How to use the Google Health app on an Android phone

To use all the features in the Google Health app, you must grant the Google Health app permission to access certain features on your phone.

1. On your Android phone, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Apps Health Permissions.
   Tip: To find the Google Health app, you might have to tap the option to show all apps.

Which Google Health features need access to my phone?

The Google Health app runs in the background to keep you connected with certain Google Health app features. These features include automatic syncing, connected GPS, and app notifications from your phone.

If the Google Health app doesn’t run in the background, you may notice issues with app features, such as:

• Delayed or missing notifications from your phone
• Your Fitbit device doesn't automatically sync
• Connected GPS losing connection
• Apps not running or updating consistently on your Fitbit device
• Firmware updates not completing on your Fitbit device

To make sure that the Google Health app isn’t background data-restricted:

1. On your phone, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Network & internet Data Saver.
   • If Data Saver is off, you don't have to do anything.
   • If Data Saver is on, tap Unrestricted mobile data.
3. Scroll down and make sure Health is turned on.

To switch phones:

1. On your old phone, uninstall the Google Health app.
2. On your new phone, open the Google Play Store and download the Google Health app.
3. On your new phone, open the Google Health app and log in using the same account you used on your old phone.
4. When prompted, follow the on-screen instructions to enable permissions on your new phone and allow the Google Health app to access your Fitbit device.
   Tip: If you have a message at the top of the Google Health app, tap it to fix any missing permissions or connection requests.

Important: Exact steps vary by device. If you can’t find these permissions, consult your phone manufacturer.

To make sure your Fitbit device syncs and receives notifications from your Android phone:

• Turn on background data:
  1. On your Android phone open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps Health. You might have to tap the option to show all apps to find it.
  3. Tap Mobile data & Wi-Fi or Mobile data usage.
  4. Make sure Background data and Unrestricted mobile data usage are turned on.
• Turn off battery limitations:
  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps Health. You might have to tap the option to show all apps to find it.
  3. Tap App battery usage.
  4. Make sure Allow background usage or App battery usage is turned on.
  5. Tap Allow background usage and choose Unrestricted.
• Turn on location services and allow the Google Health app to access your location. For more information, go to Why is the Google Health app prompting me to turn on location services?

All notifications are encrypted on certain Fitbit devices. For more information, go to Change phone notifications on my Fitbit device.

Encryption protects data to keep it confidential. When data is encrypted, it's unreadable to any unauthorized persons who get access to it. If a notification is unencrypted, the text visible on your Fitbit device is potentially vulnerable to an eavesdropping device. A person who attempts to intercept Bluetooth transmissions might open the contents of the notification. Your personal information stored with Google Health is always encrypted.

If you can't log in to the Google Health app, it’s often because you set the time manually on your Android phone.

To reset the time on your Android phone:

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Tap System Date & time.
3. Turn on Automatic date and time.

If you’re using an Android tablet that doesn’t have this option, manually set the tablet to the correct time. The time must be within 2 minutes of the correct time to log in to the Google Health app.

Add Google Health widgets to your Android phone. With the Google Health widget, you can get quick access to the focus metrics from your Today tile or start a conversation with your Coach without opening the Google Health app. Quick logging options are no longer available.

Depending on your phone, you can add Google Health widgets in one of two ways:

1. Touch and hold any blank space on the home screen.
2. Tap Widgets.
3. In the search box, enter "Health".
4. Tap Health - Quick Access Widget  + Add
5. The widget is added to a section of the your home screen that's blank. You can touch and hold, then drag the widget to the desired home screen.

Or:

1. Swipe up from the home screen to locate the Google Health app.
2. Touch and hold the Google Health icon.
3. Tap Widgets  tap Health - Quick Access Widget  + Add.
4. The widget is added to a section of the your home screen that's blank. You can touch and hold, then drag the widget to the desired home screen.