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.

[JP_Bark]

What is the deal with this Fitbit? http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/27/7077329/fitbit-adds-food-and-activity-logging-through-cortana So you will support one companies voice software but ignore the other two that make up most of the market? While it maybe a "cool" idea I would rather have my Fitbit work with other apps that can show me information... How many more years do you need to look at HealthKit before you give the consumers a straight answer? You need to work with HealthKit and Google Fit.

[SunsetRunner]

From Ricky Hi everyone! Thanks for your feedback. I understand everyones frustration but let's remember to keep this conversation concerning HealthKit and integration. Once we have more information we'll make sure to update everyone here. Thanks for your patience and cooperation.

seriously you want "more information", like what for instance?? I am truly puzzle led by this request from the moderators.

[Just_i]

I was very dissapointed to learn that Fitbit will not be intergrating with Apple's HealthKit. I have enjoyed using my Fitbit One for the last 9 months and am looking to step up my fitness with a device that tracks heart rate in the early new year - the integration features available in HealthKit are a must for me. If Fitbit does not offer Healthkit I will be purchasing from another company and I suspect those in my circle who follow my lead tech-wise will be doing the same. I am certainly going to stop recommending Fitbit, they don't seem to listnen or care about their customers very much. 

To answer your question, I am looking for ONE app that will intergrate all of my health related needs. I want to see my activity -steps, stairs, heartrate go into Healthkit. I want to see things like age, height and weight not have to be entered into every app I use. I want to only have to put my weight into one app each week and have go to all of my other apps. I want to compare energy levels at different times of the month compared with moods and hunger levels. I want a central location to do this. I do NOT want Fitbit to do all of this, I like the other apps I use, the history I have built up and their interface. They are playing nice with others in ways that improve my health. Fitbit seems to want me to only use them, which is not helpful to ME, the consumer. I do not feel the need to be loyal to a company that does not concern themselves with my interests or needs.

[SunsetRunner]

I already decided to get the Jawbone UP3 when it comes out.

[Sherri0]

To me, it looks like Fitbit wants to have a proprietary product. With that in mind, one can see why they are stalling about integration. I do not like closed systems which use the my-way-or-the-highway philosophy. If they think that they can compete against Apple and Google, they are in for a rude awakening. Like the other contributors to this thread, I will simply purchase another product which does integrate with HealthKit. Fitbit has shown great disrespect for its customers. I’m looking forward to what other companies will be marketing to fill the gap left by Fitbit.

[fhnvfthjncdf]

Same here. I've been using the Jawbone Up24 for the last three weeks and am really excited to get the Up3. It's everything I wished the Apple Watch had been. Jawbone just pulled into the lead as far as I'm concerned.

[fhnvfthjncdf]

I get why Fitbit did what it had to do. Apple is going to take over the wearables market and make all the other companies pay along the way to their own demise (playing nice with Apple would only prolong the inevitable). As the current leader, Fitbit was in the best position to resist Apple's strong arm techniques and possibly survive (thrive?) down the road. I'm not happy to say I'm leaving Fitbit. Jawbone just played the game better.

[pixrob]

Seriously?  

Don't forget your place fitbit - Apple is king and you need to play nicely with them.  

You should be jumping to get this integration - it's a bonehead move to refuse.  You'll end up losing in the end.  

Rob

[Vurtual]

Gotta say the surge looks bulky, not sure I'd wear it in a Capoeira class or Squash game, but the charge hr looks great. I only wish you'd integrate healthkit without requiring users to justify it. It's obvious why we want it; it gives us elements of fitbit premium without fitbit premium. It's obvious why you don't want us to have it; it gives us elements of fitbit premium without fitbit premium. What you should be doing is changing up what fitbit premium offers. On device feedback of daily calorie target, on device feedback of progress toward daily activity goal for trainer are two great examples. Anything that helps us not have to check the phone all the time for progress reports. That way premium members are getting something healthkit just can't and never can offer.

[ssjump]

Hope our votes are heard. 

