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.

[romkey]

If Fitbit has no plans to integrate with Apple's Healthkit then I have no plans to continue using Fitbit or purchase new Fitbit devices.

I want access to the data gathered from my devices and I want it all in one place. I want to be able to shar eit easily with health and fitness professionals, and I specifically want to be able to do that using Apple's platform. I don't want to be restricted to just using devices from Fitbit or any one manufacturer.

WIthings already supports Apple's Healthkit. I'll be happy to do business with them rather than Fitbit if Fitbit won't support Healthkit.

[stev9800]

I would like to see Fitbit get on the band wagon with HealthKit. I am looking into getting the Aria scale but if it Fitbit will not share data I am thinking of getting a Withings if that works with HealthKit.

[stbstb73]

Please consider the integration to Apple's new Healthkit.  I honestly thought this would be a no brainer.  I love my Fitbit. We had a step competition at work and a friend of my suggested I get one track my steps.  I love I can track all my activity with your app partners. I love I can track my sleep.  I really love that when my 1st Fitbit died in less than 2 months of service, your customer service was helpful offering the solutions, and eventually sending me a replacement.  I honestly don’t know why I didn't buy one sooner.  I’m pretty active-I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and hit the walking trials at least once (when the weather allows).  So I was beyond excited when Apple announced the Healthkit.  Like many, I have more than one fitness app, and I was excited there was a place I review of all 'stuff' in one place.  Everything but my steps and sleep?!?!?  I know I am one person. The comments I see on this forum, on the reviews on the app, shows I am not alone. I think the customers have spoken, please allow us the option of integrating to the Healthkit, rather making that decision not to for us.  Will I switch from Fitbit to another tracker?  Not now, I just got this one.   However, if when it's time for me to buy a new one (and that day will come) and if your app is still not working with Healthkit or you guys are still 'considering it", I will switch brands in a heartbeat.  Honestly this shows a lack of regard for your customers, we want this.  There are too many trackers, and I have no problem switching one I can use the Healthkit.

[cfmedicus]

Honestly I love my Fitbit one - I did buy it because it is precise and had one and a half year ago a great integration for my Mac and my iPhone. I never have been a paying online user - for healthkit I would have done that. But thanks to your answer I think I can save the money. 

To make that clear: great hardware needs great software and great software means to integrate as best as possible in the so called "supported" OS. 

As a long time iPhone User I had the iPhone before using Fitbit products - and I'll have it after using Fitbit products. If I'm not seeing an integration soon - other companies have great products too and they let me choose if I use healthkit or their own, it looks like you don't want to let me choose.

Time to say good bye to Fitbit... But as we German say: other parents have beautiful daughters too....

[Nopabbe]

Bought my first Fitbit Flex today after having used UP24 and got tired of them breaking every 5 or 6 months.

I didn't even consider it a possibility that FitBit was not integrated with Health Kit!

My FitBit will now go straight to my drawer and only be used during night for sleep tracking (that I will enter manually into Health Kit) and silent wake-up alarms when I'm travelling.

Big disapointment. Not recommendable to my friends.

[Rbonjer]

I'm just adding my voice to those above. This seems like a no-brainer for Fitbit. I was quite honestly shocked to find that you haven't moved on this yet. Maybe Fitbit has more to lose by playing on Apple's terms, but it is fairly obvious that your customers are unhappy with the foot dragging. Just get it done already.

[SunsetRunner]

The longer that Fitbit delays the inevitable integration with Healthkit, the more users lost to alternative wearable technologies. As an iOS user, I definitely want to see Fitbit and Apple figure out how to play well together. If they cannot, I will be pursuing technologies which will work with Healthkit.

[sosa961]

I'd like to see my Fitbit data integrated into the IOS Health app as well.  I guess Fitbit is just labeling Apple as competition and will eventually lose a lot of customers if they don't act on their customers needs. 

[dochjm]

PLEASE DO CONNECT FITBIT INTO APPLE HEALTH / HEALTH KIT!!!

