Google Fit update offers fitness tracking boost for Wear OS and Fossil watches

Small steps show how far Wear OS is behind
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Google has updated Google Fit, offering extra insights into steps, wellness and fitness for Wear OS smartwatches, and users of the smartphone app.

Most of the features focus on trying to help users of Google Fit get more information about progress to goals, and taking on track for the levels of activity we should be getting.

Now users of Wear OS smartwatches such as the Fossil Gen 5, Skagen Falster 3 or Fossil Sport will be presented with two metrics front and center: steps and Google’s Heart Points metric.

Heart Points are taking more of a central focus on Wear OS, and there’s now a dedicated Tile. Heart Points are a single number, derived from your active minutes in the week.

Much like the PAI score developed by Mio and used on Amazfit wearables, you need to hit 150 Heart Points for the week, to reach the levels of activity prescribed by the WHO and AHA.

The goal progress and summary of your stats has been given a facelift, and you can now check in mid-workout if you like.

The Wear OS on-watch aspect has a very Apple Watch-esque ring, which fills as you move towards your goal. Aside from that it also includes Heart Points progress, which is displayed in the centre of the ring.

There are also new Tiles for workout and health. You can start a workout straight from Wear OS Tiles, and again, check in on goal progress.

This is quote a small tweak to Google Fit, but does transform the experience somewhat – especially on wearable devices.

It’s striking how slow Google has been in improving the health tracking elements of Wear OS – and these developments feel so minor in comparison to the strides being made by Fitbit and Apple in terms of wearables health and wellbeing.

But it’s a step in the right direction – and let’s hope that Google uses its acquisition of Fitbit to bring even more features to Wear OS watches.

TAGGED Wear OS

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James Stables

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James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.

He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.

James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.


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