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.

[Lgon]

I am very surprised and frustrated about not being able to sync my FitBit with the Apple Health app in my phone. Why would you not do it? What are you thinking? You have sooo much to gain and so little to loose from it. The perfect combo is to have the FitBit device and the apple health app with all other information being uploaded to form a single data base. Your app is great, but theirs allows us to integrate other devices into it. You will never do that.

Please integrate, if other trackers do, I will have to move to them the next time I buy one as an upgrade or simply becasue I am tired of it not integrating to Apple Health.

THanks

[jamipie831]

I sent a question in to FitBit and they directed me to this link.  I recently upgraded to an iPhone 6s Plus and I've been updating all my apps.  I recently discovered (after a long search) that my Scosche Rhythm doesn't work with the new bluetooth technology and there's no apps to support it.  So I looked at buying the new one that's on backorder from the manufacturer for 10 weeks or a FitBit Charge HR.  I really wanted to do my homework and looked into the FitBit before investing that kind of money.  I don' t like the way that Scosche just simply dropped that product and don't really offer any apologies to the people that paid a good penny for it.  So I got digging into FitBit and discovered that the data doesn't sync up to the Apple Health app.  I really was excited about this app when I got my new phone and I would like EVERYTHING to show in there.  This affects my decision on FitBit trememendously as other manufactureres are using the Apple Health app.  It's not going away.  The response I got from FitBit is that they are basically waiting and seeing...ummm that's a good way to miss the boat.  I would like to see a integration in the near future and also a bright pink Charge HR band.  I would like to be able to switch it out.  The dark plum just doesn't go with my excersize colors.  I found on the App Store that there are Third Party apps to sync FitBit data to the Apple Health app.  I really don't think if I pay this kind of money for the tracker that I should then have to add more to it in order to get it work across the board.  People like things to integrate seemlessly.  This is a big oversight and I hope they fix it in the near future.

[iwatts]

If you haven't bought it yet don't. They aren't thinking about it they have already made up their mind. They just won't tell us. It's the most requested feature they have had and they are ignoring it. Go with a different tracker. There are plenty out there.

[PKDaba]

It's interesting how Fitbit directs iOS users to this link to let them interpret and guess at what Fitbit is clearly not willing to do: to implement this critical feature of updating HealthKit. Fitbit tells users that they are 'waiting and seeing'. For what I wonder. They've been waiting, seeing, deceiving iOS users, for the last 16+ months.

If you're an iOS user, I would stay away from Fitbit. Fitbit lacks the courage and integrity to tell its user base that it has, in all likelihood (my guess), contractual obligations NOT to play with Apple's HealthKit. It's praying on iOS users who don't do their research to keep on purchasing their products. Spread the word to stop this deceptive practice.

[JohnBez]

Good for you doing your homework I only wish that I had done more research as you have before I bought my charge HR.

I like many others on this thread were duped into thinking that the fit lbit charge HR was iOS compatible which really only means they have an app that runs on an iPhone there's no integration with health kit and unless you use third-party apps which I'm doing right now l, and they don't take all of the date out because fit bit doesn't allow that integration either… but the more's posts I see on this thread the angrier I get reading them in my new incoming mail every week. I tend to agree with everyone else on here that has said they believe that fit bit has some kind of anti-compete clause with Microsoft or Google/android cannot develop direct integration with apples health kit. It completely is in Maine that these people who make eye health care tracker would not integrate with the biggest selling phone on the planet as well as the most advanced manufacturer of phones and computers.

I didn't have the money for an Apple Watch because I knew I was going to be buying an iPhone 6s Plus is soon as it was released but wanted to be able to track my sleep and my activity so I bought the charge HR. Now I wish I hadn't wasted 150 bucks on this **ahem** thing and kept saving to put the money towards an Apple Watch which I know will integrate with Apple health program since it's the same iOS software both Ron I wouldn't buy this product. I certainly wish I hadn't not to say that it doesn't work well overall it does but just the deceptive practices and basically the "mushroom attitude " of keeping us in the dark and feeding us… s**t on this thread is beyond appalling. There's no way I will buy another product from this company and I'm using my charge HR because that's what I've got at the moment as soon as I can forward something else I'll be switching companies nobody treats the iOS user base as badly as these guys still in my experience.