From the day I received my fitbit flex (fathers day 2014) I have not taken it off. (except to shower and swim)  I love it.

However I also love my MacBook Pro, iPhone 5S, Ipad 4 and getting ready to purchase an iPad Air 2, and possibly an iPhone 6.

When I bought my Samsung 55" SmartTVwith 3D - I downloaded all of the IOS aps and I control my TV using my iPhone and iPad.

Do I need to say anything else.

Fitbit Flex is great...connect it into the Apple Health and it will become even greater.

Thanks for listening.

Dr. Howard J Moskowitz

Retired

Model Train Enthusiast - yes I run my trains with my iPad, iPhone and MacBook Pro.

[EmersonFitbit]

As always, I'd like to thank everyone for a positive, engaging, and constructive conversation.

@TeRRyZx We genuinely appreciate your input and insight regarding integration. I do disagree, however, with your point about slighting existing Apple customers.

Fitbit is all about providing the best possible experience for users accross all platforms/operating systems. As the Healthkit Application is in the infancy stages, we can acknowledge that there is work to be done on both ends (Fitbit and Apple). Once we have a better understanding of the full functionalities and capabilities of the application, we can revisit and reconsider. One topic that isn't up for debate is whether or not Healthkit is an exciting, young platform worth exploration, which is why we ask for specific functionalities you'd like to see with regards to a potential integration with Healthkit down the line.

While we wait to see how Apple's new application develops, we can shift our full attention to our exciting new devices for the future. Like everyone else, we're excited to see what the future holds. 

[TeRRyZx]

I understand your point but I and many others are extremely disappointed and I think that by delaying your connect to HealthKit can can only lose potential customers.

For a long time Apple was always being left out in favor of Windoz customers. So now that it has somewhat reversed this trend, to ignore Apple users when other tracking users have not, I think that when they look to get a tracker that they will want one that is friendly to HealthKit and the ones that do not might be excluded from consideration. So to do that is a huge risk that I would not want to take.

[Carlosville]

I originally wanted Fitbit Integration with Health but now I don't care. Their handling of this has me completely turned off and now I will jusy likely splurge and get the Apple Watch and ditch Fitbit completely. Good luck Fitbit, it's been nice.

[Bluejay]

@zapleahy Because it is more costly to gain new customers, that is all the more reason not to piss of existing customers, they are harder to win back than to attrack someone new.

If I'm pushed away, I won't be back after you finally come to your senses and integrate.

[amgaffen]

Integrate please

[Mattgr]

---

@Rich_Laue wrote:

Your stubbornness to be a productive change to this subject is making want to add my own vote and comment.

Personally I have never owned or want to own an Apple Product, they are over rated overpriced and they overwork their employees overseas. Apple owns the towns the employees live and work in, and they have a very high suicidal rate amongst their workforce. Can you figure out how I would vote?

---

With a Galaxy phone and Linux on the desktop, clearly you are not an Apple Fanboy, so I am confused on why you have invested this much into the thread. You have no chips on the table, but want to play cards. I know the type, reverse argumentum ad populum. 

I'm afraid you might be confusing Apple employees and Foxconn employees with working conditions. They are different companies, and clearly all the text under then headlines are just there as a suggestion.  But I think you might be more interested in how Samsung factories operate, and work conditions there. Google it. Sorry, google might be too common place, popular, or big business evil, clearly they care about tracking searches... so Duckduckgo it. I'm going to get my tin foil hat... 

I digress. Now there are over 25 apps working with Healthkit, including every other fitness tracker that competes with Fitbit. Those competitors appear to not take very long to "consider" using it or not. Even still from a programing point of view, what this required was nothing more complicated then what Fitbit does today, to say handshake with 50 other fitness apps Fitbit works with today. It even shares data with Microsoft HEALHTVAULT, oh wait, thats Micro$oft for those in the peanut gallery. Please go look for your self under Fitbits app gallery.

