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.

[SunsetRunner]

@PKDaba Yeah, it's a bit of a let down, but it's a great device so far. I've worked out a few apps that I have work well with Fitbit, just a lack of HealthKit. My wife doesn't really know much about HealthKit, so she is happy with her ChargeHR.

I agree that they should tell us their reason as to why they are not doing this, rather then a generic we don't want to comment.

@humanista Like I just said to PKDaba, my wife is happy with her ChargeHR, so I'll suck it up and move on. Thanks for the suggestions, I am going to look into IFTTT & Up and see how it goes, or maybe Sync Solver app. I spose the only thing is that heart rate is currently not able to sync. Fitbit seems to have left that out of the API. 😞

[jjsilva2011]

I was wondering if FitBit will be allowing the iWatch to be a selected device for tracking purposes.. Or at the least develop an app that sends the data from the Apple Watch to the FitBit app.

[asrose]

Good afternoon,

Although I have bought numerous Fitbit devices for myself and as gifts
for years and encouraged friends to also do so, it appears that after
the successful IPO we are no longer needed.

We have had promises for over a year that you were considering
integration with the Apple Health app but it never happened and will
likely never happen due to the interminable delay and failure to provide
status reports. Thousands of people have requested this feature and
provided suggestions as per your request but it was all in vain. It is
little wonder that people are posting on 3rd party web site reviews of
this incompatibility and reputational concerns don't seem to be an issue
with Fitbit.

So, good luck with you company as it appears that we (loyal fans) are
simply expendable. Treating customers with disdain often leads to a bad
outcome but perhaps Fitbit will be an exception.

I love your products and am deeply disappointed. My purchase of a Charge
HR was mis-spent money.

I have recently purchased an Apple watch in frustration.

Please copy this email to Mr. James Park and I will look for his email
address in the mean-time.

[rjfox6039]

Started an Apple Support Communities Fitness App Filtering

Site - https://discussions.apple.com/welcome

Location - Apple Support Communities / IPhone / Using IPhone 

Call for filter in App Store to remove Fitness apps that do not Integrate into IOS HealthKit.

Search and add comments to Apple Site

"Submit category revision for fitness apps in the App Store"

[BuffAl]

I just got my Fitbit Force today. I could not believe it does not sync with the iOS 8 Health App. My Garmin Vivofit does. I may have to return my Fitbit Force and keep my Garmin. I think Fitbit is the only App that does not sync with iOS 8 Health App.

[jjsilva2011]

There is an app that can sync your Fitbit to the health app! It's called
Sync Solver!

[dtherio]

Except sync solver doesn't work 100% correctly and the developer doesn't seem interested in fixing it.

[HopefulRunner]

https://www.fitbit.com/group/22MF3H For more info on Sync Solver

[xl_ninja]

 I can only imagine that FitBit's resistance and delay in integrating with the Apple HealthKit might be rooted in the belief that they are in competition with Apple in the SmartWatch/SuperWatch market, have a concern regarding the user's personal health data, would like to maintain a proprietary ecosystem, and/or that such integration would eat into sales of other FitBit products or services.

I believe that any and all of these reservations should be superseded by the greater good of integrating with an already existing ecosystem of users and devices. FitBit should look to make their dashboard the "go to" application for users to see and monitor all their personal data. It is what FitBit should strive to integrate with as many other systems as possible. Integrations with LoseIt and other applications already are making headway in this direction.

The phrase "the Apple Watch makes a great FitBit tracker" is what the company should strive to hear. The Apple Watch should contribute data to FitBit's dashboard just like any other device in FitBit's arsenal. Why? Because it is sufficiently different from the core fitness and health purposes that are signature to FitBit. It compliments any FitBit device quite well, even the Surge Superwatch.

At $500, the Apple Watch is primarily an extension of an iPhone, devoid of a built-in GPS and lacking sufficient battery life to wear on an extended basis. Also, it's not the ideal device for any workout. People buy multiple devices regularly; phone, tablet, laptop, desktop (ok, maybe not desktops anymore), each for their particular strengths. Why not have an Apple Watch and a FitBit or two? Adding support for the Apple Watch means that you potentially have millions more users to populate the FitBit dashboard and more potential customers for FitBit devices.

Again, the dashboard is the key. It's a fantastic place for people to see their data. It works well and keeps people coming back. Back to your screen, that FitBit controls. It's the centerpiece that you can leverage for user retention and growth. So to fuel real serious growth, why not leverage that giant Apple ecosystem, filled with rabid fans? 

While you're at it, remove Flash elements from the dashboard. Let people see all their data on iPads as well. Also, I'm not a fan of the SuperWatch name; it doesn't do justice to it's core functions. Why not "Fitness Watch" or "Health Watch"? I would avoid trying to head-to-head against the Apple Watch. Not because it's Apple but rather because it would take FitBit away from it's core competencies of Health and Fitness tracking. Leverage the beast and make it do your bidding but don't try to fight it.

[HopefulRunner]

I know would have loved to see all of my data in Fitbit's dashboard.

[ggrec]

Check out my post about using Fitbit for Mobile Pay!  https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Requests/NFC-Payment/idi-p/842184

[rledousa]

I use the Health App as a sort of central location for my health, measurement and exercise data.  I use ISmoothRun which integrates natively the health app and I'd like to see fitbit do the same with its data.  Having all that data which fitbit collects throughout the day like steps, active time and calories burned in the health app would give me a more complete picture of my fitness.

If it weren't for the fact that I was given the fitbit as a present, I would have considered returning it because of the lack of integration with the health app.

[Fatophile]

Open access to my data please. I chose IOS to do that thank you.