John

Sent from my iPhone

[Opivali]

I would say it is more than that. 1) Contractual 2) Apple's MFI requirements 3) Apple's Requirements for not selling information 4) Competition 5) The list goes on. The refusal to say yes or no is a sound business practice. Yes puts them under verbal law and contracts. No chases customers away. Refusing to say one way or another is the best way to not lose. It does not matter either way. It is up to us to decide to buy or don't buy, jump ship or don't jump ship.

[jamipie831]

Has anyone found any GOOD Third Party apps that sync FitBit and Apple Health? I really like the FitBit connectivity with all the other apps and I want to eventually get an Aria.  I really want a wrist heart rate monitor that accurately tells the heart rate and I keep coming back to the FitBit Charge HR over the Scosche Rhythm and Mio Alpha.  Any others that are serious compeition for the price that I should look at?

[PKDaba]

Decisions need to based on useful information available. If none is available, as in this case, consumers are left to speculate. @Opivali is right. It could be a number of factors in play for what Fitibit does. We as consumers just don't know until Fitbit or some other source is willing to make this information available to us.

Back in January when I purchased my Charge HR, this forum thread was in its infancy. There was still hope that Fitbit would integrate with Apple's HealthKit. Month after month, loyal iOS users started voicing their displeasure seeing that Fitbit is not moving on this critical feature request.

The key problem I have is the deception on Fitbit's packaging where it says their products are iOS compatible. Many consumers continue to fall for this trap, purchasing Fitbit products only to find out that iOS's HealthKit is not updated. Many new iOS users may not even be aware what HealthKit is until they discover that it's there. They'll be in for an even bigger dissappointment when they find out that months worth of data have not been updated to their iOS devices because this critical feature was not implemented by Fitbit even though it was claimed that Fitbit products where 'iOS compatible'.

Regardless of what the reasons are behind what Fitbit does or does not do, the bottomline is consumers will ultimately make their choices based on information that's available. In this case, this Forum and product reviews, are all that they have. So, yes the current iOS consumers who do their research will more than likely stay away from Fitbit. The ones who don't will at some point in time land here, read the articles, and more than likely get angry, vent, and abandon the Fitbit ship.

Sound business practice also considers its user base and build up user loyalty. Fitbit obviously does not believe in this practice.

[Joped]

There was a 3rd party app that syncs the data between Fitbit and HealthKit.  Fitbit has been purposely breaking the app so it doesn't work.

If you want a scale that syncs with HealthKit and works out of the box without messing around.  The Withings Smart Body Analyzer works well.  This is what I bought.

They even have a blood preasure device that works with HealthKit.  My doctor wants me to watch my blood preasure.  On a single screen my doctor has more access to my history than ever before.

Fitbit isn't going to change their mind.  They won't implement HealthKit.  There is no good justification for it.  If you recently bought your device, return it while you have the chance.  Give your money to companies who support your needs.

[netdog]

I switched to Apple Watch, but recently discovered that since I hadn't deleted the FitBit app from my phone, FitBit has continued to harvest all my health data.

If you've given up on FitBit for not supporting Apple's Health App, then be sure to delete the app and close your FitBit account.

[tdwendel]

I agree! Tying into the Apple health app would be great!

[qzervaas]

Please integrate with HealthKit. From a technical perspective it is very trivial. The current solution for developers where they must read from the web-based API is slow and inadequate.

There is documentation here:

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/HealthKit/Reference/HealthKit_Framework/

Recording of steps is a well-utilised case study achieved by many rival trackers, and this is the single thing stopping me from using Fitbit as I record a large portion of health data in the Health app.

[WebeeLLC]

I went with an Apple Watch got my wife one too.  You lost us as customers.  

[PKDaba]

There are also other options that play nicely with HealthKit. These include devices from Withings, Polar, Garmin, Jawbone, and more. Do your research. The right product for you is out there. Fitbit is NOT the choice to go with, if you're expecting / hoping / wishing YOUR data to be updated to YOUR iPhone. Fitbit will monetize and control your data without much respect for you as a customer. Customer loyalty means nothing to Fitbit.

For those of you making this feature request here for the first time, do note that Fitbit has been stringing along iOS users for a very long time while they 'consider' this critical feature which should be technically implementable as other companies are doing it. Fitbit has not moved on this request for the last 17 months and counting, not having the honesty to tell us exactly what they are considering.

