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.

[rshim]

You guys intentionally picked a fight with Apple and I don't think it is one you can win. I am willing to bet that a large majority of your users are iOS users, so you are also alienating them. With Apple no longer selling your products in their stores, that is going to be a huge marketing opportunity throw out the window.

You've taken your stance and perhaps you now feel the need to defend it and stick to it. But it might be wiser to listen to your customers and your partners. No good will come for you to trying to be the gatekeeper of all of our fitness data. Sell your products. Continue to develop your fantastic app and web portal. But also allow the data to be extended by and used in conjunction with others. Win by being better not by trying to lock out an 800 lbs gorilla and irritating a large percentage of your users.

[allenhj]

I am incredibly upset and frustrated that Fitbit is holding back from integrating with HealthKit. I'm a loyal user (Flex and Aria) for about a year and half now and I have accumulated plenty of data that I've always considered mine- there just hasn't been anywhere important to export it to yet.

HealthKit changes that equation by integrating with the other IoT health devices I use to quantify myself and keep healthy. It would be so much more convenient for me to get an at-a-glance view of my total fitness from a hub service than by going through a suite of different apps. All my other devices work with HealthKit. Why not Fitbit?

Opting out of HealthKit is a completely mean-spirited hurdle to place in front of loyal users who just want to get a better overall sense of their total health. It's downright spiteful and will make me strongly reconsider upgrading to a new Fitbit device now that I know how stingy Fitbit's data lock-in practices really are.

After a year and a half of mostly positive experiences, consider me now a very dissatisfied customer. I will no longer recommend Fitbit products to my friends and family, and will actively warn them about Fitbit's added inconvenience and unsportsmanlike behavior compared with its competitors.  

[tendee]

I would have considered purchasing a new device from Fitbit until all of this happened with your lack of Health Kit intergration.

I wanted the scale.  I would have purchased a new and improved Fitbit model over the Flex.  I was going to keep all of my hardware with Fitbit.  I really liked Fitbit.

Now, I'll never open my wallet again for Fitbit.  For me, it is too late.  Fitbit, you did it all wrong.

Maybe you'll keep your Android and Microsoft customers or maybe they will see your lack of support for Apple and wonder if it will happen to them as well....

What a shame....

[Rabbitluvr]

Haha, this thread was only 22 pages long last time I checked in. Now it's more than twice that and Fitbit has been kicked out of Apple stores?! Anyway, I've been getting along just using my phones built-in step counter and Sleep Cycle, but I just purchased a Misfit Flash. I feel I miss data by not using a wearable, and of course I want Health integration. (iOS 8.1 supposedly irons out many of the current issues with Health, and will be out soon.) Will probably also spring for an Apple Watch when it eventually comes out. Boxing my Flex and all my colored bands up and sending them to my SIL. She can use the colored bands now, and she'll have a replacement on hand if something happens to her current Flex unit. (So Fitbit is missing future revenue from TWO customers.) She uses Android, so lack of Health integration doesn't bother her. See ya, Fitbit.

[Dundee]

I use FitBit and several other devices and apps to gain the complete picture of my health related activities.  FitBit is not and cannot be the best in all areas that I want to track.  As a result of all of these seperate tools, as FitBit is not integrated with all of the other fitness related apps and devices, HealthKit is the best option for me to see a complete view of my health and related activities.  With Apple Watch coming, and others already here, it is getting more difficult for FitBit to stay relevant in this market.  By not integrating with a key tool for your users you are making that even more the case.  I can already see the day where I use my FitBit only for the silent alarm feature, unless the company makes my device and their software relevant beyond the capabilities of what the iPhone/Apple Watch will provide me.

[SunsetRunner]

I returned my Force with the idea that I would get the new FitBit replacement when it came out (thought it would be a much shorter timeframe). Hearing the rumors that the new Charge and Charge HR devices were coming out, I got pretty excited that I'd have one of these new devices to track my activity and sleep. That said, after I heard that FitBit did not intend to integrate with Apple's Health app, I can't see getting a new FitBit. I track a number of health measurements in the Health app that FitBit doesn't track. To require me to have pieces of important health information in multiple locations doesn't work for me, and I'd imagine many other FitBit customers. When I look for scales, fitness trackers, blood pressure monitors, etc., I do so with an eye toward keeping the data from the devices in one place - the Apple Health app.

