Google is building Health Connect into something much bigger than a fitness tracker. As per a new report from Mishaal Rehman (via Android Authority), the company is adding medical records and symptom tracking in upcoming Android versions, trying to catch up to Apple Health’s ten-year head start.

Health Connect launched in 2022 to fix Android’s messy health data problem. Before this, fitness apps kept their own data, and users had to manage permissions separately for each one. Health Connect creates a single place where apps can read and write health data after users grant permission. It started with about 40 data types for fitness and wellness.

Google’s November Android Canary release show where Google is headed. Upcoming Android 16 versions will added support for medical records like allergies, vaccinations, and lab results. It also added yoga and meditation sessions. Android 16 QPR2 brought native step tracking. This is the first time Google collected health data directly instead of pulling it from other apps.

Google won’t share user numbers, but Health Connect now comes preinstalled on most phones running Android 14 or newer. Hundreds of apps have added support, including Fitbit, Samsung Health, Google Fit, Nike Run Club, MyFitnessPal, Oura, and Peloton. Developers like it because it cuts down their work and meets Android’s privacy rules.

The interface is getting simpler. As per findings by Rahman, Android Canary builds show a redesigned settings page that lists connected apps first instead of recent data access. Users can now grant or block entire categories of data instead of toggling each type individually. Google removed icons and separate browsing pages, putting everything on one screen.

Google is preparing to add alcohol tracking and a long list of symptoms: different pain types, digestive problems, breathing issues, sleep troubles, and heart symptoms. With medical record support already live, Health Connect is becoming a full health data system, not just a fitness tool.

Apple Health still leads by a wide margin. It’s been on every iPhone for over a decade and works closely with Apple Watch, hospitals, and insurance companies. Samsung Health and Fitbit are still popular, but both now use Health Connect to share data with other apps.

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(Source: Android Authority)

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