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.

[KellyAPN]

@PKDaba thank you again for your thoughtful response. Not exactly what I wanted to hear about FitBit, but thank you still. lol I have worn both, like I am currently, just to compare, and the FitBit always gives more steps...now I know why.

Logging sleep is important to me too. It amazes me that my Apple Watch doesn't do that. At least without a specific app. I'm really hoping the new watch straightens out some of my problems with the first one.

I'm looking forward to reading your post on HealthKit vs Health app etc.

Thank you again.

Kelly

[CRM]

I would like the Fitbit data be compatible with the Health App on iOS devices. I have my Blood Pressure numbers automatically synced to this app as well as other data. It would be helpful to have the Fitbit data linked as well, so everything is in one place to view or show the doctor.

I didn't see this request already submitted, but I may have overlooked it.

[PKDaba]

@KellyAPN, sorry to be bearer of bad news, but your new Apple Series 2 Watch will not address your dislike of the ‘rings’. The native, Activity App still shows your workout via the ‘Rings’ system. That has not changed. But as mentioned before, you can get fitness apps for your new Watch that may meet your needs. What has changed with your new Watch is that it’ll be much faster, has a GPS that’ll give you more accurate readings for your runs, and it’s water resistant to 50m, meaning you can wear it for swims or wash it after a sweaty workout.

I’m curious to know what other problems you had with your original Apple Watch that needs straightening.

With regards to sleep logging, Apple has to balance battery limitations in its watch vs numerous fitness monitoring goals, focusing on the goals that are more important and impactful towards improving ones health.

Along with heart rate, and motion detection, proper sleep monitoring would require monitoring brain wave patterns, and breathing patterns, something definitely not achievable in the current wrist worn trackers. By claiming that you can get an indication of the quality of your sleep by measuring motion in one wrist and your heart rate, is gimmicky at best.

HealthKit explanation still to come.

[oxu]

I'm a new user of fitbit and an iOS developer. I'm shocked to know that fitbit is not integrated with HealthKit and doesn't have a plan to do so. HealthKit opens the door for all kind of oppotunity to understand your health data. Fitbit won't need to solve data integration at all to help answer questions with health data coming in from different data sources. 

Please please consider integration with healthKit. 

[PKDaba]

@KellyAPN, as promised, here’s info on Apple’s ecosystem:

1. Apple Watch has actually three versions:
   * Original (first Apple Watch released in April 2015)
   * Series 1 (released this month, no GPS, splash resistant)
   * Series 2 (released this month, with GPS, water resistant to 50m).
   All three now run the latest Watch OS3. So regardless of which version you have, they’ll all have the same native software (i.e. apps). Of course the latest watches (Series 1 and 2) will exhibit much better performance due to their much faster dual core processors. 
   
   
2. HealthKit is actually a software framework (not an app) that is an integral part of Apple’s iOS since version iOS 8 was released over 2 years ago. This framework includes a database that resides in your iPhone used to track a wide variety of fitness and health parameters (step count, stairs climbed, calories, heart rate, blood pressure, weight, dietary parameters, body temperature, and much much more). Hardware and software developers have a choice of creating devices and apps that use this framework depending on the health or fitness functionality being addressed (e.g. blood glucose monitoring apps and devices, sleep tracking devices and apps, fitness devices and apps, etc.). iOS users like us benefit from this central data repository under our control and ownership (i.e. you generate the data, you own it, it privately resides in your iPhone, and you decide what to do with it). Fitness tracker manufacturers like Garmin, Under Armour, Jawbone, Withings, to name a few, have seen the wisdom of integrating their devices and apps with HealthKit. Fitbit, delusionally, has not, resulting in incomplete data reporting in both ecosystems (e.g. steps counted by Fitbit trackers not updated on your iPhone's HealthKit's database, steps tracked by your iPhone and Apple Watch not updated to Fitbit's database), resulting in the 3000+ votes here to request for integration and so far totally being ignored by Fitbit for the past 2 years.
   
   
3. The 'Health' app is a native app that runs in your iPhone. It basically allows you to view the fitness and health data that's been collected in the HealthKit database by the various apps that integrate with it. Typically, you would get an app appropriate to your fitness and health needs to interact with the data saved in HealthKit. As a matter of fact, the Health App will show recommendations of the various apps available to track specific health and fitness data (e.g. weight trackers, heart rate analyzers, sleep apps, etc.). You as an iOS user have access to a wide range of devices and apps that take advantage of HealthKit functionality. I encourage you to explore and play around with this app.
   
   
4. The ‘Activity’ app is the Apple Watch and iPhone’s native fitness app, which still uses the ‘Ring’ system that unfortunately you don’t seem to like. However, all not is lost as you have the option of getting fitness apps for the watch and iPhone that suits your needs. Sounds like you are runner, so apps from Nike, Strava, Runtastic, Under Armour to name a few may have solutions for you. All these apps update to and display fitness data using the HealthKit framework.

If you are still unable to let go of Fitbit’s app, do understand that it’s one of the few fitness device makers that does not have an Apple Watch compatible app and does not update it’s data to HealthKit. It does not look like it will in the near future or if ever. Fitbit seems to prefer to keep all your fitness data to itself for its own profit. Yet, by doing so it deprives its iOS users all the benefits that HealthKit has to offer. Another way to look at it, Fitbit’s relationship to Apple is parasitic (i.e. it needs Apple to survive, but not offering much in return). Garmin, Under Armour, and other companies that do integrate with HealthKit have a symbiotic relationship (i.e. both companies and their clients benefit from each other's successes).