A friend of mine wears his Force constantly and we were talking about this issue after playing a couple hours of racquetball. While he loves his Force (which he needs to replace as the rubber is separating from the face), the idea of not intergrating with the Health app makes him consider replacing his Force with an UP24 or other device. I believe that failing to integrate with Health is very shortsighted on FitBit's part and hope they will quickly reconsider, before I buy my next fitness tracker.

[miratony]

Please, integrate with Apple. Do it now, and don't mess around. Consumers aren't interested in these corporate contests. They just want stuff to work easily, and Healthkit is welcome initiative in the iPhone/iPad universe. 

[lenscraft]

Lack of HealthKit integration makes my Aria scale and fitbit useless.

[Mikey1234]

Well I've already moved on to a new withing tracker. I also tweeted Tim Cook as to why the apple store would sell products that did not integrate with Healthkit. It gives me great satisfaction that Apple stores have now dropped fitbit regardless of whether my tweet helped achieve this or not. 🙂

[phatbhuda]

 I've owned 3 different Fitbit models in the past, culminating in a Force that I sent back as part of the recall. Since that time, I have used the tracking component of my iPhone 5s with your Fitbit software. Why? The most important part of the Fitbit experience for me is the social motivation. I've built a small network of family and friends that I compete with.

Now, it's highly likely that my next purchase in this market won't be a Fitbit device. It's just taken too long to come out with a replacement for the Force. Instead, I will most likely get the Apple Watch. There remains the question on whether or not the Watch's tracking data will be usable in the Fitbit app.

As we as a culture move more towards preventative medicine and whole body health, it's going to be important for our data to be readily accesible. With Fitbit refusing to open their data up to HealthKit, it is one less + in the Fitbit column. I already convinced all my friends and family to use Fitbit, how hard would it be for me to convince them to move to something else?

[fivetoedslothbe]

I've been a Fitbit user for a long time. While the community is nice, it's also very important to me to have it work well with my devices.

I'm also an ex-Force user, and really miss having a display. Using a Flex for now, no stairs being counted. This is really a step back, so to speak.

So many other of my apps are already using HealthKit: Withings (for my scale) and MyFitnessPal, for instance.

Seriously, news of your new, more expensive tracker with display has leaked. If I spend premium money, I want a premium experience, and that means supporting the features of my phone. I've been waiting for a tracker from you, but if all your competitors are going to support HealthKit, well, that's a distingushing absence of a feature for you.

So as I'm looking for a new tracker that has a display, you're basically telling me to make sure to consider Withings or wait for the Apple Watch.

Let's hope this is just a temporary bad decision on your part. You've grown a lot of customer loyalty, and treated us well, even handling well the problem with the Force. Give us what we want and expect, treat us well, and take our money. Please. OK?

[SunsetRunner]

Hmm... Mac Rumours just reported that Apple is pulling Fitbit from it's stores.... Hope that that isn't our answer...

[joestencowwife]

As I said here before, I bought my first fitness tracker last month. I was inspired to buy it and take my fitness tracking etc up to the next level by the new iPhone 6 and Health app. After much research, I chose the Fitbit One as a part of that process. After the first rounds of research, it had the most appealing, easy to use app and I liked the design and features. Never occurred to me that Fitbit would not be playing with the big boys and that the One I had purchased was already obsolete because of Fitbit's (unknown to me) decision not to work with this new app/tech feature of Apple's.

I began to research again. I kept an eye on this thread at the same time, hoping Fitbit was going to step in and say oops, here it is, sorry about that. It didn't happen.

After some time and as a direct result of what DIDN'T happen on Fitbit's part, despite having spent $100 on the One, and $50 on the Premium service very recently, I gave up on Fitbit and purchased a Withings Pulse to replace my One. The app and web portal aren't as easy to use or as intuitive so there's a small learning curve. However, I'm learning to love it, and trading the One's silent alarm for the Pulse's Heart Monitor feature was a trade up. I also am using MFP now, and Digifit with a HRM. I've been so pleased with the integration and how these work so well together that I have decided to spend MORE money and buy the Withings Smart Body Analyzer Scale and the Blood Pressure Cuff as well. Did you catch that Fitbit? Their willingness to integrate and work well with other companies/products to meet my needs made me MORE willing to purchase additional products that I had not originally intended to purchase at all.

