Google Fit finally landed for iOS on Wednesday, a full five years after the fitness app launched for Android and a year after the software received a major overhaul.
“Tracking your progress throughout the day should be simple and easy,” Google’s Defne Gurel said in a post announcing the news. “Regardless of which apps or devices you use to monitor fitness, sleep, and general wellbeing, Google Fit has you covered.”
In other words, apps that you might already connect with Apple Health — for example, Sleep Cycle, Nike Run Club, and Headspace — sync with Google Fit to help you gain a broad picture of your health, with all activities, including those tracked by your Apple Watch, counting toward your Google Fit goals. The iOS version also tracks data from Wear OS devices.
Weight for it…#GoogleFit is now available for iOS! Start tracking your health and fitness goals today → https://t.co/kkiIThlqh4 pic.twitter.com/8OX8TcCjDU
— Google (@Google) April 24, 2019
Google Fit for iOS is similar in many ways to the Android version that last year received a significant redesign, which gave it a cleaner look and improved usability.
Fit includes so-called Move Minutes and Heart Points activity goals, which the company created in consultation with the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association.
Move Minutes encourages you to haul yourself off the couch and get active, hopefully prompting little changes to your daily routine like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Heart Points, meanwhile, tries to coax you into doing moderate activity like walking the dog, or, if you’re feeling particularly energetic, more intense activities such as running.
Other features include the use of rings to offer a visual representation of you how close you are to reaching your goals, and a journal tab that offers quick access to a snapshot of your activity history,
As many iPhone have long been using Apple’s Health app to gather their movement data, only time will tell just how many folks turn to Google Fit for the same purpose, though the incorporated activity goals may be a draw. If Google Fit fails to win you over, there are a slew of alternatives you can try out. iOS users should check out this Digital Trends piece highlighting some great offerings that include MyFitnessPal and the clever Carrot Fit, while Android users have some equally awesome fitness apps to choose from, among them Argus and Runkeeper. You want more? Then explore this Digital Trends list packed with ideas for more great health apps.
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