The topic Fitbit is now Google Health — and it’s not just a simple rebrand is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
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Fitbit is one of the biggest names in wearables, and while the brand’s been around for nearly two decades at this point, it’s been undergoing some important changes since being acquired by Google back in 2021. Recently, we’ve been anticipating not just an innovative new screenless fitness tracker, but also a big shake-up to the Fitbit app, upon discovery last month of a new “Google Health Premium” name. Today, we’re finally getting the full story on this transition, as the Fitbit app we know evolves into Google Health.
That’s right: The Fitbit app is becoming Google Health. This is a mandatory change with no option to remain on the old Fitbit app. Just as Google did when moving Nest functionality to Home, the idea is to get everyone on the same Google-branded solution going forward.
Fitbit users will start seeing their first official warning about the upcoming transition today, with notifications alerting them to the pending shift. Then, in a little under two weeks, on May 19, the new Google Health app formally launches, replacing the Fitbit app.
All of this is set to be in motion well before the new Fitbit Air arrives, with retail availability commencing on May 26.
Your existing Fitbit data should easily transfer to Google Health without you having to worry about it. And later this year, Google plans to let you import Google Fit data similarly.
Google is clear that Health is meant to be everyone’s one-stop shop for tracking your wellness — and that means it’s not limited to Fitbit hardware users. You can enter your meals, log hydration, and track plenty more data points across four main tabs: Today, Fitness, Sleep, and Health. Sound familiar?
Google Health is designed to connect with all your other favorite health apps and supports storing your medical records. And because we know how different apps can produce data of varying quality, if you’ve got one source you trust more than others, you can tell Health to prioritize it.
You can pull data from Health Connect, Google Health, and Apple Health APIs — that last one, especially, is a big upgrade in terms of cross-platform compatibility, as users previously had to rely upon third-party tools to sync their data.
We started this journey with that “Health Premium” name — so what exactly does it mean? Google Health Premium is basically just the next step for Fitbit Premium — and if you’ve been testing the Gemini-powered Fitbit Personal Health Coach available in Preview since last fall, you’ve already had a look at what to expect.
Google Health itself is available for free to users in over 200 countries. You can track your activities, sleep, and health metrics, store your medical records, and access basic weight and meal logging.
Google Health Premium upgrades that with exactly the sort of personalized coaching that’s been in the Fitbit Public Preview these past few months. Rather than one-size-fits-all health advice, the Google Health Coach, available to Premium users, is intended to deliver streamlined, actionable recommendations. You can even fill it in with any special restrictions you have and use it to create fitness goals. Access is coming to over 30 nations.
As your goals change, Health Coach is designed to adapt, keeping your fitness regimen feeling fresh with updated targets. In order to really get the experience feeling just right, Google tapped NBA champ Stephen Curry for his insights and guidance.
Once your Coach has created a plan for you, the app’s Today screen will be your home for keeping on top of your progress — showing recent performance, immediate targets, and giving you the advice you need to hopefully stay motivated. Access to the Health Coach and related tools will initially require a compatible Fitbit model or Pixel Watch.
As you’d expect, Premium means “paid,” and just like Fitbit Premium before it, Google Health Premium requires an ongoing subscription. In order to access the personalized training and extended feature set, users will have to pay $9.99 a month, or $99 annually. That’s up from the $79.99 Fitbit Premium has been charging, so a lot of eyes will be on Google to see whether or not all this new functionality is worth the value. On the plus side, Google Health Premium will be a free perk to users on Google AI Pro and Ultra plans.
This all gets started in just a little over a week, on May 19. The new Fitbit Google Health experience should hit all eligible users by May 26.
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