[pbeard]

Wow I've patiently waited months for the Fitbit/Healthkit integration. I assumed it was a no-brainer. How could Fitbit not integrate with Healthkit?! I finally browsed the web and was disturbed to find that Fitbit had no current plans to integrate. Like almost all of the posts on this board, I am deeply disappointed. There are a ton of fitness tracker competitors out there. Until now I thought Fitbit was the best choice. It's clear that's no longer the case. Time to start shopping.

[FitBZV]

I know that FitBit currently does not have plans to integrate with HealthKit, but I think this is a mistake and the more than 75 different pages worth of comments here I think show that I am not alone. 

I am very excited to get my hands on my new FitBit Charge and I will consider the FitBit Charge HR when it is released. But integration with HealthKit is something that I feel is absolutely neccesary. 

A good product is one that grants its users the most flexibility. The flexibility to use our data how we want should be a no-brainer. Although the FitBit interface is wodnerful, having the ability to connect elsewhere, especially to HealthKit, is incredibly important. 

[rbasecki]

Please integrate FitBit with Apple Health quickly. It will be really helpful.

I do not want to switch to other platform

[moonjeong]

If you really care about the customer, then connect to apple health. I will not get an apple watch or fitness band as I have multiple of your products. However, if your stance remains I will return all my fitibit products back to REI, given that they have a lifetime return policy. I will not only not use fitbit products, but will not purchase the upcomming charge HR, which I think is really cool and will complement my Rolex. The apple watch will never replace my Rolex. Why fight apple, when you have a great product?

[gutsma]

I come here daily, reading new comments and hoping aginst hope to see an update indicating fitbit has heard our messages and decided to sync to Apple's HealthKit.  Except for new comments from fitbit users requesting the sync, there is nothing new.

People are frustrated.  Obviously you are aware of it.  This thread remains active which sends a further message.  Had corporate chosen to be upfront from the get go, there would be less anger.  But no, fitbit chose to dance around and flirt with apple and their apple users.

Fitbit may very well be the leading tracker in what is increasingly a crowded field.  How many posters here have already selected new trackers?  How many are researching or waiting for their selected replacement to launch?  How many would have excitedly purchased one of fitbit's three new products?  How many customers who are not part of this message board community have already switched or are planning to do so?  

I understand a corporate decision.  I do not understand playing with what had been a loyal customer base the way you have done.  Come to this thread and vote.  Share your comments and ideas.  A month ago we received word from fitbit that they would not sync with HealthKit.  This thread remains active.  What does that tell you?  Do you want to run off your Apple users?  

It's been very insulting.

[TiggsPanther]

Wow! Seems like Fitbit really don't like dissenting voices. Shame that they refuse to do the only thing that would silence it. 

Come on. Admit your mistake. Announce and fast track adding in the iOS functions that have been a known set of APIs in the development kit for several months and have been requested as a feature for nearly as long and do the right thing.

Over 900 upvotes and a stupidly hgh amount of comments. Prove you actually give a **ahem** about your customer base and stop robbing us off with meaningless platitudes. Just integrate the functions that any health-based app on iOS platforms should have these days.

Or stall longer and prove that your senior decision makers are full of it.

[Tapi]

I have two primary reasons for wanting health kit integration.

1) I want all of my health info in one place so it can be made readily available to my doctor.

2) I would like to see my data in one central place so that other developers can explore different type of analysis and visualization.

I like my Aria and my Flex well enough but there are other products that serve the same function that include HealthKit support.

Another possibility is that Fitbit could use the other data in HealthKit to round out my profile.

[gutsma]

Excellnt points, @Tapi!  Like you, I am happy enough with my aria and flex not to change EXCEPT for fitbit's unwillingness to sync to HealthKit.  

Although I am satisfied with your products, why will I continue with them when there are others available that do the same job AND sync to Apple Health?  Just as fitbit corporate seems to consider it a no brainer to dump on loyal customers, I consider it a no brainer not to continue with a company that treats me in such an insulting and demeaning manner.

