Google, Samsung collaborate to help Android developers sync fitness data between apps

Called ‘Health Connect’, the platform and API (application programming interface) is for Android app developers to securely access users’ health data.

With user permission, developers can use a single set of APIs to securely access and share health and fitness data across Android devices, Google said in a statement.

“We’re building this new unified platform in collaboration with Samsung to simplify connectivity between apps” to foster richer app experiences while also providing centralised privacy controls for users,” the tech giant added.

Google is working with developers including MyFitnessPal, Leap Fitness and Withings as part of an early access programme.

In addition, Samsung Health, Google Fit and Fitbit are adopting Health Connect. All developers can get access to Health Connect’s common set of APIs for Android via Android Jetpack,” the company informed.

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‘Health Connect’ supports many common health and fitness data types and categories, including activity, sleep, nutrition, body measurements and vitals like heart rate and blood pressure.

“The users will have full control over their privacy settings, with granular controls to see which apps are requesting access to data at any given time,” said Google.

The users will also have the ability to shut off access or delete data they don’t want on their device, along with an option to prioritise one data source over another when using multiple apps.