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.

[AtulR]

It would be really cool for the Fitbit app to sync with the Apple health kit. I can understand the competition concerns with the Apple Watch, but there is enough space for both In the big market out there.

[a1exeyz]

Hey fitbit, people asking you for this feature for other 2 years. Is it that hard to hear them?

[MiguelC]

Fitbit should be able to integrate with the Apple Wealth App

[jeason]

This is the #1 requested feature and has been for some time.  Given this, I've lost hope that Fitbit will ever integrate with Apple Healthkit.  I will not be purchasing another Fitbit product because of this but will spend my money on a tracker that does integrate with Healthkit.

[Mheetu]

@RickyFitbit wrote:

Fitbit remains committed to supporting all of our users, whether they sync their Fitbit products with iOS, Android or Windows Phone devices, Macs or PCs. While HealthKit works only on the iOS platform, we also plan to maintain direct integrations with our partners so that Android, Windows Phone and PC and Mac users in addition to our iOS users can benefit from our partnerships.

Please share your thoughts with us. We want to understand how you envision an ideal HealthKit integration to work and what benefits you’re hoping for. We're actively reviewing your responses and providing feedback to our product development team.

10/8: We do not currently have plans to integrate with HealthKit.

It is an interesting new platform and we will watch as it matures, looking for opportunities to improve the Fitbit experience. At the moment, we’re working on other exciting projects that we think will be valuable to users. The question we want you to keep in mind when providing feedback is: What do you imagine a HealthKit integration would entail and what do you expect to get out of it?

Your voices are being heard. We're actively reviewing your responses and providing feedback to our product development team.

Why This is All Nonsense

@RickyFitbit & @zapleahy, I don't mean to be rude but I feel like you're feeding along a bunch of corporate beaucratic nonsense. As a software engineer myself, I can assure you that any one of them working on the mobile apps could suggest a wonderful way to approach the matter. It may not be perfect, but there'd be less complaints about how it works or how intuitive it is compared to how many just want the ability to sync their data. Furthermore, you'd have had 2 years to improve the functionality by now rather than sitting around reading endless and rather repetitive posts on how everyone wants this feature so badly. Not to mention the customers you've alienated or have steered away for lacking such a prominent feature.

Why It's Poor Decision Making

While I can understand that Fitbit may want to keep their data proprietary in a means to lock customers in, I can assure you it's not working out that way. Users who are desperate for that data to be sync'd are using 3rd party tools (which is an inconvenience you're causing on them) or jumping ship and switching to Withings, Apple Watch, or another brand that does sync.

I'm sure you have marketing and product design strategists and I don't claim to have any qualifications to speak in such a capacity; however, I do know that my perspective on matters is shared among a large number of your iOS userbase. You state that our 'voices are being heard' but yet 3,972 comments, 3,666 votes, and 2 years later and we still don't have this feature, despite the fact that it's the most requested feature and is nearly 1,000 votes above the next most popular request. Perhaps I missed it as I admit, I didn't read all 159 pages of comments, but I've not seen a single valid reason as to why this hasn't already been implemented or at least made it to it's planning phase of development.

Expectations and Use Cases

As for what users expect in terms of integration and what they'll get out of it... Well, the integration is pretty straight forward, sync all relevant statistics with HealthKit, including, but not limited to the weight, steps, sleep tracking, etc. Why? There are countless reasons and benefits to this, to name a few: Some insurance companies give incentives to those who share their HealthKit data and work to promote better health. Additionally, people may wish to use multiple trackers with different features or designs. Withings has a nice formal/classic looking activity tracker watch which is pretty up to par some of your devices.

[Tara8350]

I have a fitbit Charge HR that I want to wear outside of work and an apple watch during my 9-5. I am gutted that my steps recorded on my apple watch wont sync with my fitbit app. I was going to buy a new fitbit now that I have an apple watch because my charge HR is getting old but now that i've realised the 2 devices wont record my steps all in one place it's likely I will look into other activity trackers. I love the fitbit product but I just couldn't wear it at work so really you have left me with no choice.