[NLA17]

It's been over a year and there hasn't been any more consideration to integrate with IOS Health. I really think FitBit is missing the boat. I love my fitbit, but it is a real pain that I can't get my information to automatically integrate. Please reconsider.

[Kurt1979]

Maybe we Should use fb and twitter to complain and ask for a motivated answer. Maybe if we ask iT on those media, other people /media Will pick it up also. Cause Fitbit showed here that they don't (wanne) hear us.

[RickyFitbit]

Hi everyone! 

Thanks for your continued interest in HealthKit. Please know that we're still listening and taking your feedback.  

@qzervaas Thanks for the link and for your feedback.

@WebeeLLC I'm truly sorry to hear that. I hope you achieve your health goals! 

@PKDaba Thank you for the time you commit to provide your feedback on HealthKit.

@Kurt1979 Always know that we're listening. We're constantly informed of what our users are saying. 

As mentioned before, we don't have any new information to report on HealthKit. Please continue to provide feedback on how this will assist you with your health goals and we'll make sure it's forwarded. 

Thank you. 

[Kurt1979]

@RickyFitbit :  You don't listen to what users wanting, you hear them. But you (as a company) don't listen. 1642 votes... that a lot. 

I work in a company who makes software. If customers ask us to implement something than it doens't take 2 years to decide if we are going to implement it or not.  We try to answer our customer within a week to implement it or not. If not we are telling them why not.  If we are going to implement it, we try to say how long it would take. 

And Yes, I know it can take some time to implement it, because of roadmaps and so on. 

But  saying you don't have any new information is way to easy.  It's just simple, Yes we are going to implement it (when, we will see), or No (please tell us why not...).

If a company takes itself serious, they have to know that this is not the way it works.

And not only this tread is the only tread who stays deaf...

As a part of customer care, you as moderator should constantly ask the dev-team or people who decides those thinks for update, and tell them that 2 years without a YES or NO, can't be taken seriously.

I hope, If u ask your boss for pay increase, you don't have to wait 2 years for an answer.

....

So you as moderator, Speak for the customer, and let the voices of 1642 people being heared.

How many feedback do you still need!

Kind regards

Kurt

[WebeeLLC]

Your not really listening if you haven't added HealthKit. Seems like you
just
don't care about your customers.
It's all good I have a much better device in a community that supports its
customers. So yea my health goals have been met.
 _David Smith built an app for Apple Watch Sleep ++ works
beautifully. Already sold my FitBits.


Justin Weathersbee

---

@so-rich wrote:

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!

---

---

@so-rich wrote:

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!

---

Owner WeathersbeeConsulting.net

[WebeeLLC]

they just responded.

[scatteredthings]

Honestly, posts like this really don't help your customer relations. We
know you're just leading people on and this kind of empty platitude just
angers your users. It would be better to say nothing.

[iwatts]

@RickyFitbit to say you are still listening might be true but to try and still ask us how we would use it is an insult. How do you think Microsoft users use Healthvault. We want to use it in the same way. You have been connected to Healthvault for a long time. So please don't insult us by asking us how we would use it when you already connect to an identical service. I realise you have a hard job caught between management that are probably telling you to string us along and us that want answers. Because a definite no would see the majority of iPhone users immediately stick there Fitbit on eBay and buy a Jawbone or Apple Watch. I have asked I think 5 times now how you can justify connecting to Healthvault when you refuse to connect to HealthKit. I have not once had an answer. Why? Because you are forbidden from giving an honest answer.

[PKDaba]

Not very useful news. Yet another condescending and hypocritical response from Fitbit to give the illusion that they really care. At least have the decency to tell your customers what it is exactly that Fitbit is 'considering' after listening to 17 months worth of feedback.

@Kurt1979 and iOS users deceived by Fitbit, do spread the word on Social Media, write reviews on sites like Amazon, Bestbuy, etc. Also make sure to write a review on Apple's App Store for Fitbit's app. Help stop unsuspecting iOS users from falling into the Fitbit trap.

[Tarake25]

Fitbit and iOS health app really should be compatible. All the other health trackers are compatible.

[Pilotboy]

Do not know why Fitbit is being so stubborn about implimenting the apple health. Jawbone UP has it. Unless they want to loose customers to their competitors