To try and masquerade this "consideration" as anything other then what it is, fear and territorial posturing, is just a fairy tale. Either way, I'm sad, at what appears to most Apple users, and every other major Fitbit 

competitor, a clear decision.

I believe, and not even in a selfish, "I wish this worked for my own benefit" way, this was a death rattle of Fitbit, by alienating better then half of its current customers. 

[deidram]

I concur with what others are saying! What with recent rumours that Apple will be pulling its Fitbit products and Fitbit not interested in integrating with Apple's HealthKit, it's disappointing that you two aren't playing nice. Your status of "Under Consideration" is dated June 2, 2014 if I'm reading things correctly. It seems to me that decisions are being or have been made and FitBit needs to come clean and tell its customers their decision. Please just intergrate and forget the politics.

[Alacaeriel]

I do believe that the higher-ups have decided, but @zapleahy is either trying to convince them otherwise using this thread, or trying to keep us calm and with Fitbit as long as possible. Can't decide which, at present. 

I do agree with @Bluejay in once I leave, I won't be back. If they don't integrate by the time the Apple Watch comes out, I'll be switching and not looking back. I've used it non-stop since I got it almost precisely 2 years ago, I went from the Zip to the One, and now? Either update, or lose me like a lot of other people. And I'm guessing those who left won't be looking back either, even after Fitbit integrate - if they do. 

[deidram]

I'm of the same mind. I have the Zip and have been considering an update to the One but won't unless they integrate with the HealthKit. Disappointing really. 

[adamgreco]

I think that it is BS that Fitbit won't integrate with the iOs Health App.  I am going to investigate a way to return my Aria scale as a result...

[Alacaeriel]

Oh, and until quite recently, it was "Reviewed by Moderator", not "Under Consideration", too. The thread started on the second of June, but until the iPhone 6 emerged, it was all excitement about the Fitbit being integrated, considering it was first and third (with the Aria) in the presentation of the HealthKit by Apple. Then, when it was people discussing how long it would be until the Fitbit released an update. And we were saying. Then, on October 8, we got the message up top. Basically "we do not have plans to integrate, but we are listening".

*sigh*  

[Bluejay]

I thought I might get my parents Zips, but not now.

[Rich_Laue]

All I have said is that Fitbit wants to hear what its customers think beforew they blindly jump in and add things that maybe no one wants to use.

BTW my Linux syncs my one just fine.

[SunsetRunner]

If Fitbit fails to implement this integration with the iOS Health app, I wil seriously consider moving to a competing product that does have this integration.  I love Fitbit, but this is an important feature to me.

[deidram]

I don't know when Fitbit got chummy with Microsoft's HealthVault but they
are integrated. I suspect that this is part of their reluctance to come
clean and integrate with Apple. Same old, same old. The HealthVault looks a
lot like the HealthKit concept. On the surface at least. I didn't take the
time to look closely. It just seems that they are putting their eggs in
the MS basket. HealthVault is only available in the US. Or through Telus
here in Canada. Grrrr. Although, even if it was here, I wouldn't be
interested.

Lots of jockeying around for position in the health wearable field. Jawbone
bought Bodymedia for $100 mil and Bodymedia has zero integration with
HealthKit, no community forum for users to discuss and express their
preferences. BodyMedia is very closed and uninformative since being bought
out by Jawbone who doesn't have anything about them or their product on
their website, so don't bother going there.

I'm disappointed with FitBit's not being upfront with their customers.

This is important enough to me that I won't be updating to another Fitbit
product.

[enoch]

I directly contacted support to let them know I would leave the fitbit brand if they do not integrate with the Health app HealthKit. It makes no sense not to unless Apple is charging which I have not seen anything about that. I imagine a large protion of Fitbit users are Apple or at least iPhone users, thinking at least 30%. I am thinking half would upgrade to another product in the next year if fitbit fails to work with the Health app. That would 15% of users, that can't be good. (I completly made up these numbers but think they are probably close.) So Fitbit let us know if you are going to be on board or not so we can make a decision about future products or just go ahead and abandon now while you "consider."