Is it likely that full integration with apple health will be introduced into the fitbit ap in the future?

I would even pay for the fitbit app!!

[Tman98]

I completely agree! It has been two years since the Health app and API was released for iPhone and there is STILL NO integration with the Health app whatsoever. I find this ridiculous that the feature still is not added and frankly very disappointing. I switched to a Fitbit Blaze when my Basis Peak Watch (user of it for a year) was recalled, and I realize how spoiled I was with the Basis Peak. The Basis Peak actually let me sync to the Health app, see my active and basal calories SEPARATELY, see my times in various sleep cycles, and was waterproof up to 5 ATM. I miss all those features dearly now that I have had to switch. It is frustrating and disappointing that none of these are features on the Blaze or in the app. Fitbit, your users want these things, please give them that. It has been two years alone on the Health data integration. If this doesn't get implemented in the next year, I will be switching to a different brand. 

Sincerely a customer who has been a user of your devices since 2012 and who is also a developer who knows how relatively easy adding Health integration is. 

[Tdlp]

This is truly disappointing. I got a fitbit today precisely do that I could more easily record data and have it integrate with my ihealthkit data. Now that I've realized I can't, I'm seriously contemplating returning it and getting something else. If your customers clearly want this feature, I see no good reason not to provide it. 

Providing vague corporate responses is no way to foster customer loyalty or good will.

Do you really have no plans to do this? I'd like to know so that I can return this charge 2.

[HopefulRunner]

@Tdlp

fitbit has not changed their position since the 10/8 statement at the top. That was 10/8/2014. 

I doubt they will change before you run out the clock on the return period. 

[MiguelC]

Not sure the reasons for Fitbit to refuse to integrate with Apple Wealth!

If it is to protect their product, at least for me, it makes not much sense. Apple watch and Fitbit, in my opinion are two different products. Would like to understand the reasons and since many people is asking for this, would be interesting that Fitbit explains the reasons.

[theposch]

This post was created in 2014, it is now 2 years later and this post is the Top Request in the forum. Make this happen Fitbit! 

[JasonSmith]

FitBit.  You are driving me and others crazy with your stance on integration of data.  Please sort it out.  Walled Gardens have never worked in the digital world.  Protectionism is proven to be an economic failure.  Your users will move on unless you sort it.

[GEAGARG]

Today the battery of my old HR is dying (it last 1-2 day with any battery consuming feature disabled). I contacted Amazon if they can take it back far warranty (here in Italy) and thay said me they will give me back my money, when they recieve back the item. 

I was looking for fitbit and i discovered some black friday deals and i considered buying Blaze, but also I saw other tracker that integrate with Apple health features, that comes really handy when syncing my tracker, instead of doing double (sometimes triple!) sync.

Fitbit -> Fitbit App -> Power Sync (for HR) -> Sync Solver (for other Data).

It's insane. I usually charge my fitbit when i shower, sometimes at night before going to sleep. I have to wait at least 10 minutes to do all the syncs, and i sleep without it or i go out and don't do the other syncs.

All the other competitors are one tap and they're ready to go. I will try Blaze, but if it doesn't sync with iOS Health i think i will return it back and give some other fitness tracker a try. Please give us Apple Health integration and i (as many others, i think) will stay (or come back) with fitbit.

[TeRRyZx]

For over 2 years numerous people have been asking them to do this. Apparently they just don't care what people ask for.

[CampGuy]

Let me start by saying that I LOVE FITBIT! Now that Ibe gotten that off my chest... I am 37, Ive been through 2 fitbit devices, Ive used fitbit religiously to lose 40lbs this year, and my side of the family (not my wife or her side of the family) is absolutely addicted to fitbit challenges. We cant get enough of them. We have become more fit as a family, and fitbit has even helped the family get through the deaths of lover ones because we use it at a tool to champion eachother.

