notification on Apple Watch before. So maybe things are changing.

[sweetie1317]

I love fitbit and would like to continue to use fitbit, but if integration doesn't happen very soon, I am going to say goodbye to fitbit.

[jamipie831]

So I reached out to FitBit concerning integrating HealthKit.  After several confusing responses that indicated to me they didn't know what I was talking about and were just spewing their scripted responses, I finally got this email back.  I had sent them this thread with thousands of comments after they directed me to the forum hoping to shut me up.  Based off thier original comment, he says that FitBit doesn't have any plans to implement HealthKit...I'm so frustrated with thier company.  I had planned to buy a Blaze when they come out and love all the features but honestly I think I'll go to another company that respects the wishes of the customer.  

Begin forwarded message:

From: "https://contact.fitbit.com" 
Date: January 19, 2016 7:06:30 PM
To: "jamipie831@me.com" <jamipie831@me.com>
Subject: Re: Blaze - Presales - iOS

Hi,

Thanks for contacting us.

I understand your frustration regarding this matter and we apologize for the inconvenience. First,  we'd like to thank you for providing us your precious time for participating on our fitbit community forum. As much as we want to help you out regarding your concern but since this matter is way beyond our support.  For now, we can only base our response through this article https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Requests/Integrate-with-iOS-8-Health-App/idi-p/319432 that can be found on our Fitbit community forum. Upon reviewing this article its says here that Fitbit currently do not have plans to integrate with HealthKit app for iOS devices.

Please let us know if you have additional questions. We look forward o your reply.

Sincerely,

Chad E. and the Fitbit Team

Reply directly to this email to update your case.

Join the growing Fitbit Community! Get answers. Stay motivated. Find Fitbit friends.
#08144597 

[sweetie1317]

Wow, how sad that they don't respect the wishes of their biggest fans.
Goodbye forever Fitbit!

[SWright8369]

I recently bought a fitbit, and wanted to integrate it with the health app on my iPhone. This is when I discovered that it doesn't actually share its data (more correctly, my data) with the health app. I looked into a lot of aspects of a fitbit when I was deciding which to choose, however I assumed on this was standard, data sharing between devices (come on fitbit, this is a pretty basic function). I was wrong!! Luckily, I have 30 days to decide if I want to keep the fitbit. If I am being honest, it will be going back on Monday. Sorry fitbit, this is a deal breaker for me. I'm already looking into jawbone in another browser window.

[butterprican]

I'd love my Fitbit Flex data to sync with the Health app on my iPhone.

[giacoder]

My vote for HealthKit integration.

That is a big disadvantage that you don't have it. Moslty all sport application share info with HealthKit!

[friskymav]

Had flex, now have chargeHR, wife has flex, and a device that works with health on iphones,
Iphone will not be going away any time soon. I suspect neither for apple health.  I Would love to see cross integration fitbit and aria data available in apple health app and allow wathc data in the fitbit app allowing broader competition with friends colleagues that have apple watch.  This will avoid people having to choose sides, shades of VHS/BETA and Blu-ray vs HD-DVD.... allow your customers the preference of the device and not exclude them from friends with other devices.  Would hate to have to switch to  Apple watch to get all my data is in one place.  

[Deepti]

Integration with Apple Health is no brainer. It is a must have feature. Hope Fitbit prioritizes the integration immediately.

[PKDaba]

@Deepti, many of us had this 'hope' over a year ago. Save yourself the agony of hoping for something that'll never come. Fitbit is using this thread for customers to draw their own conclusions and flat out refuses to tell you whether they'll integrate or not. Fitbit is even acting dumb when new Fitbit purcharsers / owners contact their support line asking about this feature. Guess what, customers are directed to this thread to form their own opinions. Fitbit will not tell the truth about their plans.

I'm much happier now with a non-Fitbit ecosystem that plays nicely with HealthKit. If I were you, I would move on. There are much better emerging products out there anyways.

You can count the number of new users like yourself just this month with their new Fitbit gifts and purchases begging for integration. What has Fitbit done? Nothing.

If you like to beg, wait for integration that won't come anytime soon, by all means stay with Fitbit. If it's a new purchase or gift, also make sure to wait past your refund date and see if Fitbit will integrate or not. Then, I'm sure you'll form your opinion of what type of company Fitbit is.

[Rywags]

Need this built in natively. Downloaded Fitbit Sync app and seems to be working good so far.

[hamsandvich]

I plan on selling my fit bit now for another product since you guys no plans on supporting heath kit. Its a real shame since i do really like the product, i think its a bad desion not to suport it since with the huge Cry out for it.

[steffieagle]

Although I did start this thread about FitBit’s non integration with their stats and the Apple Health app, I am very happy with the information that FitBit collects and keeps on their site. I can look at stats from the day I registered my FitBit a year and a half ago and can see all of the things I really find important. I have the Flex, which I love as I can get bracelets in so many colors, and it does steps, active minutes, mileage, calories burned and sleep very well. I recently started logging my food and extra exercise. Food logging is straightforward. There are lots of options in the database. I added quite a few of my own, and every day it is easy to enter.

FitBit is a stand alone product and the leader in the field. I like my Apple Watch too. Both are great complements for keeping track of fitness.

[Machineman]

This is fitbit being stubborn and greedy and not thinking of its’ users first. It will be to their own demise, it’s just a matter of time.

[Jirons]

Seems like an obvious thing! I strongly support this integration.

Show me one person who will say "I would love to track my health in two different places separately and have no syncing ability!" Maybe someone with an alter ego who would like to track the fitnesses of their different personalities separately.

Thank you!