Google Fit App Review

It’s Google’s answer to the veritable orchard of Apple fitness apps, Apple Health in particular: Google Fit. First launched in 2014, the Google Fit app is distinct from the thousands of other workout programs in that it blends Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) so as to sync with multiple devices and other platforms. To that degree, it’s stores, accesses, and integrates activity data from other fitness apps and sensors to facilitate connectivity.

Developed by Google, this app was originally designed for Android platforms, but today works with iOS and Wear OS as well. Instead of programming individual workouts for users, Google Fit collects biometric data and shares it across other apps. This way, if a user is into both biking and weightlifting, the workout data and biometrics can be stored and analyzed in one central location. The more personal information one inputs into Google Fit, the better it can break down the analysis. The app can be linked to smart bathroom scales, heart rate monitors, and a growing number of other programs.

Whether with a watch or phone, Google Fit can assess heart and respiratory rates while displaying a user’s daily goals, weekly goals, Heart Points, recent workouts, and sleep data. Free to download in the Google Play store, it also comes preloaded on Android Wear and can be accessed on the Google site. More than 75 different health and fitness apps sync with Google Fit, with more coming on board every day.

We’d recommend Google Fit for those seeking general health and wellness advice. Certainly not a hard-core weightlifting app which provides artificial intelligence (AI) tailored workouts, it’s meant to integrate health metrics across devices for the purposes of weight loss and general wellness. For that audience, Google Fit is a sure win.

What You Need To Know

• Stores and shares integrated health data from multiple apps and devices.
• Launched by Google originally for Android platforms, it presently works on iOS and Wear OS as well.
• Tracks heart and respiratory rates, daily and weekly goals, Heart Points, recent workouts, and sleep data.
• Google Fit is free to download and use, but a Google account is required.
• Does not offer individualized workouts per se.

Getting Started — What Equipment Do You Need?

Whereas with most fitness apps and trackers, the equipment required would range from barbells to treadmills. But with APIs like Google Fit, the biggest question of equipment is which devices work best. Designed by Google, the program was clearly intended for Android platforms as part of the universe of all things Google. To that degree, it offers a match-up to Apple Health, which was born for the iOS family of devices. But in both cases, these apps are now compatible with each other’s devices.

A key component to the program is the concept of Heart Points. Developed in partnership with the American Heart Association and into World Health Organization programming, Heart Points represent the number of minutes spent performing moderate to vigorous activities. The program can track this either using the sensors in a smart watch or phone. Google Fit can also determine users’ heart rate when they place their finger upon the camera lens of a smart phone.

Already preloaded on Android products, Google Fit is also compatible with Xiaomi Mi Band 5, Mi Band 4, and Mi Band 3, Withings ScanWatch, Move, and Move ECG. The Withings Body Cardio, Body, and Body Plus smart scales, Eufy Smart Scale, Smart Scale CI, Smart Scale P1, as well as all Polar fitness watches, also work. If the Apple iOS system is more comfortable, users can almost certainly use those products as the list of compatible devices continues to grow and is only a search away.

Once users are armed with their devices, the next question is which, if any other fitness apps, they want to sync to the Google Fit. More than 75 different apps and programs sync readily with the program, and that number grows each day. The better question might be which apps do not sync with Google Fit, frankly. The program allows users to keep something of a fitness journal, which also includes sleep time. That said, any fitness equipment used, whether in a gym or on a walk, can be incorporated and tracked within their database.

What to Expect From a Google Fit Workout?

A Google Fit-related workout could be anything from a gym workout in sync with Freeletics, to a stroll from home to the grocery store. Irrespective of whether one uses another app or not, the Google Fit program stores number of calories consumed, miles moved, and total moving minutes. A score based on Heart Points is tracked, as well as the daily and weekly recap based on input goals. Sleep duration is another input variable tracked, along with number of steps, heart rate, and bodyweight. Workout playlists can be utilized from YouTube.

Again, this app is not for people seeking professional training. Other apps provide instructional videos on specific exercises and recommend routines, whether for rowing or biking, lifting, or running. Google Fit is perfect for folks wanting health and wellness tracking, as well as those lacking time to track their activities on their own. That said, exercise enthusiasts can log their workouts, from walking and yoga, to weightlifting or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), by time, day, and duration. The Google Fit program maintains an alphabetized library of activities A-Z, complete with a database with estimations for that activity.

To get started, simply download the app and log in with a Google account. The next step would be to establish personal goals. The program has a default the goal of at least one hour of activity each day, but this can be customized by way of the Menu button, Settings options, and Daily Goals. Other personal markers in the Settings include height and weight. Using the Menu button, users can select Add Activity to add workouts performed without an associated app. Google Fit will incorporate the active time to the profile and estimate the number of steps taken.

Information can be viewed from the past day, week, and month using the Google Fit app and website. By scrolling to the bottom and tapping the “See Graph Details” option, users can switch between the day, week, and month, while the top-right pull-down allows for toggling between active time and steps. Other charts available include weight and heart rate.

What this means is that if a user has exercised using, say Freeletics, the information from that program will be crossed over into Google Fit and stored there for later usage. Given the number of compatible apps and activities measured, it’s a very comprehensive program.

Our Top 10 Compatible Apps with Google Fit

• Freeletics: Full body workouts and nutrition
• Keelo: High Intensity Interval Training and functional fitness
• Fitbod: Personalized Strength training
• Adidas Runtastic: Running and bodyweight training
• Noom: Weight loss
• Strava: Running and cycling
• Nike Run Club: Running
• Calorie Counter – Asken Diet: Nutrition
• Run with Map My Run: Running
• Fitwell: General fitness and nutrition

Our Experience With Google Fit

Our experience with Google Fit was positive. The fact is, it’s a free app which works with numerous other programs over multiple devices, and to that extent one really can’t go wrong. We have seen comments from users who question the accuracy of the steps counter and heart rate calculations, but frankly those are fairly common when comparing different apps. As a whole, we’d say one can trust Google Fit to keep an accurate tab of activity and properly sync with other programs. We know Google is always looking to expand the number of programs with which it can partner, and our only real advice would be for them to continue in that direction so more groups be linked one to the others.

Is Google Fit Worth It?

Given that Google Fit is a free program, it’s impossible to beat the price. We’d say that fitness fans seeking one program which can store their data and share between activities would be well served. Google Fit alone is really not a barbell-busting workout partner, and it’s clearly geared toward the more generalized health and wellness community. For those seeking an app of that nature, it’s certainly worth a go.