At the end of the day, you have lots of choices with Apple, quality of its products (hardware and software) is top notch, customer service is superb and its products continually improve based on solid research and listening to its customers. With Fitbit, your options are limited (e.g. can’t get apps for the Charge, Surge, Blaze, etc), product quality is mediocre, and over the last 2 years, it has not been able to innovate. Witness the lack of customer satisfaction on this thread alone, not to mention the growing dissatisfaction in other threads.

Good luck with your new Apple Watch.

[Denyska]

+1

Just do it!

[megzn_mn]

Health has been out for two years. I love my fitbit alta - but can guarantee if Apple Health and FitBit don't have an integration in place when it comes time to replace or update my choice of fitness watch I'll continue to choose my love for my iPhone over FitBit. This is ridiculous that you guys aren't working on this. I don't have any need for something as fancy as an applewatch - but the lack of movement on this feature request in two years is pushing my hand there. I've already been weighing the cost and looking into making sure that all the apps I want to use are compatible with apple watch since fitbit doesn't even have any integrations with better sleep apps which was one of my main reasons for wearing a tracking device in the beginning.

[Nisse]

3,774 comments and Fittbit can't even give us a reason for not integrating with health. The only integration in this thread is a comment that they are not considering this.
This is the behavior of a company that do not care about their users.

[atosz]

+1

3,775 🙂

I'm really waiting this integration...

[MinnesotaNice]

Hi, I would like to vote for this feature as I assumed all fitness bands could link to your native Apple Health app. Almost 2017 and all data should connect seemlessly. Thank you.

[Contre]

2 posts ago the count was at 3775, now we are at 3367, bug ?

[HopefulRunner]

Maybe they purged the votes of people that have left fitbit?

[PKDaba]

@Nisse mentioned 3774 comments, not votes. There's a difference. But regardless, they're 3000+ counts of disappointment, and dissatisfaction with Fitbit. Many of those thousands have moved on to other products vowing to never return.

[mmoore83]

I vote for it! Really been waiting and looking forward for this!

[cTan]

It's been over two years, how is this still "Under Consideration"? 

Either commit to it or don't, but do not leave it as a dangling fruit to fitbit users.

[14s-forever]

I almost bought a Charge 2 despite it not being waterproof, but lack of iOS Health app integration means that I won't. I don't need or want to look in more than on place for my data.

I'll reconsider once this changes.

[aurorob]

Healthkit support needs to happen. 

[aurorob]

Remember the web browser wars? At some point there needs to be an open standard or innovation will just stagnate. Only the consumer gets hurt.

[SunsetRunner]

I seriously doubt Apple is going to even glance at FitBit's open API, as they pull in far more profit in a week than FitBit does all year. It would be like Bill Gates taking a moment out of his life to run down the street to catch a $100 bill blowing in the wind.

I think it's rather obvious which of the two companies should connect to the other's open API here.

My new FitBit charge is cool, but I'll be upgrading to the Apple Watch 3 next.

[ydna]

After two years with my Fitbit Charge I am now testing an Apple Watch.  Apple Watch on left arm.  Fitbit Charge HR on right arm.  Only been a few days so far but so far still favoring the Fitbit.  Apple Watch is nice if you want a SmartWatch that does fitness tracking but if you just want a fitness tracker Fitbit so far is better.  I do wish Fitbit would integrate stats better with Apple Health app - not like they will lose any business if they do - but pure fitness freaks will still favor the Fitbit over the Apple Watch. 

[Karllucas]

Any news on whether this will happen?

[Aabdel]

Rubbish! You must work for Fitbit with that biased status! The Apple Watch is far superior to the Fitbit!

Sent from my iPhone

[PKDaba]

Now now @Aabdel, it's perfectly ok for @ydna to express his opinion like you are to yours. He's done so without disrespecting anyone. For some, it's harder to let go of their Fitbit for numerous reasons, and understandably so. Like @ydna said, the Apple Watch is a smart watch first, that has fitness tracking capabilities. Fitbits on the other hand are much more focused towards fitness and do way lot less with less accuracy. Apple Watch is more expensive. So it may not be for everyone. But you do get way more for what you pay for. Agreeing with you, Apple Watches are far superior. But it's a apples versus raisins comparison, and it's all very personal.

The bottom line and focus of this thread is the 3000+ requests for Fitbit to integrate the data from its trackers with Apple's HealthKit, an integral and important part of iOS (now at version 10), to give iOS users a complete view of their fitness data. Fitbit has been silent on this request for the last 2+ years. It's apparent that it wants to give clients like @ydna, @Karllucas, and many more landing here, false hope that integration is going to happen. This thread's status should be 'Declined' instead of 'Under Consideration' until a time when Fitbit is fit and honest to announce that it is integrating with HealthKit.

[eshirvana]

I need Fitbit to be synced with apple HealthKit .

[hopkapi]

Wait, you still don't have HealthKit support? Am looking for a tracker for my mother, and as much as the Flex 2 looks nice, the fact you still don't support HealthKit means there's no way I can recommend one to her. All her other health devices sync to it, she shouldn't need to check yet another app.

Also, your non-explanation above is beyond disingenuous. It's a lot of words that don't actually explain anything, and it's especially absurd that you say that our "voices are being heard.", yet years, thousands of votes (the most for any idea listed), and 152 pages of comments later, you won't do it or even tell us why.

Pleased I bought an Apple Watch for myself, will be advising friends to avoid your products.