Google recently released an update to version 5.02 of its new Health app to iron out some of the main issues with Fitbit’s migration. This software release brings some promises from the public development roadmap the company shared last month to help calm frustrated users.
The transition from the classic Fitbit setup to the integrated Google Health app still rubs many long-time users the wrong way. A recent feedback thread shows people are still annoyed by missing data charts, unclear feed logging, and a messy home screen. This latest update tries to fix those headaches.
The Today and Health tabs offer better customization options
Much of the frustration with major redesigns comes down to feeling data is buried under too many menus. You can now hit the pencil icon in the macro metrics section to switch between normal view and expanded view. This allows you to see additional metrics right on the Today tab without having to swipe right.
The update also allows you to easily change the order of your metrics in edit mode by tapping on a card and selecting the one you want to change. For Android users, rearranging charts in the Key Metrics section of the Health tab is much easier with direct drag-and-drop support, although iOS users will have to wait until version 5.03.
The update also brings back the hourly activity charts that disappeared during the original platform overhaul. This means you can add those step-per-hour pie charts back to both your current and health dashboards.
Besides visual fixes, the developers have removed annoying task tracking bugs. Fixed an issue where manually logged tests incorrectly reported zero steps or distance. They also fixed low-level bugs in auto-detect cycling.
Sleep logs and partner app data get better management
Sleep data gets a rewrite in this update to make nighttime patterns easier to read at a glance. A restlessness bar now sits next to a graph of your sleep stages so you can compare restlessness and wakefulness data together, supported by improved detection of small wake times.
Android users get an easy way to track naps over time with separate tabs in the daily Sleep Score view, an addition planned for iPhone users in the next release. Full support for deleting sleep times is now live, and the bug that prevented people from scheduling their sleep times has finally been fixed.
Managing imported health data from third-party services is also much less of a headache now. You can delete individual exercise sessions, food logs, and weight logs synced to partner apps directly from within the Google Health app instead of diving into the Privacy Center.
If the data comes from direct integration, you can delete it immediately. Logs from Health Connect or Apple Health will direct you to those specific platforms to complete the removal until a future update removes that extra step.
Logging sees a major structural improvement
Nutrition tracking is getting a complete overhaul aimed at making the interface faster to use. Food searches load much faster on both platforms, with Android users now seeing serving units and calorie counts in search results.
Google also added macronutrient measurements right on the main login page so you can preview your breakdown before saving the log. This makes it much easier to visualize your goals before committing.
The main nutrition tile on the Today tab completely drops the old calories layout. It now shows the total number of calories you consume as the top number and the calories remaining as the bottom number to give you a clear summary of your daily target.
A roadmap for the ecosystem
Even though this update cleans up a few software bugs, a few promises on the company’s development roadmap are still up in the air. Bigger integration features like sending data directly to Apple Health are planned for later this summer. The upcoming layer of the artificial intelligence trainer is also causing a lot of debate among users who want real control over the preparation of their workouts rather than automatic text summaries.
Currently the update seems to be rolling out in waves in different regions. A few people on the community forums have noted that you may need to manually clear and re-add your home screen tiles to get the new layout options to appear.
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