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.

[iwatts]

Sorry I didn't mean live chat group - I meant if you go to support options one of them is live chat where you get to chat online to a support person - the URL is here - http://help.fitbit.com/?l=en_US&cu=1&fs=ContactUs

[chefpaulette]

Is there any update on the integration with Health Data and Fitbit?  It is important to me to have all of this information in one place.  I called today and was told this was "still in the works". 

[AJ70]

Well another one down.  I gave the trial of wearing the Charge HR on one wrist and my Apple watch on the other for almost a week.  Apple Watch does everything and has a nice interface with their activity app, AND the band is super soft/supple, so I cut the tie to the HR.  My wife's Apple Watch just got here today, think she is cutting the cord to her One.

I ordered a WiThings scale today from Amazon and will be selling my current Aria, so everything goes into HealthKit.

On the plus side, my sons Flex just died, so he is getting my Charge HR as a handme down and will still use his Aria until they release the next version of the Apple Watch.  Then he will get my watch hand-me down and I'll sell his Aria for a new WiThings too. 

I really enjoyed the challenges FitBit integrated the past year or so, made some good Fitness friends, but to not allow my data to be in a central point where it can be saved AND READ, just doesn't make sense.  FitBit, you could be GETTING data from other devices that are integrated with HealthKit with the owners permission.

I see that you just filed an IPO today, I really hope long-term things work out for you, but unfortunately you will have to do it without our families support moving forward.  You just took to long to integrate (of which still hasn't happened).

Sincerely,

Prior fitbit evangelists!

[Hammerlynch]

Agreed!

Sent from my iPad

[odditie]

As I stated many months ago...Fitbit has lied to us to maintain the illusion that they care about our request. This has become a wasteland of complaints that has become a spot for them to ignore and push customers away to make their complaint rather than an area of curation of ideas. I can't wait to leave them behind. I know they will never see another dime of my money after the handling of this.

[gohoos]

Fitbit released another version of the iOS app yesterday.

It already has 7 one-star reviews out of 15, and all of these reviews meintion Health or Healthkit.

One day Fitbit may listen.

[Basalt]

Hey mods are you out there? We know can't say anything other than the company line. How will this business strategy misstep affect the IPO

[i_am_clarity]

It would be really cool if this app synced with the iOS 8 Health app. So not only could you see your progress on the Health app which is built for iPhones but also Fitbit could read data the user allows to be read, which could also lead to other features like more accurate nutrition input, graphical data, etc...

[aquinton]

It's too late. This basic functionality should have been added months ago. Even with SyncSolver there are too many barriers to getting my data into other, more focussed apps. I've learned to get by with Health and MyFitnessPal.

I understand that the lack of Health integration is some kind of business strategy, but it's a bad one. I got an email reminder this morning that my Premium subscription has expired, and I won't be renewing it.

You helped me lose 30 pounds, FitBit, but now that I've switched gears to maintenance, your walled-in product ecosystem doesn't work for me anymore. I'll be getting an Apple Watch once the 2nd generation is out, and in the meantime, I'll keep using MFP. Bye.

[Oedipus15]

I am personally not for Apple intergration with Fitbit. While I own an iphone and have other Apple products, I don't think sharing fitness resources is with Apple is a good idea.  If Fitbit intergates with Apple it would make most of the software that Fitbit creates useless. Fitbit seems to want to be ones goto place for fitness not part of the salad bar that is the rest of the health and fitness products. If Fitbit wants to servive in the world of fintess products they have to build on the platform they already created not rely on huge companies for maintaining added resources. It is just like Pebble. Pebble has found a place in the world of Apple Watches and Android Wear because they decided to make their platform different from others. All fitness hardware has limited intergation with with Apple becuase it seems that Apple wants to be the one stop shop for fitness; just like Microsoft is doing right now. Once Fitbit files for their IPO they have to create a platform that stands out, which they seem to be doing. Intergation with Apple might hinder that process and Fitbit is proceeding with caution so their effeorts are on out done or absorbed by others.

[drtaxsacto]

I think you are missing an important point. Fitbit's data is limited to personal and in some cases shared data with friends. The HealthKit is a bit more integrative allowing your data to be better integrated and also to be accumulated for research studies of all types.

Apple released an SDK for developers like Fitbit. So the choice is silo or sharing.

I've used Fitbit for four years and recommended it to many people. But no more, indeed with arrival of my watch I will look for a device like Jawbone that has taken the step to integrate with the HealthKit.

Sent from my iPad Air

[iwatts]

Oedipus 15 you do make some good points except for the fact that they integrate with Microsoft Health Bench. That makes most of your arguments void as Health Bench and Health kit are two flavours of the same thing. If they didn't integrate with Health Bench I would possibly agree with you.

[Opivali]

Now that I have signed that stupid for us smart for them idea and comment garbage. Hello this is to get ideas into your heads and for you to see how badly we want something. As to integration with Apple's Health App through Apple's HealthKit or even ReasearchKit I want it just as much as the next person. Apple's Health App sucks at the moment for most things. It is good at simple displays and passing data between other applications and devices.

