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.

[xl_ninja]

@RickyFibit

I very much appreciate your response to this thread. It is not often that
we see an actual FitBit representative contribute to the conversation.

That said, I have some comments regarding your post.

You say FitBit is "listening". Although that is great, it means nothing to
users if you are not taking "action" on what you hear. FitBit users are
looking to improve their experience with their devices. Whether its adding
a feature or reporting a bug, the idea is the same; make the experience
better. Generally, when the experience keeps improving then the higher the
likelihood there is for customer retention.

You mention that FitBit has "not changed our stance" regarding HealthKit
integration. I personally do not know what that stance is. The only mention
I've heard from FitBit is that you are either still investigating or
evaluating the possibility of working with FitBit. I don't believe that
qualifies as a "stance" anymore given the time it has taken just to get to
where we are now and that years have past since that "stance" was first
issued. Perhaps that could have been a valid position for a few months, but
it is no longer satisfactory, especially for those who made the request
early on. We deserve to know what the current, and real stance is. If it is
not ever coming, fine, just let us know. That way we can make an informed
decision on what device(s) we should use or purchase based on our own needs
and environments. By not sharing your stance, you keep some iPhone users in
limbo by providing even just the slimmest glimmer of hope that someday the
FitBit gods will look down upon them and grant them this tiny morsel that
they have been wanting for so long. You keep them, and every iPhone user
from making a truly informed choice regarding their health tracking device.

You profess that you only care about people achieving their health goals.
It doesn't matter to you if we do that using a device from a competitor.
That's very magnanimous but not a sound business stance. You should care
more about providing the best device and experience possible that lead
people to want to use your devices more and more. The better the experience
then the more people will use them and the more people will share with
others those experiences. That's how you build mindshare and gain market
share. You cannot do either of those things by ignoring highly sought after
features that are prevalent with your competitors.

I challenge FitBit to do one of the following:
A) Tell us when you will deploy HealthKit integration (obviously you've
had the ability now to do so for some time)
B) Tell that you will not be doing it so we can make informed decisions

You cannot continue to string people along and expect them to stay with you
indefinitely. It is not fair to people who are seriously interested in
improving their health and want to have a specific environment, ecosystem
and experience within which to do so.

Take a real stance and stand by it. You will gain more respect that by what
you have been doing up until now.

[iwatts]

Got to say I am loving the comments on this thread today. Things are hotting up. Up the revolution 👍

[mrjonlor]

24 hrs. No response from @RickyFitbit. What would it take for FitBit to change its stance on HealthKit integration?

[Luline62]

The sync solver may work but that is NOT the answer. Fitbit needs to let all of us know whether they are doing anything about it or not. They need to get off their high horse and work with Apple for a solution.

[humanista]

@Luline62 Fitbit doesn't have to work with Apple. Apple Health has an open API. Fitbit just needs to decide to integrate and do it. This issue is purely in Fitbit's corner. Apple has NOTHING to do with it.

I got rid of my Fitbit stuff (Premium membership, One, Aria) over a year ago due to this issue and Fitbit's unwillingness to listen to customers. I tried Sync Solver for a while, but it was buggy, forced me to manually sync at times, and it was not a seamless expereince. I currently have an Apple Watch, Jawbone Up2 for sleep tracking, and a Withings scale and I am in a much better place. Besides, Jawbone's Up app, which works with Apple Health, is the best health app I've encountered. If you want to use artificial intelligence to analyze you behavor and make suggestions, check it out.

[Luline62]

Oh ok

Sent from my iPhone

[iwatts]

On top of that, instead of adding a feature everyone wants, they've now added a half baked feature. The hourly activity tracking. Yet every other tracker that offers this actually either beeps or vibrates to remind you to do something. No, Fitbit just tracks what you haven't done. What a waste of time that is. Ive got so used to the non integration of HealthKit but this really takes the biscuit.

[jlgreenwald]

I'd love HealthKit integration, primarily to get weight measurements from Aria scale into Health app. Thanks for considering.

