The most common Google Fit problems and how to fix them

Google Fit was once the company’s premier health tracking solution. Thanks to its excellent journal feature and ability to sync with and display data from other specialized apps, it still exists on many users’ devices. Although it’s still functional on a bevy of smartwatches, it isn’t without its share of problems. Below we outline some of the more common Google Fit problems and detail potential solutions.

Google Fit and Health Connect issues

Health Connect is a new platform by Google that aims to be a central health data hub. This allows it to act as a middleman, syncing various fitness platforms that don’t typically support each other. Google Fit is one such platform, but some users have found it challenging to sync Fit data to Health Connect. Here are a few potential solutions for this issue.

• Check if Health Connect is allowed to receive information from Google Fit.
  • In Google Fit, open the Profile tab, tap the Settings icon, then toggle on Sync Fit with Health Connect. Follow the prompts, select the health data fields, then tap Done to enable communication between the two platforms.
• If you’ve already done this but find that Google Fit and Health Connect aren’t syncing, toggle off Sync Fit with Health Connect and repeat the procedure above.
• Still nothing? Make sure both apps are updated. Ensure that Google Fit version 2.89.3 or newer is installed.
• Health Connect is still in its fledgling phase, so expect to find a few issues here and there. If you desperately need to sync Google Fit data with other platforms, you can try a third-party premium app Health Sync.

See also: The best fitness tracking apps for Android

Activity tracking issues

You may run into a few fitness tracking issues while using Google Fit. Here’s how to fix the majority of them.

• If you’re using Google Fit on your phone to track activity, you’ll need to enable Track activity metrics within the app.
  • Open Google Fit on your phone, tap on the Profile tab, then select the Settings icon. Tap on Track activity metrics and toggle it on.
  • If this feature is enabled, simply try restarting your phone before tracking an activity.
• If Google Fit isn’t recognizing a walk or run automatically, switch on activity detection.
  • In Google Fit, tap the Profile tab, then the Settings icon. Tap Track activity metrics and toggle it on.
• Is your calorie burn figures too high or low? Be sure to keep your profile data current, as Fit uses this as a measuring stick for your base calorie burn.
  • In Google Fit, open the Profile tab, tap height or weight, adjust these to your current measurements, and tap OK to save.
• Be sure to enable location tracking on your device when you’re out on a walk, run, or bike ride. This will ensure distance tracking is a little more accurate.
• Is Google Fit simply not recording Heart Points or steps? This seems to be a common issue across newer versions of Google Fit. There is currently no silver bullet for this issue, but ensure that the latest version of Fit is installed. You may also try reinstalling Fit, clearing its app cache, and rebooting your devices if all else fails. Also, ensure that the latest version of your smartwatch or fitness tracker’s firmware is installed.

If your activity data differs between your smartwatch or fitness tracker and the Google Fit app on your phone, you’ll need to sync the two devices.

• You can prompt a manual sync by opening Google Fit on your phone, tapping the Journal tab, then selecting the sync icon at the top of the screen. Ensure that your smartwatch and phone both have internet access, Bluetooth enabled, and they’re relatively close to one another.

See also: The best fitness trackers you can buy

Third-party and connected app issues

One of Google Fit’s biggest draws is its support for a wide range of third-party apps and services. Occasionally, you may run into a syncing or permission issue with some of these. Here’s how to rectify them.

Google recommends the following quick fixes for misbehaving third-party apps.

• Check if your third-party app or service is still connected to Google Fit.
  • Open Google Fit and head to your Profile tab. Tap the Settings icon then select Manage connected apps. You’ll find a list of currently linked apps here. If your app isn’t on the list, connect it to Google Fit.
• If the app is listed but isn’t working, try disconnecting it from Google Fit, then reconnecting it.
  • Open Google Fit then head to the Profile tab, tap the Settings icon, then select Manage connected apps. Tap the down arrow then select All apps & devices. Find your app then tap Disconnect to disconnect the app from Google Fit.
• Finally, check if the third-party app has the correct permissions enabled. You’ll have to access your Permissions page within your phone’s settings menu.

Other issues:

• If the Mobvoi app cannot sync with Google Fit, try updating the former. The newer versions of the Mobvoi app solved an issue that users discovered at the tail end of 2022.
• Oura also experienced issues with Google Fit syncing in October 2022. The problem was fixed a few days later, but update the Oura app if you’re still experiencing issues.
• Are no third-party apps working? Consider updating core Google service apps. This includes Google Mobile Services.

Are you still dealing with an issue you can’t seem to solve? Is there a problem we didn’t cover in this guide? Let us and the community know in the comments below.