Google, together with Samsung, now releases Health Connect.
It has become apparent that health is indeed wealth throughout the past few years. The tech industry has ushered in releasing devices that would help its consumers look for a healthier lifestyle. Prime examples of this are the FitBit, Apple Watches, and many more.
However, most users use multiple fitness apps and devices for different needs. One problem that emerged from this is not being able to sync a user's data between the available services.
With that, during Google I/O 2022, the company announced a new platform that has the potential to change that very soon.
According to Google, Health Connect is not only a new platform but also an application programming interface that app developers can use. Health Connect will have the ability to securely access and share health and fitness data across Android devices.
Health Connect, What About It?
According to TechCrunch, Sean McBreen, the lead developer for Android at Google, "Health Connect lets you store and access health-related information across devices with user consent, taking out all the boilerplate code, taking care of the security issues, but also allowing you to mash up that information."
He emphasized that, as with all aspects of Wear OS, Google worked closely with Samsung on this project. As a result, applications such as Google Fit, Samsung Health, MyFitnessPal, Leap Fitness, Withings, and others will also begin using this new API in the near future. This will provide these services with a new sync surface on the device.
All of the data is stored locally on the device, and it is encrypted to protect users' confidentiality. Google explains that users will have "full control" over their privacy settings, allowing them to see which applications are requesting access to their data at any given time. This also means that users have the ability to easily delete data or restrict access to it as they see fit.
One cool thing is that if two or more apps give the same information, users can choose which one to use more.
Developers can now get the beta version of Health Connect on Google Play so they can start building apps on top of it and testing them.
Health Connect Features
Health Connect provides access to numerous types of data. The list of data kinds that are available is both diverse and wide enough to provide users with the capability to record and track anything.
According to Android developers, the following are the primary data types that are included in Health Connect:
- First, Health Connect will capture the user's activity. This would record any action taken by the user. It may consist of different activities such as yoga, meditation, walking, pilates, cycling, or running.
- Next up that it would measure is the body measurement. The app will keep data on the user's weight, height, metabolic rate, and possibly more.
- Another feature it would have is dedicated to women. The Health Connect would help women record their menstrual cycles and other relevant data points.
- Fourth, it will also include tracking a user's nutrition and hydration. This encapsulates several forms of data pertaining to hydration and nutrition. This would indicate water and nutritional consumption. It could also possibly measure calories and sugar count.
- An important feature that would be beneficial to all ages would be the tracking of sleep. This records interval data pertaining to a user's length of sleep as well as the sort of sleep that they get.
- Lastly, a very important feature would be the tracking of vital signs. The user's vitals are the most important information that can be gathered regarding their overall health. It encompasses everything from the level of glucose in the blood to the temperature of the body and the oxygen saturation in the blood.
