Google Fit Comes to iOS

Google has ported its Google Fit app to iOS, making the health and fitness tracker available to iPhone users.

“When we launched the new Google Fit last year, we translated the science behind physical activity into two simple and smart activity goals: Move Minutes and Heart Points,” Google’s Defne Gurel explains. “Now, we’re bringing the Google Fit app to more people—starting today, it’s available to download on iOS.”

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Google Fit works like other health and fitness trackers, of course, and it provides gamification-like incentives for being more active, virtual coaching sessions, and activity goals.

On iOS specifically, Google Fit connects with Apple Health, so you can access data from compatible apps and services. And it works with Apple Watch, of course, or a Wear OS-based smartwatch, so that you can track data without needing a phone with you at all times.

Google Fit is available from the Apple App Store.

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Conversation 13 comments

  • simont

    Premium Member
    24 April, 2019 - 12:33 pm

    <p>Is there any benefit to using Google Fit over Apple Heath?</p>

  • provision l-3

    24 April, 2019 - 1:29 pm

    <p>I'm trying to figure out who this is geared to. Apple's Health app is really one of the rockstars of iOS and to the best of my knowledge Android doesn't have something as feature rich built in. I guess if you have a Wear OS based device this would be useful?</p>

  • Stooks

    24 April, 2019 - 2:44 pm

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Google Fit works like other health and fitness trackers"</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Really? I guess most others suck as much info as possible, except Apple's tracker. </span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This is the problem with the Apple privacy stance. They might not suck your info like the others but the let this app do as much damage as possible.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">There is simply NO WAY I would use this thing and all because of privacy or lack of it. The moment this app is not providing Google with enough information to justify its cost, they will kill it off.</span></p>

    • provision l-3

      24 April, 2019 - 3:58 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#423013">In reply to Stooks:</a></em></blockquote><p><em>"They might not suck your info like the others but the let this app do as much damage as possible."</em></p><p><br></p><p>I downloaded Google Fit out of curiosity and for it you have to give it express permission to pull anything from the Health app. In addition the permission is granular so you can do steps only, distance, minutes … whatever. So, I'd say Apple's privacy stance is working fairly well. </p><p><br></p>

      • Stooks

        25 April, 2019 - 11:56 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#423023">In reply to provision l-3:</a></em></blockquote><p>You are right this app has to ask the Health app to get at its data.</p><p><br></p><p>Is the iPhone stopping it from collecting other data outside of the health app? You know like those Menstration or pregnancy tracking apps that Bloomberg recently wrote about…how they send all kinds of data to Google and Facebook?</p><p><br></p><p>If Apple really cared about your privacy past the "advertising" value of their privacy stance, they would not allow that kind of stuff. The problem with that is then those companies would pull their apps from iOS (Facebook etc)…..and then iOS/iPhone/iPad would be chosen by fewer people.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

        • Andi

          25 April, 2019 - 12:24 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#423282">In reply to Stooks:</a></em></blockquote><p>The problem is not Google, is those apps you mention that sell your data to the highest bidder. Google is not selling data. Google is matchmaking advertisers with broad user profiles. Nothing gets exchanged. Stop lying.</p>

        • provision l-3

          25 April, 2019 - 2:07 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#423282">In reply to Stooks:</a></em></blockquote><p>Those companies shared data the user gave them access to and that sharing of data had nothing to do with iOS so I'm no true how Apple was supposed to police that. They do require each app to provide a privacy policy that states how the data will be used. So when a customer downloads one of those apps and provides it personal data it is informed consent. </p><p><br></p><p>Here is the privacy policy for the specific app you mentioned. This is linked from the Apple App Store. It literally has a diagram of how they share the data with Facebook and Google. At some point a customer has to take responsibility in the situation. </p><p><br></p><p>flo(dot)health/privacy-policy</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

    • Andi

      24 April, 2019 - 5:58 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#423013">In reply to Stooks:</a></em></blockquote><p>Again with this disinformation. The only difference is monetization. This does not imply a violation of privacy. Google is protecting your privacy just as much as Apple, not less, not more.</p>

      • Stooks

        25 April, 2019 - 11:51 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#423067">In reply to Andi:</a></em></blockquote><p>U funny!</p><p><br></p><p>Google is not protecting anything. Well maybe they are protecting your data so they can sell it and have customers that keep coming back for it, but they have it, and they use it to great profict.</p>

  • Ron McMahon

    24 April, 2019 - 3:00 pm

    <p>Hmmm…doesn't seem to be in the Canadian App store.</p>

  • dcdevito

    24 April, 2019 - 3:58 pm

    <p>Apple Health wipes the floor with Google Fit, Fit has actually regressed over time in functionality and features. </p>

    • compunut

      Premium Member
      25 April, 2019 - 11:12 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#423024">In reply to dcdevito:</a></em></blockquote><p>I concur. Google Fit used to be decent, but the re-write has made it pretty useless. I can't look at my steps history. The heart points seem to be generated at random. I actually had to use Google's data export to get step counts from the app recently (that may be the best feature of the app). I'm not sure why anyone would use this on an iPhone when Apple provides an app already.</p>

  • MacLiam

    Premium Member
    24 April, 2019 - 4:19 pm

    <p>I would give this a trial if I could find it in the store. The iTunes page you link to calls it a Preview. Is this app on a phased rollout?</p><p>After Microsoft's phone and band went to Valhalla, I moved to Apple's watch and phone combo — currently a Watch 4 (like it) and an 8+ (good enough, but I may move up when the buttonless phones go notchless).</p><p><br></p>

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