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.

[jbone311]

@zapleahy translation: our customers do not matter. @zapleahy Can you provide us with any links (since you said you like to copy and paste links) to users' comments who have asked you to deny integration? @zapleahy Fitbit has had months to "evaluate" HealthKit. How can you, as a member of the human race, claim that Fitbit needs even more time to evaluate HealthKit? Do you not recognize the absurdity of your statements? You don't have to admit it here in the forum or to me, but I hope that you can be honest with yourself. And with that, I'm done with fitbit. I'm not playing your games anymore.

[TeRRyZx]

In relation to where there is/was some talk about how the HealthKit had problems. I know that many that happened with the actual orginal app have been fixed. I had a problem develop hat was quite annoying and I just got finished after spending a lot of time with Apple Support to figure it out. I was getting data areas that said NO DATA and no matter what I did, certain ones would not populate with the apps that are supposed to work well with it.

To make a long story short...it seems that in the 500+ apps that I have on my iPhone 6 Plus, many have ccarried over from restoring from older phones to the new one. Some of these apps must not be completely compatible with HealthKit as once I erased my phone and set it up in a test as a new phone using only those approved apps with HealthKit, it worked perfectly, and now makes me want FitBit data to populate there even more once I have see how much it can do when working correctly.

From my searching the Internet, I saw that some others were having problems with that NO DATA bug also. So far as I have seen now, no one has an answer to fix that. I now believe that this is a big problem when it comes to a person'd impression of the quality of HealthKit. When parts are not correctly functioning, it can negate your experience with using it.

So what I have decided to do, since I really like how it works when it is working correctly....I am going to erase my phone again after I again restore it so as to get a list of all the apps I have on it, and then go through them one by one and reinstall just the ones that I actually have been using over time. This is a LOT of time consuming work but I think it will be worth it. There is a web site that also can read all the apps that you have in your iTunes folder and it makes user defined lists of them in any order you choose. This a good way to keep track of what you have for future reference. For anyone who would also want to have that available, the site is: http://appshopper.com/

This will help me considerably to pick and choose the apps I want. They also have a very detailed description of each app and what it does. Also a good place to learn about other apps.

I feel that once I completely redo my iPhone, I will be evn more happy with what I can expect from HealthKit. I believe the few negative I have seen might also be caused by old incompatibale ass in the same way mine had done. So when it is not working exactly like it should, the user experience is also not up to what Apple was expecting when they made this app.

I do plan connect all the apps that will communicate with HealthKit and I really do hope that FitBit will change their mind and work with Apple to give us an even better user experience. 

I've been with FitBit for a long time and I do not plan to leave even if they choose otherwise. I did however buy the Withings O2 Pulse and the way it incorporates that dats in HealthKit is just remarkable. Overall though, I like FitBit best of all, and really love their graphical website interface. Not even close to Microsoft Health Vault. I also think Withings has a really good site if you have the devices that will chart on it. 

But as so many others have asked....I sincerely hope that FitBit will work with Apple and let our data be used in the best way (so far) that I have seen. It's a shme that we are all just begging for this, and we get such little in the way of an acceptable response. There is no reason that FitBit can work with ALL the tracker apps and sites and then they will give us an experience that will once draw many more people to use their greta products.

[ldgrgg]

I'm a longtime Fitbit user and if they do not integrate with Healthkit, I'll drop the tracker the minute the Apple Watch hits the market.  I won't be the only Fitbit user to do this.  So, Fitbit, get with the game now!

[Alacaeriel]

Well, @zapleahy I do notice that you didn't comment on which caused more damage to the Fitbit brand. I do think the secrecy has damaged Fitbit a great deal, and I think the continued secrecy is only causing more damage.

I also asked what the Fitbit company think of us as a whole, as we are the ones loudly complaining, and constantly at you and @RickyFitbit asking for more information. 

And again, I agree with @Bluejay - is there a timeline you can provide us with? What is actually happening with all our complaints besides being put forward? Is *anything* happening with them? Or are they putting all the information in a (number of) binders, ready to throw away when we finally give up?

[michaelq]

Well duh. Of course we want our Fitbit data to work with iOS 8 and Health Kit. Would switch to other tracker if it doesn't happen. Hope this doesn't mean you're selling our data as banned in the Health Kit tos?

[Bluejay]

"Well duh. Of course we want our Fitbit data to work with iOS 8 and Health Kit. Would switch to other tracker if it doesn't happen. Hope this doesn't mean you're selling our data as banned in the Health Kit tos?"

Time to reread the fitbit TOS.b

[exuser]

Got my Withings scale tonight. It was easier to set up than my Aria by far, and gives more information. More expensive too, but I'm not cost-sensitive when it comes to my health, as are I suspect, most of us. I spent $100 just 6 weeks ago for the Aria, and $150 today for the Withings scale. 