[FeRo]

I do not understand why Fitbit is not supporting the health app.
Please, BITTE!!!, fix this!!!

[MutantSquid]

It's probably been mentioned many times in this long thread, but really, Fitbit should really just adopt the same pricing idea that Hulu uses. Free through browser and app, then a paid subscription to add syncing and support for other services. This would allow them to support all sorts of other platforms, and make some side money for their efforts. I'd pay if it worked better with my Garmin devices or with my Apple Watch. The hardware is one thing, but services are another.

[mbawkher]

If Fitbit had a paid version of their app with Apple Health integration that cost say USD $3 I would pay for it. As long at it was a one-off purchase.

Even if it was a one-time in-app purchase.

[tstheaker]

I'd love HealthKit integration, primarily to get weight measurements from Aria scale into Health app. Thanks for considering.

[UncommonEnergy]

It seems really strange that Fitbit doesn't sync with HealthKit. Please make this happen. Cheers

[prettygrlything]

Like many others before me, I too would pay a small fee to get the Health and FitBit apps to play nicely.

[Dazmapes]

Sent from my iPhone

[AndyZNYC]

I LOVE all my fitbit gear, but really want it to integrate with Apple's healthkit.

[Luline62]

I got mine as a gift. That is the only reason I still use it. One cannot even put in the number of flights of stairs if one is not wearing it. I do not wear it all the time. Apple kit does not need something to wear to keep track.

Sent from my iPhone

[steffieagle]

Sync Solver works for me. $2.99 from the App Store. No big deal. The Fitbit Dashboard is much easier to read for the stats that my Fitbit Flex reads. Stock price way up today!

[HopefulRunner]

@steffieagle, that is great for you, but Sync Solver does not work for my needs, nor the needs of my others.

I don't think you intend to make me feel like you believe this request is unwarranted, but that is feeling I get.

Just because it works for you, I can still express what will work for me.

Do you track blood glucose readings? I do. I want to see my activity and BG results in the same place. Thanks to HeslthKit, I can see my activity from UP and BG from OneTouch, my carbs from another app, all together in wonderful app called One Drop (along with diabetes meds).

It would have been nice if Fitbit had played nice. I would still be using my One or upgraded to model that does HR. I try manage my diabetes most with exercise and diet. I will only use devices that will let me see its data with my BG data.

My first fitbit was purchase back in the day when you could only get a Fitbit from Fitbit (mine was a preorder) and you needed a computer and dongle to sync. I spent long loving my Fitbit and recommending it to others. Fitbit just is not willing to support my fitness goals.

[Luline62]

Yes it

Sent from my iPhone

[Indy_Abe]

Good thing I only bought a charge. They won't be getting any more of my money. Maybe I should just trash it too so whatever payday they're getting by mining my Heath data they won't get anymore.

[mrjonlor]

@RickyFitbit,

Almost a week and still no answer.   What would it take for FitBit to change their stance? You say FitBit is listening to the community.  How?  How can we actively influence the decision?  Posting and voting here have obviously had little to no effect.  

Since you're reviewing this thread every day and "there's not one post that goes unnoticed", do I need to start asking this question daily?

[mbawkher]

Seeing how this is the second highest requested feature in the request feature forum, I would think this thread would be difficult ignore.

[pdppatel21]

I would love it if Apple Health and Fitbit would become compatible... sometimes I can't sync up my fitbit and so Apple Health has all my steps info. Hopefully one day it will sync together. 

[Genosis]

If the concept of the data intergration, allowing Apple Health/Apple Watch work with FitBit, needs to be sold: consider adding it as a "feature" of your premium membership service.

I'm certain your subscriber numbers would bolster immediately, more people being willing to swallow that $49.99 USD (or $64.21 CAD, ugh) annual fee in order to use the device of their choice with your services.

Of course, the more respectable choice would be to simply allow us to intergrate our data into the app as we see fit. As your Data Export settings imply:

Your data belongs to you!

Prove it.