At its annual Google I/O conference, Google announced a few updates to Health Connect, which is a platform that allows users to store health data and adjust privacy settings all in one place. Health Connect is currently available in Beta, but starting with the release of Android 14 later this year, Health Connect will be a core part of Android and available on all Android mobile devices.
Users will be able to access Health Connect directly from Settings on their device, helping to control how their health data is shared across apps.
Google is adding a new exercise routes feature that will allow users to share maps of their workouts through Health Connect. The company has also made it easier for users to log their menstrual cycles. Google notes that Health Connect updates will be delivered through Google Play System Updates, which will allow new features to be updated often.
There are over 100 apps already integrated with Health Connect, including Peloton, Withings, Oura, and other key apps. Health Connect syncs health and fitness data from eligible platforms and allows other apps to gain access to this data with their consent, while providing centralized privacy controls for users. Developers have previously had to establish multiple API connections to share data between different apps, which limited developers’ data sharing capabilities and made it hard for users to unlock this data for use in different apps.
The company also announced today that MyFitnessPal allows individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to see their glucose data directly within the MyFitnessPal app, thanks to an integration with Health Connect.
In addition, Google announced updates to Health Services, which is its API surface for accessing sensor data on Wear OS devices in a power-efficient way. The company announced a new “Batching Modes” feature that lets developers adjust the data delivery frequency of heart rate data to support home gym use cases. Google has also added new API capabilities, like golf shot detection.
When Wear OS 4 arrives later this year, Google plans to release additional Health Services updates including improved background body sensor permissions.