Now that every one of the millions of iPhones comes with a pre-installed Health app, you have to know that eventually people are going to touch it just to see what it does. Then they're going to want to have their data show up in it. Then they're going to buy a Fitbit, since it's the market leader and available everywhere. Then they're going to wonder why it's "broken" because it doesn't work with the Health app. Then they're going to return it.

Please prepare yourself for increased return rates on open box products. Allocate resources to handle upset customers who find out their fitbits don't work with their phones. They will not care why, they will just assume all of your products are broken. Be clear when annoucing the Charge line, or it will cost you in many returns.

[NP1]

Love my Fitbit One. I've had it since 2012. I've logged lots of steps and floors. I applaud you for adopting the wait and see but in your effort to be different it can be annoying too for your users. Much like the charging connection on the "one" which is unlike any other gadget I own, please streamline your integration. As users, we are looking to pare down the number of devises to carry, the number of charging cables to take with us, and the number of apps to sync and checkin with. How about offering a small adapter that would charge my " one" from my iPhone/iPad charging cable?? While I think I will like the apple health app when I get into it - it really doesn't matter to me which app it is as long as the areas it covers and monitors is inclusive.  Thanks for listening. 

[Bluejay]

Back to thought of Fitbit not integrating because HealthKit TOS would limit their ability to profit from our data.

from the Fitbit TOS:

User-Generated Content
Subject to Fitbit's adherence with the privacy settings you select within the Fitbit Services, you hereby grant to Fitbit a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to reproduce, distribute, transmit, publicly perform, publicly display, digitally perform, modify, create derivative works of, and otherwise use and commercially exploit any text, photographs or other data and information you submit to the Fitbit Services (collectively, "User Generated Content") in any media now existing or hereafter developed, including without limitation on websites, in audio format, and in any print media format. "User Generated Content" includes but is not limited to content posted on message board posts, blogs, journals, food and recipe submissions and user comments. Subject to Fitbit's adherence to the privacy settings you select within the Fitbit Services, you hereby waive any rights of publicity and privacy with respect to the User Generated Content and any other legal or moral rights that might preclude Fitbit's use of the User Generated Content or require your permission for Fitbit to use the User Generated Content. You agree not to assert any claim, whether based on tort, contract, or other legal theory, against Fitbit or its sublicensees relating to Fitbit's or its sublicensees' use of the User Generated Content in accordance with your privacy settings, and you hereby release Fitbit and its sublicensees from any such claims. You represent that your User Generated Content: (1) will not infringe any third party's copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary rights; (2) will not violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation; (3) will not be obscene or contain child pornography; (4) will not contain any viruses, worms, time bombs or other computer programming code that is intended to damage, detrimentally interfere with, surreptitiously intercept or expropriate any system, data or information; (5) will not violate any third party's rights of publicity or privacy; and (6) will not be defamatory, unlawfully threatening or harassing, harmful to minors in any way, or otherwise offensive or inappropriate. You are responsible for complying with all laws applicable to your User Generated Content.

Third Party Services
The Fitbit Services may provide links or references to websites operated by third parties. We do not monitor or investigate such websites and we are not responsible for the content, functionality, or practices of such websites. Inclusion of links to third party websites on our Fitbit Services does not imply approval or endorsement of the linked website by us. If you decide to leave our Fitbit Services and access these third party websites, you do so at your own risk. Fitbit suggests that you read the terms of use and privacy policies (if any) on those third party websites. You agree that Fitbit has no liability for any damage or loss of any type that is a result of your use of a third party website.

[Mikey1234]

BINGO! ^^^^^^

[Sherri0]

I do not feel that it is up to Fitbit to evaluate and determine what is needed or wanted by me or what is good for me. That is solely my prerogative. It is not and never will be Fitbit’s choice. I and I alone will decide what I want or do not want. Fitbit’s evaluation of Health Kit is irrelevant and meaningless to me. I think that evaluation is up to the consumer. If I HAD a choice using my Fitbit, I would choose to integrate with Apple. If that choice is denied, I will purchase a device that will integrate.

[dirtygirltoo]

I just wanted to make sure that the developers and management at Fitbit realize the importance of integrating with Apple's Healthkit and the Health app.  I am a loyal Fitbit user and have gotten well over a hundred people to use your devices (corporate programs included).  There are rumors that Fitbit is coming out with a competitve product to the Apple Watch and that is the reason the decision to not integrate has occurred.  If this is true or even has a grain of truth to it, it would be very short-sighted on Fitbit's part.  

