If you own and use any of Google’s extensive range of Fitbit products, then you might want to keep an eye on the Fitbit smartphone app in the coming months. More specifically, Google recently announced that it will be bringing over changes to the app, which will give users some new features and improvements to overall usability and user experience.
With that being said, it looks like Google and Fitbit are still in the midst of working on the new changes, although users can get a taste of what’s to come. According to an official post from Google:
Get ready to experience an all-new, personalized and customizable Fitbit app coming later this fall. The new app is designed to give you a holistic view of your health and wellness with a focus on metrics that matter most to you. Today, we’re inviting select Fitbit users to try out the app in a limited beta and share their feedback before the app becomes available to everyone this fall…
…The redesigned Fitbit app pushes us toward our vision of helping make everyone in the world healthier, and we’ll continue to update it with user feedback from this beta. Over time, we’ll keep enhancing the Fitbit platform and app through ongoing updates that support new experiences, devices and data.
The post also gives users a preview of what to expect. Let’s check it out!
New Tab System
Google says that the app updates will com with a three-tab structure, designed to give users key data at once, allowing them to check on daily goals and metrics, guidance, and even personal details on achievements and progress.
First up is the “Today” tab, which displays users’ top stats at a glance and allows them to customise metrics based on whatever goals they’re currently working on. Google says that this feature allows users to better visualise their progress throughout the year via a collection of charts, graphics, and icons that will display health trends.
Up next is the “Coach” tab, which Google says focuses on giving users more inspiration and motivation with health and fitness content. Users can also use the tab to access a curated list of various workouts and mindfulness sessions, as well as additional content such as dance cardio routines and HIIT sessions, which cam be unlocked via a Fitbit Premium subscription. What’s more, users can also use filters to sort out workouts based on time constraints and available equipment.
Google has also included a new “You” tab, where users can adjust their personal details and goals, in addition to managing their community connections. The You tab will also enable achievement tracking with redesigned badges, and will let users navigate their progress, assessments, reports, and connect with people in their network.
Updated User Interface
In addition to the Fitbit app’s incoming tab system, Google says that it will also be bringing over visual changes to the app’s user interface and general layout, following a look and feel based on Material Design guidelines. The app’s new design will feature a more refined colour palette, with new photographs and illustrations within the app, updated icons, and more consistent charts with better highlights on health and wellness trends.
The app will also make it easier for users to log in their information on their phone such as step counts, exercise, water intake, and more, allowing them to keep tracking metrics even without a Fitbit device on hand. Fitbit adds that it has made improvements to give users a more accurate step count and live route tracking when walking, running, or hiking. There’s also an added emphasis on user security and data privacy, as Google states that Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads, being kept separate from data used for Google ads.
As mentioned earlier, the upcoming app redesign is still currently in its beta phase, although we should see the final version when it drops this fall.
