Google, Samsung Launch Health Connect to Sync Fitness Data Between Apps

Google and Samsung have teamed up for Health Connect, a platform that enables the creation of Android-based health and fitness experiences.

Health Connect takes the form of a new set of APIs (application programming interfaces), which allow developers to securely access data from different programs to sync and track it across apps and devices.

“With the new Health Connect API, users will have a comprehensive set of controls to manage their health and fitness data across apps,” Samsung Executive VP TaeJong Jay Yang wrote in a company announcement(Opens in a new window), teasing more than 50 supported data types including exercise, sleep, nutrition, heart rate, blood pressure, body measurements, and more.

“This isn’t just a proof of concept,” he continued. “We’re working alongside Google and other partners to realize the full benefits and potential of Health Connect.” Samsung Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit will also adopt the feature, introduced at this month’s Google I/O conference.

“We’re building this new unified platform in collaboration with Samsung to simplify connectivity between apps,” Chris Wilk, senior product manager at Google, said in a blog post(Opens in a new window). Google has been working with MyFitnessPal, Leap Fitness, and Withings on an early access program. “Health Connect fits in with Google’s wider efforts to help billions of people be healthier, using our platforms and technology to connect and bring more meaning to health information,” Wilk added.

Centralized privacy controls allow folks to give permission only to those apps they want sharing on-device, encrypted data. Developers, meanwhile, can access that information for use in their programs.

Health Connect is now available to developers(Opens in a new window), who are invited to check out the API guide, download the SDK, find code samples on Github, and sign up for the open beta via Google Play.