As an example, I would be interested in such a product from Fitbit BUT I am actively trying to get all my data into one app.  Microsoft's Healthvault is decent and Fitbit integrates, but it lacks in other areas.  If Fitbit were to integrate and come out with a competitive product to Apple, then we loyal Fitbit users have a simple choice...get the Fitbit product.  However, if there is no integration, I will have to decide, do I get the new Apple Watch that integrates as I want, or chose a lesser option (though perhaps a wonderful product) and limit my options and desire to have a comprehensive app to house my medical data.  I think that the choice for Fitbit should be a relatively easy one, but it seems that is not the case.  

Thank you for the opportunity to voice my concerns and thoughts and I sincerely hope that Fitbit will reconsider their position on integration with Healthkit.  I know I'm not the only one that feels similarly.

Thanks again.

[Halyconjoi]

If 67 pages of comments doesn't convince you to make Fitbit work with Apple health I don't know what will . . .

[Zaaryn]

Adding my +1 to the 67 pages of comments, please please please add HealthKit integration.  Being able to manage all your health stats from one app is so much easier than switching between apps.  Please reconsider adding HealthKit integration.

[Bluejay]

Fitbit and secrecy is getting to me. If they don't cut the cr@p I will leave, even if they adopt integration. @zapleahy and @RickyFitbit pass that up the bloody food chain.

[Bluejay]

The reason for my last rant. http://venturebeat.com/2014/10/25/fitbits-new-surge-fitness-watch-blunderfully-announced-by-brooksto...

[sshadowssin]

Unbelievable. I agree with all of the above comments. I'm not sure where Fitbit loses by integrating to the Health App. I love my fitbit, and quite frankly I was on the fence when it came to the apple watch, but my decision has been made. It was made by FITBIT, unless they take immediate action. It makes no sense that I would have to buy an app (wristband manager) to make up for Fitbit's missing features, when they could integrate and show some love to their loyal customers with a day or two of engineering. 

To answer their question, What am I looking for as far as healthkit integration? I'm looking to see all of my data in one place. Simple, right? 

For all those that may wonder why they're asking this, here are my 2 cents. I think Fitbit is asking us what we are hoping to get out of healthkit integration so they can make sure to cover all of those desires in their upcoming app update geared toward their new devices. They want to offer a full package, device and data, which will include datapoints they have never offered. Datapoints such as GPS and heart rate, which are part of their new devices. I have no doubt that their new devices are awesome, I've been looking forward to them since my force was recalled/fell apart, but not everyone is going to want to upgrade devices. If I'm required to upgrade to one of their new devices in order to see my heart rate/floors climbed stats in the same place as my steps, I'm upgrading to the Apple Watch. 

[nando]

I agree with previous comments. If fitbit wants to hold on to the community

---

@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!

---

, you better get it to work with the apple health kit - I was about to buy the aria scale and now ... I'm putting this decision on hold ... due to the missing integration with apple. I'm about to have my anniversary with my fitbit and have been very happy until now ... the term we are "considering it" sounds a little arrogant to me. You are pushing people towards apple watch ...

[slahiri]

I have been using the fitbit force and aria for a year. I've really enjoyed it and had a lot of sucess. It's getting close for me to upgrade to a new device, but if you have no plans to integrate with Apple's healthkit, I will not be getting a new fitbit. The Surge looks interesting to me, but if it doesn't integrate with healthkit, I will be looking else for my upgraded health monitoring device.

[Bluejay]

Fitbit Surge without HealthKit = Amazon Fire Phone Just saying what many of are thinking. Android and Windows users, are 100% sure that fitbit won't pull this stuff on your OS if it comes out with a built in dedicated health app? For me to be sure, I would need to know why fitbit is doing things this way. Are they afraid to share the data? Are the unwilling to not sell our data per iOS TOS for HK? We don't know what is motivating fitbit. I would ask, but I would not expect an answer.

[Karell]

@bluejay:
"For me to be sure, I would need to know why fitbit is doing things this way. Are they afraid to share the data? Are the unwilling to not sell our data per iOS TOS for HK? We don't know what is motivating fitbit. I would ask, but I would not expect an answer."

When HealthKit was announced in June, the Fitbit logo appeared prominently on screen at the WWDC presentation. For them to not even begin the process of integration, I'm starting to think there was a huge falling out at the very highest level of management ... and it sounds like Fitbit tried to force Apple's hand by "taking their ball & bat & going home", completely oblivious to the fact that they owe a great deal of their success to Apple. That would also explain why they're stringing us along with this "Under Consideration" nonsense. These threads are a farce.

When Fitbit first asked us what we want out of HealthKit integration and why I was shocked. Henry Ford once commented that if he'd asked people what they wanted they would've asked for faster horses ... but he had the vision to recognize their needs and invented the automobile. I never knew I needed a Fitbit until it was introduced, now I can't live without it. Pre-2007 when iPhone was just a rumor, all I wanted was for the phone & iPod to be combined into one device ... that alone would've thrilled me. I didn't know that I wanted email & internet access, or the dozens of varied & creative apps that allow it to do almost anything you can imagine.

