Jade Bryan is a Feature Author at Android Police with over a decade of tech reviews and news reporting experience, stretching back to the Symbian era and the early days of Android. He covers the breadth of the mobile industry, specializing in operating system deep-dives, app testing, and hardware analysis.
In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with his Android devices and wearables, seeking ways tech can improve daily life. He also enjoys playing MMORPGs, traveling, or feeding stray cats and dogs.
Although I've tested a few smart bands and trackers, the Google Fitbit Air was the first dedicated fitness tracker I owned and used extensively.
The Fitbit Air has also been strapped to my wrist the longest, outlasting any of my smartwatches.
After over a hundred days of wearing it and only taking it off to charge, I've found out which features and toggles actually matter.
Wearing on the right wrist matters
A wrong placement can skew your measurements
I have full-blown smartwatches, but I've grown to only use them when I need to go out, on long drives, or for workouts where I actively monitor vitals on the screen.
In short, my Fitbit Air has replaced my smartwatch for the entire time I've had the band.
I just love how lightweight and discreet it feels. I sometimes forget it's on my arm.
It's also important to configure which hand it is strapped to, and the Google Health app has a setting for that.
If you assign the wrong hand, the recorded data may be skewed or inaccurate because the device's algorithm compensates for extra or subtle arm swings based on placement.
In the Google Health app, tap the device icon in the upper-right corner. Select your device > Device preferences > Wrist preference, and make sure you designate the correct side where you wear the Fitbit Air.
If you ever need to switch wrists, update it in this same menu.
Customize the Google Health dashboard
Prioritize the metrics that actually count
The Fitbit Air pairs easily with the Google Health app on my Pixel or Galaxy phone.
Leaving it on default won't cause issues, but tweaking the app's dashboard can make a real difference in managing daily insights.
For instance, you can customize the main Today tab, which shows your daily focus areas.
The default view is the standard preset, but you can also expand it to add extra targets and focus.
You can also reorder each card and prioritize only the numbers that matter most to you.
Tap the edit button in the Today view, then choose between Standard and Expanded.
You can add extra focus targets, remove unwanted cards, or rearrange them, then tap the back arrow to save your layout.
You can't drag and drop the metrics. Plus, you can't customize secondary tabs like fitness or pin your favorite workout straight to the dashboard, which would make the organization much better.
Know your primary fitness target
Unlock more personalized insights
The dashboard shows the primary metric, and you can select which personal target to prioritize.
In my case, I have steps as my main goal, and it's represented by a larger card inside the focus view.
Beyond the visual tweak, selecting a target gives you more personalized coaching based on that metric. For example, if I set the step counter, Google Health Coach will recommend more walking-related routines and milestones.
Similarly, setting Calories burned will deliver more weight-management suggestions and nutritional summaries.
The same goes for Active Zone minutes, which will have the coach prioritize hitting workout durations over other stats.
To choose your primary target, open the device settings, select Fitbit Air > Google Health reminders and alerts > Main goal, then pick the metric.
Add related focus cards to the dashboard to align with your goal.
Get heart rate notifications running
A potentially life-saving health tool
Like the Google Pixel Watch, the Fitbit Air supports irregular heart rate notifications.
It's a vital tool that alerts users to abnormal readings when they're inactive or resting, and it is a genuine lifesaver for those with underlying conditions.
The Fitbit Air supports both high- and low-heart-rate warnings, and you can enable or disable them individually.
Keep both active to improve the device's ability to detect unusual readings.
On Fitbit Air, these two alerts are off by default, so you must set them up manually before using them.
To do this, go to device settings and choose Google Health reminders and alerts. Tap High & low heart rate, and then switch on each toggle.
You will need to pick a BPM threshold for each, though you can adjust the values depending on your age and baseline fitness.
Switch off unnecessary vibrations
Improve your tracker's battery life
I favor wearing my Google Fitbit Air over my smartwatch because of its battery endurance. It lasts five to seven days, much longer than any of my full-featured watches.
However, you won't easily reach that maximum figure if you leave the band on its factory defaults.
For example, leaving haptics enabled can drain your wearable's battery faster, since the vibration motor sips extra juice every time an alarm or app notification triggers.
You can silence vibrations for pings and wake-up alerts in device settings > Device preferences > Vibration, and then toggle off the buzzers for both.
Alternatively, keep vibrations active for urgent alerts, but set the intensity to low instead of strong to curb power consumption.
Set a sleep schedule
Train the algorithm to hit your rest targets
The Fitbit Air's discreet form factor and lightweight build make it a fantastic sleep tracker. I can wear it all night without feeling any bulk on my wrist.
This lets me wear it 24/7 and ensure it logs my overnight rest and afternoon naps accurately.
To improve sleep-tracking precision and the guidance provided by Health Coach, you can set your own sleep schedule.
This window gives the Health app a baseline, helping it learn your circadian rhythm and usual bedtime and wake-up habits.
Premium users can also get smart nudges to improve recovery, including recommended wind-down hours and relaxing activities like meditation and yoga.
It's built into the Google Health platform rather than the Fitbit Air, but it's still worth customizing.
To set your sleep schedule, open the Google Health app and tap your profile avatar. Choose Google Health settings > Preferences > Sleep, and tap Sleep schedule to adjust your target bedtime and duration goals.
Align the schedule window with your designated target rest hours.
I can't stop wearing my Google Fitbit Air
I didn't expect that the Google Fitbit Air would completely replace my daily smartwatch. Its screenless, featherweight design and multi-day battery life are the perks that actually matter to me.
Though it's not as feature-packed as a standalone Pixel Watch, it covers the core, indispensable wellness and activity tracking functions.
With the right settings toggled, it becomes a dependable tracker, and you won't miss having a bulky smartwatch.
Fitbit Air
8.5/10
- 7 days
- Optical heart rate, 3-axis accelerometer, temperature sensor
- 35 x 17 x 8.3mm (Module)
- 50 meters
The Google Fitbit Air is a lightweight, screenless tracker. It's also much cheaper than the Pixel Watch. Check the latest offers.