Google’s $10/month AI health coach launches May 19
▼ Summary
– Google is rebranding the Fitbit app as Google Health and launching an AI-powered health coach subscription service alongside the new Fitbit Air fitness band.
– The Google Health Coach uses Gemini AI to provide personalized insights as a fitness, sleep, and wellness advisor, building on user feedback from a public preview.
– The Google Health app launches globally on May 19 with a $9.99/month or $99/year subscription, and is free for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
– The health coach personalizes guidance through an onboarding process covering goals, routine, equipment, injuries, and lifestyle, and allows natural language updates.
– The AI coach will initially be available for select Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, with broader device support coming later, though anyone can download the app.
Alongside unveiling the Fitbit Air, a sleek fitness band designed to rival Whoop, Google announced on Thursday that it is rebranding the Fitbit app as Google Health and launching an AI-powered health coach as a paid subscription. The new Google Health app will serve as the cornerstone of the company’s fitness strategy, building on its 2021 acquisition of Fitbit and expanding beyond general-purpose Android smartwatches into dedicated health wearables.
Powered by Google’s Gemini AI, the upcoming Google Health Coach promises personalized guidance that blends the roles of a fitness trainer, sleep specialist, and wellness advisor. The company revealed that the service has been in public preview since last year, with continuous refinements driven by user feedback.
Google confirmed that the Google Health app will roll out globally on May 19, the same day the Fitbit Air hits stores. The AI coaching feature is included with the Google Health Premium subscription, formerly known as Fitbit Premium, priced at $9.99 per month or $99 per year. Subscribers to Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra plans will receive Google Health Premium at no additional charge.
The health coach tailors its advice through an onboarding process where users share their health goals, daily routines, available exercise equipment, any injuries, and other lifestyle details. Based on this input, the coach generates customized insights and recommendations. Users can interact with the coach using natural language to adjust their goals or personal information at any time. They can also log workouts, meals, and health records by speaking to the coach or uploading photos and files.
Accessible from the Today tab of the Google Health app, the coach goes beyond simple summaries. It integrates data from fitness metrics, sleep patterns, environmental factors, nutrition, cycle tracking, and, where permitted, U. S. medical records. Google noted that the cycle tracking, nutrition, and mental well-being features have all been redesigned to work seamlessly with the health coach.
The AI coach is also woven into other parts of the app. In the Fitness tab, it influences workout suggestions and guidance. The Sleep tab benefits from enhanced sleep tracking, and the Health tab offers a consolidated view of key metrics.
Initially, the health coach will be available for select Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, with support for other devices coming later. Anyone can download the Google Health app to get started, but those without a Fitbit or Google Pixel Watch will receive a notification when the coach is ready for them. Google did not specify a timeline for broader device support.
(Source: TechCrunch)