Henry Ford created something that was beyond the imagination of the general public, that's the job of an inventor/designer. Where would we be today without motor vehicles?

Apple knew we wanted an iPhone, but they designed in features most of us hadn't even dreamed of, and now we can't live without.

Fitbit created an amazing product that I hadn't even conceived of, and it's been physically attached to my body every day for almost five years. I desperately wish it could continue this journey with me, but things aren't looking good right now.

Steve Jobs famously said "It's not the customer's job to know what they want." It sounds arrogant, but these examples bear him out.

For Fitbit to ask us what we want and why, and the fact that they didn't even pose the question until *after* integration should've been complete & fully tested -- that indicates that this is a smokescreen for whatever childish spat happened behind the scenes.

Face it, Fitbit will never integrate with HealthKit. Maybe because they're already in bed with Microsoft, maybe there's an alliance with Google in the works, or maybe someone just woke up grumpy one morning and chose to be stubborn & petulant. We'll probably never know.

I feel the worst for the Fitbit employees. I'll need to buy a new tracker, but chances are they'll end up needing new jobs. Up until recently I've always had excellent interactions with their support staff; right now I feel like their hands are tied and they're being forced to either play out this charade with us or be fired ... but there's no way to undo the damage done and trust broken with a once-fiercely loyal customer base. Fitbit (the company) will suffer greatly, if they don't actually fold completely ... and that makes me incredibly sad. For the amazing products they've made in the past, for the lost potential of future products & services, but mostly for the employees that will suffer from this decision far more than any of us will.

[gutsma]

Fitbit's mishandling of this has left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.  

Is fitbit selling our data as alluded to by others here?  I don't know.  What I do know is we will never receive a straight answer to that question.

I understand the need for a certain amount of corporate secrecy with R&D.  The leaking product development does nothing to improve the fitbit brand.  As others have stated, it is cowardly.

Apple maintains an incredibly loyal customer base.  It's also far easier replace a tracker than an apple househld.

I'm a senior citizen.  I have health issues.  Having the capability to SIMPLY store medical and fitness data in one place is a HUGE advantage.  My phone is with me at appointments and hospital visits. I will leave fitbit to facilitate this capability.

I will not grovel.  There are pages of requests that have been ignored - after we were sent to this thread to voice our opinions and vote.  It's clear fitbit corporate doesn't care what their  customers desire.  That leaves me with the conclusion fitbit does not care to continue their relationship with me.  That's fine.  See, I respect your choice far more than you respect mine.  As I research my options, I'll continue using fitbit.  When my decision is made, which may well be an apple watch, I'm gone.  

Gone also will be my years of recommendations.  I can not and will not recommend a product made by a company I can not trust. 

[Alacaeriel]

@zapleahy and @RickyFitbit Help us understand this. The artical states that the Surge Fitness Watch will integrate with Apple devices. Will it integrate with HealthKit, or with Apple devices via its own app?

I will say that I have an iMac, Macbook, iPad and iPhone. I am entirely Mac-enabled. Which do you really think I'd go with? The Surge, which says it will integrate, but not how, or an Apple Watch? What do you think most of the iPhone/iPad users in this thread will prefer? And those who have already left due to the lack of answers coming from Fitbit employees? Do you expect them to come back?

Now, the other question... Will you answer this post?

[gutsma]

Unfortunately, I doubt we can anticipate definitive answers from @zapleahy or @Ricky. They find themselves on the front line with virtually no answers. It's not an enviable position. 

Like you, we are a Mac household.  When push comes to shove, I'll stick with apple over fitbit! I suspect many apple users feel the same way.

I suppose that technically, fitbit could claim it integrates with iOS since it does through its mobil App. If the Surge were going to integrate with HealthKit, that word would have leaked. What an excellent explanation they would have had for why current fitbits wouldn't integrate. They are holding out for their new spiffy product line.

Fitbit has broken trust. 

[Alacaeriel]

I agree, sadly. I also think that Fitbit broke trust a few months ago with "under consideration". I will allow that they changed this thread to that status after we complained that it wasn't, although they could have told us then that they were working on a new product that would do something similar. 

I think what they have done is not just break trust, but walk/run/cycle it into the dust. 

I will be buying a new step/sleep tracker, and a new set of scales on Monday or Tuesday this week.

Fitbit, I'm sick of your attitude, and won't be returning. The fact that the vast majority of information has been shared on this forum from other users rather than moderators keeping us informed? Ridiculous! I stayed on in the hopes that you'd change your mind. You've lost yet another (now formerly) loyal user.