[gohoos]

Hello everyone.  It seems most of the folks out there who were regulars in this thread have dropped off, given up, or been banned.

I suspect I will do the same shortly.

Fitbit just had a big IPO.  Wall street reinforced the direction they are currently headed.

Why should they change?

Fitbit hasn't done anything for us so far.  "We're still consiering" is either a lie or shows a lack of decisiveness in the company.

Now, their strategy is a losing one.  People will slowly drop out of the ecosystem, as they find that owning a "fitness tracker" does little for one's actual fitness and that their smartphones can track with "good enough" accuracy, or that Fitbit doesn't work with Health like all the others.  Fitbit will be squeezed on the top by Apple and on the bottom by the other cheaper trackers you can get at any drug store and be in a bad place as the market contracts.

It is also telling that they are being... protective with their subscriber numbers.  They are using a metric of "paid active subscribers" to mean paid OR active subscribers, including any person who has more than 100 steps in a month.  That might tend to inflate - just a bit - the number of people paying fitbit for their own data.

So, and to keep this on topic, I will ask one last time for Fitbit to integrate with Apple Health.  Do it - ignoring all the bean-counters that say not to - for your customers.

Thanks, and good night.

[humanista]

I am officially no longer a Fitbit user. I got a Withings scale last night to replace my Aria - the last piece of the Fitbit ecosystem I subscribed to since 2012. I am now using an Apple watch for heartrate & steps, a Jawbone Move for sleep, and a Withings body analyzer for weight. Although the other apps still have glitches here and there, I am satisfied that the companies realize the value of integrating with Apple Health and are working on improving integrations. For a while I was using the workarounds to get Fitbit items to sync to Apple Heatlh, but they were also buggy and Sync Solver often forced me to manually sync. I am looing forward to just getting my data without having to do a bunch of extra work.

There are many cool apps out there with predictive engines such as Lark and AddApp that sync with Apple Health. I am looking forward to getting more insights into what I'm doing right (and wrong) now that I left the Fitbit ecosystem.

[sherrie]

Due to the lack of Integration with the Health App I bought an Apple Watch. I no longer have a Fitbit on my account and am using the Sync Solver - Health to Fitbit app. I think that will be short lived as I'm seeing Fitbit isn't as important to me as I thought it was. 

[mttkntt7]

Please integrate Fitbit app for iOS with Health app!!! It would make my life so much easier

[SunsetRunner]

Can we please have the option of integration with the Apple Health app? I think we have been waiting long enough for this now, don't you?

[scatteredthings]

Completely agree with this request to integrate FitBit and Apple Health properly. It should work both ways: FitBit should provide data to Apple Health, but it should also read and analyse all data FROM Apple Health so that we can view it within FitBit online. Very useful for those with premium plans who can then analyse even more data that FitBit itself doesn't direclty generate.

[SunsetRunner]

I want to add my voice to the chorus of avid Fitbit users who want to see their amazing devices integrate with Apple's HealthKit.

I love my Fitbit ChargeHR and Aria scale, but my health is about more than activity and BMI metrics – it's about more than just my fitness.  Having all available information (from so many sources!) is incredibly useful to me and to my doctor.  

Lots of other companies provide hardware to do what Fitbit does.  At some point in the near future, the advantage to having that information together and in one location is going to greatly outweigh my personal preference for Fitbit devices.  

[Jhoop2002]

I vote for the sync with Apple Health as well.

It would certainly help me out because fitbit doesn't track swimming or biking.  I have apps that track both of those and I'm not changing them.  They sync to Apple Health!!!!

It would extremely helpful for fitbit to sync with Apple Health because Apple Health is basically the hub that all of my apps sync too.  If fitbit could sync with Apply Health, then those workouts would show up correctly in fitbit (and vice a versa).

[iwatts]

Well @RickyFitbit you've been given more than enough reasons why it's s good idea. It's the most active thread on your forum. Everyone wants it. Your losing customers over it weekly. You already link to a similar service. It allows people to sync data that Fitbit doesn't collect. So how about you scrape the bottom of the barrel for the little but of common decency that Fitbit has left (if it has any) and actually have the guts to make a decision. This isn't a difficult decision at all for you. It's one you've already made. You just don't have the guts to stand by your decision and be public about it (the company, not you personally). As a company you need to man up and come clean. Before you go belly up.

[SoFitSoph]

Would love if the Health App and FitBit integrated..

[Mattnonafan]

Please add integration for Apple health app and also allow Sync Solver full access to your API.  This would still increase your community and connections, so not sure why the delay . Alternatively if you continue to close the ecosystem  you may sell a few more bands , but you wont add value to your customer then you will be placed aside in 6 months. Please think about the long term benefit of your customers not the short term gain of selling more fitbit bands.

[TiggsPanther]

Well. Here's what's happaned to me, gadget-wise, over the past many many months:

Tried SyncSolver

Didn't do intra-day measurements. Wasn't worth the hassle.

Switched Products

I'm now using the Withings PulseOx. I actually miss FitBit's better backgorund syncing and sync-to-computer functions, but I've traded them in for something that natively syncs with my chosen smartphone.

I specifically did this because I was sick of FitBit saying they were listening to us, whilst making no actual process. So I flipped them the financial bird and migrated to a competitor's product.

Watched my girlfriend switch products

Now, in her case there wasn't anything against FitBit. She doesn't follow this thread, didn't have a major opinion and wasn't going to drop a working product simply because of missing functionality.

However...

She lost her FitBit. So she actually needed a replacement fitness monitor and had got an iPhone at the end of last year. She proably wouldn't have switched models if she still had the old FitBit but her criteria for a new replacement device was HealthKit integration.