Google Health 5.11 is rolling out this week as a rather big update for Fitbit trackers and the Pixel Watch.
The Improved Automatic Activity Tracking is available now for the Fitbit Air, Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, with the Fitbit Edge getting the capabilities at launch on October 27.
- Tracks more activities: We expanded the number of activities your Fitbit tracker or Pixel Watch can detect from 10 to up to 100, including strength training, swimming, and racket and team sports.
- Uses more context: Powered by contextual reasoning, we now factor in more context — including your workout routines, historical data, manual edits — to deliver nearly 2x more accurate detections and cut missed workouts by more than half.2
- Logs workouts automatically: Workouts that meet your minimum duration threshold (15 minutes by default) with a sustained elevated heart rate are automatically logged, and a summary is sent to the Google Health app, typically within 30 minutes.
- Learns your patterns: When you confirm or edit an activity, you’re improving a feature that learns your unique patterns and uses them to refine its predictions.
The Fitbit Air and Edge are getting two Health Guardian features if you’re a Google Health Premium subscriber. You can set up blood pressure and insulin resistance trends now, with the first report available at the beginning of November.
- Blood pressure trends, which allow you to track blood pressure patterns before they can put strain on your heart, will be available in the Health Guardian section of the Health tab if you’ve worn your Fitbit Air for 5 or more consecutive days in October.
- Insulin resistance trends, which track monthly shifts in your metabolic health, will be available if you’ve worn your watch for 7 or more days and nights in October.
Blood glucose is now “Glucose” throughout the Google Health app with updated charts and graphs. Additionally:
- Custom time-in-range goals: You can now set specific time-in-range goals for glucose data from connected continuous glucose monitors. To set a goal, go to the Metabolic section of the Health tab, tap Glucose, open Settings, and select Set goal.
- Faster syncing with Lingo by Abbott (US only): You can now connect Lingo by Abbott directly to the Google Health app so your glucose data syncs faster — displaying in the Google Health app within 30 minutes of a reading. If you have a Google Health Premium membership, Google Health Coach³ can also answer questions about your glucose trends. To connect, tap your profile icon in the Google Health app and select Partner Apps.³
Finally, there’s improved Sleep Tracking across wake detection and nap editing:
- More accurate awake detection: We’ve improved our sleep tracking to better factor in your steps data so that we can more accurately track short awakenings, like getting up to use the bathroom.
- Easier nap editing: You’re always in control of your sleep data. If a nap ever shows up that doesn’t match your day, you can now easily remove it directly from your nap card.
Version 5.11 is available on iOS and still rolling out for Android users.
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