Please, do not delete this post. This is NOT meant as an add for Withings or any other specific company as such. This is me explaining my experience with YOUR company, with Fitbit, and how you LOST my business because of this decision, and how another company (ANY other company and in this case THREE other companies) who was willing to integrate won not only the business I had given to you, but additional business as well.

In addition to the actual currency this move involved, there was a lot of time and effort spent that I, frankly, needed to spend elsewhere. I have kids, am a returning student at my local university, and that means that the actual COST of this to me was even greater than the funds spent on equipment. I hope you can appreciate how that increases the weight and importance of this issue.

I really liked my One. Moving from that product to another was disappointing to me. I tend to reward companies who go the extra mile, even if that means a higher price (or additional purchase) and that is what I've done here. I won't be back... and I'm not the only one of me out here.

[AJ70]

I must say, I am very dissapointed with the lack of HealthKit integration.  I have a One, my wife has a One, and my 12 1/2 year old has the Flex.

We will continue to use them until the next round in the Washer (all of us on our second Fitbit's  ;)) then we will evaluate a companies device that does integrate with the HealthKit API and the dashboard.  If Fitbit has Healthkit API integration by the time we need to get a new tracker, we will most likely stick with them.  We have all loved the trackers over the years, but there is much to be valued in the HealthKit integration, especially coming from the Healthcare world.

Please put three more votes down for Healthkit integration, or we too, will look elsewhere in the future.

[AJ70]

PS.  We also own two Aria scales, one in our bathroom and one in my son's bedroom.  Those two will get replaced at some point if no integration.

[naturemind]

Gone from Apple Stores now. Soon to be gone from my pocket. Already have Jawbone counting my steps. I am still wearing my FitBit One, but I hope they "reconsider" this and get it integrated with HealthKit before FitBit starts fading from memory. If this is goodbye to the FitBit world, it was fun while it lasted, but sad to see their hubris prevent a good product from becoming a part of everyone's full-health solutions.

[vinous]

I wonder now which came first, the egg or the chicken? Fitbit being pulled out of apple store because of lack of integration or fitbit not integrating because it would be pulled out of apple store. Either way, bad move guys.

[butchbr73]

i will vote for integration with iOS 8 and the Health app... being an iOS user, at this point with the new health app, integration is almost a must have.... if Fitbit does not want to pursue (and not sure why they wouldnt...), it would make me move to another fitness tracker to get the integration.

the response of supporting all users across all platforms should not depend on whether or not it is integrated into the iOS Health kit app... Health kit is a feature of iOS, and should be part of the iOS app.  As an iOS user, I should not be penalized that Android or Windows phone does not have the Health kit app, etc... that doesn't make any sense.

Look forward to this being integrated soon.

[twurster]

I find it disappointing that Fitbit hasn't moved forward with implementing the Apple Health API's. If this stance continues, I will move away from the platform and use other activity trackers which support it.

[skubish]

My company requires us to join HumanaVitality.  Currently I use FitBit to send my steps to HumanaVitality.  The HumanaVitality app syncs with Health App.   In the future all my activities will be logged in the Health App and then submitted to HumanaVitality for points (lower insurance premiums).  If all my other health stuff is in Health app and FitBit is not, I am not going to use FitBit anymore.

FitBit can try to take on Apple and go there own way but they will lose.

Always bet on Apple.

[odditie]

http://www.macrumors.com/2014/10/15/apple-removing-fitbit-from-stores/

Still don't care Fitbit? It appears Apple is willing to support your competitors who are willing to work with their technology still despite entering the space, yet Fitbit is being removed from stores.

[AlbDusty]

Picking a fight with Apple will mean the end of Fitbit. The only thing that can save you is to play nice with Apple and it's ecosystem.

[johnsonstevenn]

I would love to see integration with Apple's Health app,  I have owned four different fitbit's in the last four years and would be willing to move to a different tracker to have the integration with the app.

[TeeeBear]

Please integrate with HealthKit. Just because it is OS Specific, doesn't mean it is a bad idea. Since you're willing to share data with other apps, why not HealthKit?  

[vinous]

It is not even about playing nice. It is about acknowledging what customers want, recognizing new opportunities and offering better devices and services BEFORE! we even have to ask for it. Really upset about this. Looking forward to the new wave of trackers that are more in tune with my way of thinking.