Google Health 5.11 Update Expands Workout Detection to 100 Activities
The app update also adds new blood pressure and insulin resistance tracking tools for Fitbit Air and Edge owners with Premium subscriptions.
By Eric Laurent ·
Google Health 5.11 began rolling out this week, bringing expanded activity recognition, new health monitoring features, and revised glucose tools to Fitbit trackers and Pixel Watch devices.
The update raises automatic activity detection from 10 recognized workout types to 100, adding strength training, swimming, racket sports, and team sports. The feature is live now on the Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5. The Fitbit Edge, which launches October 27, will receive it at launch. Google says the detection relies on contextual reasoning drawn from a user's workout routines, historical data, and manual edits, making detections nearly twice as accurate and cutting missed workouts by more than half. Sessions that run past a default 15-minute minimum duration with a sustained elevated heart rate are logged automatically, and a summary typically reaches the Google Health app within 30 minutes.
Google Health Premium subscribers who own a Fitbit Air or Fitbit Edge can set up blood pressure trend tracking and insulin resistance trend tracking now, with first reports due at the beginning of November. Blood pressure trends will appear for people who have worn a Fitbit Air for five or more consecutive days in October. Insulin resistance trends require seven or more days and nights of wear during the month.
The app renames "Blood glucose" to "Glucose" and updates its charts and graphs. Users can set custom time-in-range goals for connected continuous glucose monitors through the Metabolic section of the Health tab. In the U.S., Lingo by Abbott devices can connect directly to Google Health, with glucose readings appearing within 30 minutes. Premium members can ask Google Health Coach questions about their glucose trends.
Sleep tracking now factors in step data to capture short awakenings, such as getting up to use the bathroom. Users can also remove a nap that does not match their day directly from the nap card.
Google Health 5.11 is available on iOS and is still rolling out to Android users.
Source: 9to5Google