Like many others, I see your insulting platitudes for what they are.  It is the same ineffectual parenting style seen in some households.  If it's ineffective with children, why would you think it might be a good approach with adults?   

As you continue observing the maturation process of Health, I hope you are also charting the maturation process of your customers' ire.  

[Mystigrrl]

As, I mentioned before, I've been a premium user for about two years, as has my husband. I bought the One, the Flex, and the Force, which was my favorite of all my trackers. We replaced our Withings scale with the Aria. I did order the new Charge, since I liked my Force so much and missed it. However, after talking things over with my husband, I have since cancelled my order, and we both have ordered a different company's tracker. I had hoped that Fitbit would favorably consider HealthKit integration, since it would help make up for the deficiencies in Fitbit's support of premium users, but that doesn't appear to be in their product plans.

As a premium user, I believe that integration with HealthKit would enable me to have more meaningful access to my data on mobile devices. Premium content is completely unavailable on mobile devices, since the Fitbit app doesn't provide support for premium content, and the browser data is Flash-based. I don't carry my Macs with me everywhere I go, so I have to make a special point of checking my data when I'm using a computer. That is neither motivating nor user-centric. I would have thought that Fitbit would be more accommodating to people who actually pay every year for access to the trainer and the additional insights into their data that premium offers, but every new update to the Fitbit app brings us no closer to seeing robust access to our fitness information on mobile, be it HealthKit integration or direct support of Premium.

I'll continue using my One for now, alongside my new tracker, and see what happens by the time my premium renewal comes up in January.

[Jasonbotsford]

I have been wanting a good all around watch. Just like the new Surge that is coming out. The problem is I would not want to spend that kind of money if it were not going to support the new iOS Health Kit. I feel I would rather spend the extra money to get one that would. The Apple Watch is a nice piece, but I could see your watches becoming a less expensive option for people who want that type of gear, but are not willing to shell out almost $400.

[SunsetRunner]

Wow... 76 pages The timing is perfect for me : I was about to replace my good old flex with a charge and buy the aria... but it seems I'll have to buy these from Withings !!!

I cannot even understand why they ask what we want from a healthkit integration... well, errr... we want everything in the same place, right ? that's what integration means

bye bye...

[Lex_in_co]

I bought the Fitbit recently in hopes of monitoring my activity and sleep as I deal with some side effects of my cancer treatments. I am tracking a number of different things throughout the day and wanted a simple solution. Unfortunately, I just assumed that Fitbit would easily integrate with my iPhone AND the HealthKit app. I guess next time I need to do a little more investigating before I make the purchase. I hope your team is still reviewing integration. I look forward to the update.

[SunsetRunner]

So now the other shoe drops. Apple has pulled Fitbit devices from its stores. I guess that was the likely outcome of this and while I have no idea what's been going on in the background betweeen Fitbit and Apple, but it's really a shame that Fitbit refuses to listen to it's customers and integrate with Health. I am so ready to get another fitness tracker and love the new Fitbits, but refuse to invest in a tracker that won't sync to Health. It's very inconsiderate of Fitbit and terribly inconvenient for us.

[SunsetRunner]

@Lex_in-co - Exactly! This is my problem too. After tonsil and throid cancer treatments, I've also been having to keep track of quite a bit of health and fitness data, which is all stored in the Health app on my phone. Very convenient to have it all in one place and to be able to send it to my doctors as necessary. I've been shocked that Fitbit has, to date refused to listen to its customers and add that functionality for us (guess that's why Apple yanked all Fitbit devices from its stores). I lose a great deal of fitness data because of not being able to carry my phone with my during certain activities (i.e., racquetball or tennis), not to mention sleep (like you probably are, I'm up quite a bit at night with treatment effects). Guess I'll move on to the JawboneUP, but really wanted a Charge HR.

[bbarrera]

Its official, Fitbit no longer available from Apple Store, most likely due to their stance on HealthKit integration.

Meanwhile Apple Store continues to carry HealthKit compatible products such as Jawbone Up, Nike Fuelband, Withings Pulse O2 Activity Tracker, and Wahoo Tickr.