[rjfox6039]

Integrate with iOS 8 Health App

Under Consideration

This discussion was opened last year. Hey FitBit "Time to P__p or get off the toilet". I bought a surge and like it; but because you do not share "MY HEALTH DATA" with the healthkit I am still using my older/other tracking equiment still. I bought the surge and downloaded the app thinking it was like the other apps I have; unfortunately it was not intergrated into the healthkit. I have started a disscusion with apple to add a new fitness sorting/filter for apps on the app store to include a filter for HeathKit compatablity. So fitness apps that do not support the heathkit can be filtered out. So others do not make the same mistake like me an apple app store filter should fix the problem.

[Jillijilli]

it would be a big step forward to see this integration

[TheRealKevin]

Hi @Oedipus15,

It’s not one or the other. That is, to push data into HealthKit, FitBit does not have to stop developing their own software. They simply need to push their data in and forget about it. Give users the ability to opt out. This in no way hinders FitBit from developing their own software, not does it make them reliant on HealthKit.

This is a showstopper for me. I’m not buying any health-related products that do not integrate with HealthKit.
—
Kevin

[backbaysushi]

One more vote to have Fitbit technology seamlessly integrate with iOS Health app. 

I had been a loyal Fitbit Flex user since it came out. I also bought the Aria scale along the way. While I could use the Fitbit app to view my dashboard, I knew when the Apple Watch came out I'd be upgrading from Flex and keeping Aria. So my Apple Watch is here now, and the lack of Aria integration to Health totally sucks for me. 

The Flex is fine for what it does, but for me, the Apple Watch is more comprehensive, at a much higher price point. I think Fitbit can continue to carve out their own niche in the wearable market, so why resist the Health integration? The Apple Watch will make some sort of small dent in Fitbit sales, but seriously, most people will gladly choose the lighterweight Flex.

Fitbit, snap out of it!

[SunsetRunner]

 so reading through these forums is very useful, I found one user post about a product called "Peak" which also tracks, sleep, steps, heart rate, and they have said that notifications from your phone are coming to the watch.  It's water resistant and has automatic detection of your sleep, walking, running and yes, even bicycling.  it seems to be more inline to compete against the surge because it retails for $200, but what I like about the offering is that it integrates with Apple's Health Kit.

I currently have a FitBit Charge HR, but i still am able to return it to the store (90 day return policy).    It's odd that FitBit has been so silent on any information to share data with Apple's Health Kit.   

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Additionally, the Peak now supports integration to the Apple Health application, providing an additional platform to analyze your fitness data and view it along with other details of your health.

The Peak app is able to share your calories, heart rate, sleep, steps and workouts with Apple Health and Apple Health is able to share your weight with the Peak app. For the most seamless experience sharing data between the two apps, we recommend using iOS 8.2 or above.

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 Thanks for helping me get focused FitBit, but I really do need more from an activity tracker.

[Darss]

Just to be clear, health kit integration is the only thing which is holding me back from purchasing a surge.

[Opivali]

@Darss I have one. For the most part I am happy with it. Now that the Basis Peak integrates with both healthkit and fit for about the same price...it is tempting to switch. Plus you can swim with it and it is wireless charged. Mind you it is only rated for 4 days battery charge and no GPS, but it also monitors body temp and weither or not you are working up a sweet.

[drtaxsacto]

You have made a good point. The health kit usage will be on your phone or other device - so if Fitbit were intelligent they would recognize that by integrating they might actually sell a few more devices.

I have the Watch but at this point I may decide very soon to ditch Fitbit and find a device which does what Fitbit does AND allows me to participate in health studies and coordinate with my docs. But thus far Fitbit has ignored that option. Too bad.

Sent from my iPad Air

[Darss]

@Opivali I would like to try the Basis PEAK but I don't think it is available in Australia. If I do find it, I will definitely give it a go.

[SunsetRunner]

Please just add this already! You can loop through other apps but why should we have to?! Also you cannot loop your BMI through any app because MyFitnessPal will only link your weight NOT your BMI. Isn't the point of the scale to make everything seem less? That's why I got mine

[dtherio]

Interesting update on this topic.

The folks at fitbit sent out a tweet today promoting this article (mainly due to it being mostly positive toward their products).

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/22-fitness-bands-and-the-battle-for-your-wrist-the-119529868834.html 

An interesting part toward the end of the article is this comment:

"Furthermore, the Fitbit can share your health data with at least a dozen other fitness apps, like Lose It, MyFitnessPal, Microsoft HealthVault, MapMyRun — and, as of last week, Strava (hurray!). Weirdly, though, it can’t share its data with Apple’s HealthKit app, and the company says it has no plans to enable it to."

So it is clear that the folks at fitbit have publically made up their mind. And are not shy about telling reporters this. 

[Mikey1234]

After owning 3 fitbits, and now an Apple watch, I have determined the apple watch is worth the extra money initially because it is a far superior device.