- Google has rolled out its first Google Health upgrades after backlash from users
- It includes improvements to food logging and activity accuracy
- Despite the 14 new upgrades, it still hasn’t scratched the surface for users
Ever since Google Health became the new app for Fitbit users, it’s been met with a tidal wave of criticism for its clumsiness and lack of vital features — but Google has rolled out a huge update after promising improvements a few weeks ago.
Yesterday (June 4), Google unveiled version 5.01 of the Google Health app, marking what the company says will be “the first of many improvements to come”. The update will continue to roll out over the next week in phases and will depend on your carrier and device type, Google says.
The new upgrades are designed to address a number of pain points that users flagged when they first switched from the Fitbit app. In total, there are 14 new improvements spread over four different categories, starting with nutrition.
Building on the negative feedback for its food logging features, Google has upgraded this tool to allow you to view and log previously created custom foods, as well as improved handling when transferring food logs from third-party apps like MyFitnessPal. In addition, Google has added more explanations and guidance for setting your personal macronutrient goals, which also comes with a more accurate nutrition and calorie chart.
Exercise tracking has been another persistent issue for Google Health users, particularly with tracking and tagging runs. Google says it has now fixed this issue and new and previous workouts will now be labeled correctly. It has also fixed an issue where users reported missing splits in their runs, and Google says these have been restored – as has the Sleep Score tab, which a handful of users reported had disappeared.
Google hasn’t just updated its fitness tracking tools, but is also rolling out general app improvements, including one to your Today tab on Android, where users reported seeing outdated metrics. You can see the full list of Google Health’s new updates on Google’s support page.
Is this enough of a crowd-pleaser?
Given the level of outrage expressed by users who have been forced to abandon the Fitbit app for Google’s new fitness platform, it’s a good thing that Google is acknowledging these issues — especially for those who just bought the new Google Fitbit Air. However, it turns out that the 14 new upgrades only scratch the surface.
Since Google announced version 5.01, users have stormed Reddit once again to air their thoughts — with one user calling the app “a complete downgrade from Fitbit.” At the same time, others have flagged several features that are still missing from Google Health.
One user in particular expressed their distaste for Google Health’s thumbs up/down icons, which they say appear on every element on the home screen. This is understandable, it’s not meant to be like Strava where fitness meets social media. In addition to this, another user has flagged that when they record an activity in Google Health, they are unable to use any other part of the app, which seems confusingly restrictive.
As Google said, version 5.01 is just the first phase in its plans to overhaul the Google Health app, but we don’t know how long it will be before the next phase arrives. That said, if Google doesn’t want Fitbit users to switch to rivals like Garmin, it needs to make these changes sooner rather than later.
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