Google helps people make better and more informed decisions about their health. We achieve this by creating platforms and services that connect users with their health and fitness data.
A large portfolio of devices, including smartphones and wearables, and many health, fitness, and wellness applications run on Android. Android APIs and technologies likewise provide a variety of data. However, this also means Android users may also switch between apps and devices to access and control their health data between platforms.
Health Connect helps to solve this problem. It provides a single place for Android users to manage access to their health and fitness data. It also gives users granular control over their data and helps Android developers create innovative health experiences.
Knowing which API to use is important, whether it's Health Connect, the Fit REST API, or Fitbit Web API. This guide provides guidance on which API to integrate with and when.
When should I integrate with the Health Connect API?
You should integrate with Health Connect if you’re an Android mobile developer.
Health Connect unifies data across Android’s portfolio of devices and apps into an ecosystem. It’s a common Android API for storing and sharing health and fitness data on the user’s mobile device. Health Connect provides a single interface for reading and writing a user’s data, standardizes the data schema, and centralizes permissions controls. This level of consolidation means Health Connect provides a single, common health platform for Android app developers.
You should not migrate to Health Connect if you’re an existing Fitbit Web API or Fit REST API developer. If you’re already integrated with the Fit Android API, however, we recommend migrating to Health Connect.
The Fit Android API has been deprecated and we plan to support it until the end of 2024. See Migration guide for instructions on migrating to Health Connect.
Health Connect distinctives
The following is a summary of how Health Connect differs with the Fit Android API:
- Intended audience: Android mobile developers.
- Device-centric: Data is accessed and stored on the user’s device.
- No account needed: Data is not associated with a Google account.
- Built-in permissions: Health and fitness data management is centralized.
How to integrate
The following resources help you integrate with and learn more about Health Connect:
- Integrate: See Get started to start integrating with Health Connect.
- Learn more: Check out the following video to learn more about Health Connect.
- Resources: Remember to check out the rest of the documentation.
When should I integrate with the Google Fit REST API?
If you’re a non-mobile app developer, enterprise developer, or researcher and you want to integrate with the Google Fit ecosystem you should integrate with the Google Fit REST API.
The Google Fit REST API unifies and consolidates data from multiple sources, including Google Fit. It gives users the ability to store, share, and manage their data directly in the cloud. In the Google Fit REST API, the user’s data is tied to their Google account instead of their device. This means the platform is account-centric instead of device-centric.
Fit REST API distinctives
The following is a summary of how the Fit REST API is different to Health Connect.
- Intended audience: Non-Android mobile developers, enterprise developers, researchers.
- Account-centric: Data is associated with the user’s Google account.
- Data storage: Data is stored in the cloud instead of the device.
- Interface: The Google Fit REST API has a platform agnostic interface.
- Permissions: Users grant access via OAuth.
- Access to data: Near real-time access to data.
How to integrate
The following resources help you integrate with and learn more about the Fit REST API:
- Integrate: See Get started to start using the Fit REST API.
- Resources: Check out the Google Fit guides here.
When should I integrate with the Fitbit Web API?
If you want to integrate with the Fitbit ecosystem, you should integrate with the Fitbit Web API.
The Fitbit Web API is a platform-agnostic interface to integrate with the Fitbit ecosystem. It gives users the ability to store, share, and manage their data directly in the cloud. In the Fitbit Web API, the user’s data is tied to their Fitbit account instead of their device. This means the Fitbit Web API is account-centric instead of device-centric.
Fitbit Web API distinctives
The following is a summary of how the Fitbit Web API is different to Health Connect:
- Intended audience: Fitbit developers, enterprise developers, and researchers.
- Account-centric: Data is associated with the user’s Fitbit account.
- Data storage: Data is stored in the cloud instead of the device.
- Interface: The Fitbit Web API has a platform-agnostic interface.
- Permissions: Users grant access via OAuth.
- Access to data: Near real-time access to data.
How to integrate
The following resources help you integrate with and learn more about the Fitbit Web API:
- Integrate: See Getting started to start using the Fitbit Web API.
- Resources: See Fitbit developer guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following FAQs provide context on our plans and what you should do in the meantime.
Q: Will the Fit Android API eventually be turned down?
Yes, we’re aiming to turn down the Google Fit Android API at the end of 2024. This is to give our developers enough time to successfully migrate from the Fit Android APIs to Health Connect. It also allows us to further develop Health Connect and make the platform even more comprehensive and effective for Android developers and their users.
Q: I’m integrated with the Fit Android API. Should I migrate to Health Connect?
Yes! Health Connect is a common Android API for storing and sharing health data from multiple apps and devices on the user’s mobile device. That data includes Google Fit. Health Connect is our new way of syncing data with Google Fit and Google Fit data will be written to Health Connect if the user chooses to do this.
The following are some of Health Connect’s components:
- API for accessing health and wellness data stored on-device.
- Single interface to read/write data across Android, including data from Google Fit, Fitbit, Samsung Health and more partners.
- Standardized data schema.
- Granular user permission controls.
- Centralized data management controls.
Q: What will happen to the Google Fit REST API and Fitbit Web API?
We will continue to invest in and grow our Web APIs. These APIs are an essential part of our mission to help developers build better health, fitness, and wellness technologies for their users.