So here's the deal. in an effort to be a better husband, I have jumped on the Apple Watch train because my wife has an Apple Watch. I do not think is is nearly as good as fitbit, with regards to its fitness tracker qualities. The Apple Watch is an arrogant device that chooses 2/3 of your goals, can't provide you with a sum total of resting and active calories, doesn't allow step goals, completely missed the train on challenges, does not allow the user to select heart rate monitoring frequency (you're stuck at 5-minute intervals and ONLY when you are not moving) and so much more. The battery sucks, sleep monitoring is pretty much pathetic.

BUT, I want to be on the same page as my wife. I would pay $50+ or even $100+ just to have my apple health data sync with fitbit so that I could have the fitness relationship with my family back. 

[JasonSmith]

Camp Guy.  I completely agree with you.  I want to use my fitbit for exercise and activity tracking but I want that integrated with the wider health data apple provides.  I practice martial arts and I've gone through 3 fitbits in the last 2 years.  There is no way I'll wear my apple watch in training as I don't have the confidence that it will withstand the impacts that fitbit can.  Fitbit needs to realize that integrating with iOS is more helpful to its customers than it is a risk.  I'm certain they will lose more customers than retain through their current protectionist approach.

[CampGuy]

I couldn't agree more.

Regards,

Evan Sommerfeld

**Sent from my iPhone**

[Kail]

this request has been up for some time now, and fitbit still won't address it and remain silent,
i have no choice than to follow the movement and downrate fitbit app on apple store....

[SunLitJewelz]

I just received my new Charge 2 and I'm excited!!!! The only thing that could make it better is to be able to sync to the iOS Health app. I've kept track of all of my health data on that app since I bought my iPhone... also I noticed that I went up 3 flights of stairs... my Health app registered 2 because I had my phone with me those times but my Charge 2 only 1 which I walked without my phone... if they could communicate they might actually come up with 3. 

[maurobender]

I just bought my Fitbit Charge 2 and I really would like to have this feature. I was considering that this feature was already in the Fitbit app as I would have consider not buying the band without this. 

[Stublue]

Likewise I echo the opinion of others.

I know the fitbit community is a large part of what makes fitbit work and I guess the fear is that if they allow 3rd party access to put external step counts into the Fitbit garden then they lose a large part of their market. I suspect that is the rationale behind why this hasn't been implemented. 

As an alternative strategy though, providing a subscriptional service for people to link external into fitbit would be a profitable idea.

I have friends with Fitbits, apple watches and samsung devices and it would be nice if we could all compete together. Fitbit could capitalise on this and really drive one activity service to rule them all. Apple is behind on this and Fitbit could easily take the lead.

Having a fitbit function on my apple watch - I'd happily pay for that. Worth a thought. 

[Silvabak]

As someone indicated above this problem has been around for a couple of years, and if Fitbit wanted to fix this they could have. Whilst I like my Fitbit, life is too short to waste time with stupid incompatibility issues. I'm not changing my phone, so I guess it's goodbye Fitbit.

[Gr8Brit]

It's time to add Apple health integration - c'mon Fitbit - When?

[HopefulRunner]

I don't know if Fitbit knows how much control developers have over how their app integrates with HealthKit. 

To  illustrate the control developers have I will share how three other apps do it. 

iHealth: I love how much data this app shares with HealthKit, but it is a one way street. They write to HealthKit, but don't read from it. This does discourage using other trackers. And is one of my least favorite things about iHealth. 

 Misfit both reads and writes to HealthKit. Developers can pick to read steps and they can pick which sources (other apps) that they read from. So while Misfit does read data from HealthKit, it does not read data from iHealth or UP.

UP reads and writes to HealthKit. It does read data from other apps (sometimes  creating  duplicate entries in the UP system). UP does not sync all the data they could, so there are 3rd party apps to cover that gap. 

So in conclusion, Fitbit could pick and choose what to sync. They could sync and still keep data out from 3rd party devices. 

I have also been told by 2 different help desks that a developer can sync their data to HealthKit and prevent 3rd parties from reading it. (Some diabetes apps could not read the carb data MyFitnessPal put into HealthKit, but I think that has changed. )

[HopefulRunner]

I'm curious what the Black Friday Fitbit sales numbers for the last five years are. Or 10. 

See how demand has grown over the years, and if the same rate has held since HealthKit came out.