Fitbit is launching a brand new experience for those who want more from a fitness tracker app
You can help shape what’s next for the platform, and it’s easy to toggle on and off.
Fitbit is rolling out a Public Preview of its new, Gemini-powered personal health coach. It's an exciting first look at the future of personalized fitness, and eligible users can try it starting this week.
Fitbit's new Gemini-powered AI coach is here to test
Images credit — Google
This isn't just a new button. It's a full-on conversational AI, built with Google's Gemini, that acts as your all-in-one fitness trainer, sleep coach, and wellness advisor. The idea is to have a chat with your coach to set goals, or just ask it questions. You can try prompts like, "Create a 30-minute upper body workout I can do in my hotel room" or "Why did I wake up feeling tired today?". It can even help you brainstorm questions for your next doctor's visit.
However, it should be noted that this experience is a "preview," not a finished product. Google is building it as it is being used by the public and actively asking for feedback to help shape it.
Images credit — Google
What's not in the Preview (yet)
Because this is a true preview, it's missing some of the features you're used to from the standard Fitbit app. Google has published a full list, but the big ones include:
- Health Logging: Menstrual health, nutrition, and water logging are not in the preview.
- Key Metrics: The Stress Management Score and Cardio Fitness Score are not yet available.
- Social: Friends, groups, leaderboards, and badges are all absent from the preview experience.
Since the preview is pretty limited at this point, Google has built a solution: you can easily switch back and forth between the new Preview and the standard app experience. This means you can pop into the preview, try out the coach, and then toggle back to the main app to log your lunch or check your leaderboard.
Why this is a big deal (even as a preview)
An overview of the Personal Health Coach. | Video credit — Google
This is the first real, hands-on look at Google's grand AI vision for health and wellness. It's a massive shift for the Fitbit platform. While competitors like Whoop have had their own AI coach for a bit, this is Google's AI. The potential for a Gemini-powered coach to analyze your data and provide deep, actionable insights is huge.
This preview is the first step. Google says it's building the coach responsibly, grounding it in science and ensuring it is secure and personalized. By letting dedicated Premium users in early, they get to test these powerful features with a community that can provide important feedback.
This preview is the first step. Google says it's building the coach responsibly, grounding it in science and ensuring it is secure and personalized. By letting dedicated Premium users in early, they get to test these powerful features with a community that can provide important feedback.
This is a cool glimpse of the future
This is where things are headed, folks. Just recently, it's been rumored that Apple is looking to go the same route with its Health application. Of course, nothing can substitute for real medical advice or your own personal trainer at the gym, but this can help bridge the gap when you just have a quick health-related question. The ability to ask questions and get personalized, data-driven answers is exactly what a smart fitness tracker is supposed to be able to do.
Yes, it's missing a lot of the core features you might use daily. But that's not really the point of this preview. The point is to get your hands on the future, right now, and be part of the process.
If you're already a Fitbit Premium user, I'd say it's definitely worth checking out. Since you can toggle the preview off and on whenever you want, there's really no downside to try it out. It's an exciting first step, and I'm genuinely pumped to see how it works and how fast it improves. To participate, you will need a Pixel Watch or Fitbit tracker device, and the new experience will be available starting tomorrow, October 28th.
Follow us on Google News
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: