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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteGoogle said it bought Fitbit to strengthen wearables by combining Fitbit’s products and expertise with Google’s AI, software and hardware. Its 2026 shift of the Fitbit app into Google Health, alongside a new health coach and screenless tracker, shows a clearer version of that strategy: building a connected health platform around wearable devices. That is evidence of Google’s current direction, not proof of its private motives or that the acquisition has met its goals.
Why did Google buy Fitbit?
When Google announced the deal on November 1, 2019, it described Fitbit as a wearable pioneer with products, user experiences and a community. Google said it wanted to invest more in Wear OS and bring Made by Google wearables to market, while combining Fitbit’s wearable expertise with Google’s AI, software and hardware. [Google’s 2019 announcement]
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That was Google’s public rationale at the time, not independent confirmation of every factor behind the acquisition. The deal joined Fitbit’s devices and wellness products with Google’s existing activity in Wear OS and Google Fit. When Google completed the acquisition on January 14, 2021, it again emphasized Fitbit’s devices, wellness experiences and health metrics dashboard. Its announcement cited more than 29 million active Fitbit users, a historical figure from that date—not a current user count. [Google’s 2021 completion announcement]
What does Google’s current Fitbit direction show?
In May 2026, Google announced that the Fitbit app was entering a new era as the Google Health app. The company said the experience would bring information from wearables, Health Connect, Apple Health and medical records together, and that Google Fit migration would begin later in 2026. The transition suggests Google is moving beyond a standalone fitness-tracker app toward a broader health platform connected to its devices and services. [Google’s May 2026 announcement]
#1 Best Overall
- 【Superb Visual Experience & Effortless Operation】Diving into the latest 1.58'' ultra high resolution display technology, every interaction on the fitness watch is a visual delight with vibrant colors and crisp clarity. Its always on display clock makes the time conveniently visible. Experience convenience like never before with the intuitive full touch controls and the side button, switch between apps, and customize settings with seamless precision.
- 【Comprehensive 24/7 Health Monitoring】The fitness watches for women and men packs 24/7 heart rate, 24/7 blood pressure and blood oxygen monitors. You could check those real-time health metrics anytime, anywhere on your wrist and view the data record in the App. The heart rate monitor watch also tracks different sleep stages for light and deep sleep,and the time when you wake up, helps you to get a better understanding of your sleep quality.
- 【120+ exercise modes & All-Day Activity Tracking】There are more than 120 exercise modes available in the activity trackers and smartwatches, covering almost all daily sports activities you can imagine, gives you new ways to train and advanced metrics for more information about your workout performance. The all-day activity tracking feature monitors your steps, distance, and calories burned all the day, so you can see how much progress you've made towards your fitness goals.
- 【Messages & Incoming Calls Notification】With this smart watch fitness trackers for iPhone and android phones, you can receive notifications for incoming calls and read messages directly from your wrist without taking out your phone. Never miss a beat, stay in touch with loved ones, and stay informed of important updates wherever you are.
- 【Essential Assistant for Daily Life】The fitness watches for women and men provide you with more features including drinking water and sedentary reminder, women's menstrual period reminder, breath training, real-time weather display, remote camera shooting, music control,timer, stopwatch, finding phone, alarm clock, making it a considerate life assistant. With the GPS connectivity, you could get a map of your workout route in the app for outdoor activity by connecting to your phone GPS.
Google Health Coach and Fitbit Air
Google presented Health Coach as a personalized health and fitness guide within Google Health, and Fitbit Air as a screenless tracker designed with the Coach in mind. The combination is significant as a product direction: the wearable can collect information while the app and Coach provide the interface for interpreting and acting on it. Google also said the Coach requires a Fitbit or Pixel Watch device, an adult user and availability in a supported country; those conditions and geographic availability can change. [Google Health app and Fitbit redesign help page]
Google announced Google Health Premium at $9.99 per month or $99 per year in May 2026, with automatic inclusion in Google AI Pro and Ultra tiers at that time. These are launch-announcement prices and plan terms, not a guarantee of current pricing or availability. [Google’s May 2026 announcement]
Rank #2
- Google Fitbit Air is the unbelievably comfortable, exceptionally smart way to transform your health[1]; and Google Health brings together effortless tracking and adaptive coaching to help make the most of your everyday[2]
- Unlock more with Google Health Premium: With a premium membership, get personalized coaching that’s built with Gemini and adapts to your life[2]; get a 3-month trial at no cost to you[5] (Google Health Premium subscription sold separately)
- Comfortable fit - One Size Tracker (130-210 mm): The lightweight, micro-adjustable fit sits comfortably and quietly, so you can wear Google Fitbit Air through work, play, and sleep; advanced sensors and new algorithms power more accurate, precise health tracking, 24/7[1]
- Designed for every occasion: With no screen to distract you or disrupt your style, your tracker moves seamlessly from bracelet to workout band to sleep band, and you can change looks in seconds – just press the pebble in, click, and go
- Long battery life: Google Fitbit Air’s battery lasts up to a week, and fast charging gets you one day of battery life in just five minutes[6,7]
What changed for Fitbit app users?
The transition is not simply a new name. Google’s Help Center says the app transition started May 19, 2026, and documents changes to navigation and features. Some legacy Fitbit features are removed or altered, while certain device-specific functions and connections to other health services remain. [Google Health app and Fitbit redesign help page]
- Removed or changed: Groups and Community Feed, badges, and some older health and sleep features.
- Third-party connections: The help page documents connections with Health Connect, Apple Health and other third-party apps.
- Device-specific function: Charge 6 and Sense devices retain Scan Quick Reset, according to Google’s documentation.
For users, the practical trade-off is consolidation into Google Health alongside a loss or alteration of familiar Fitbit app elements. The cited help page documents those specific changes; it does not establish that every Fitbit feature or device experience has been discontinued.
Rank #3
- Learn to manage stress, sleep better and live healthier with Sense 2 – an advanced health and fitness smartwatch
- Manage stress and live healthier: All-day stress detection with cEDA and daily Stress Management Score, ECG app for atrial fibrillation assessment[1], irregular heart rhythm notifications[2], SpO2[3], health metrics dashboard[4], mindfulness content
- Measure and improve sleep quality: Daily sleep stages and Sleep Score, smart wake alarm and do not disturb mode
- Enhance activity: Built-in GPS and workout intensity map, Daily Readiness Score, Active Zone Minutes, all-day activity tracking and 24/7 heart rate, 40+ exercise modes and automatic exercise tracking, water resistant to 50 meters
- Designed for all-day wear: On-wrist Bluetooth calls, texts and phone notifications[5], customizable clock faces, Amazon Alexa built-in[6], Google Wallet & Maps, 6+ day battery[7]
Why did regulators scrutinize the acquisition?
The European Commission’s December 17, 2020 conditional approval focused on competition risks, not a general finding that every privacy concern had been resolved. The Commission identified three issues: Google could use Fitbit data to strengthen its position in online advertising; it could restrict competitors’ access to the Fitbit Web API; and it could weaken rival wearable makers through Android interoperability. The approval under the EU Merger Regulation depended on Google complying with commitments addressing those concerns. [European Commission approval announcement]
Google said at the time of the deal announcement that Fitbit health and wellness data would not be used for Google ads. At completion, it described binding commitments to keep that data separate from other Google advertising data and to maintain Android APIs for competing devices and third-party service connections. Those statements describe specific commitments; they should not be broadened into a claim about all data handling or all advertising contexts. [Google’s 2019 announcement] [Google’s 2021 completion announcement]
Rank #4
- Get inspired and stay accountable with Versa 4 + Premium - learn when to work out or recover, see real-time stats during exercise and find new ways to keep your routine fresh and fun.Operating temperature: -14° to 113°F. Radio transceiver: Bluetooth 5.0.Maximum operating altitude : 28,000 feet (8,534 m).
- Built for better fitness results: Daily Readiness Score(1), built-in GPS and workout intensity map, Active Zone Minutes, all-day activity tracking and 24/7 heart rate, 40+ exercise modes and automatic exercise tracking, water resistant to 50 meters
- Tools to measure and improve sleep quality: personalized Sleep Profile(1), daily sleep stages & Sleep Score, smart wake alarm and do not disturb mode. Compatibility-Apple iOS 15 or higher, Android OS 9 or higher
- Maintain a healthy body and mind: daily Stress Management Score, reflection logging, SpO2(2), health metrics dashboard(3), guided breathing sessions, menstrual health tracking and mindfulness content
- Designed for fitness & beyond: on-wrist Bluetooth calls, texts and phone notifications(4), customizable clock faces, Fitbit Pay(5), Amazon Alexa built-in(6), Google Wallet & Maps (Google Maps Android only, coming Spring 2023 to iOS), 6+ day battery(7)
What is happening to Fitbit’s developer API?
Google’s Google Health API page describes the service as the next generation of the Fitbit Web API. As of October 7, 2026, the page said the legacy API would stop receiving bug fixes and support after September 30, 2026, and was scheduled to be turned off on October 30, 2026. The page also said Google was not onboarding new projects to the Google Health API at the time it was accessed. Because both the shutdown schedule and onboarding status can change, developers should check Google’s current API documentation before planning a migration. [Google Health API documentation]
Does this mean Google’s Fitbit acquisition succeeded?
The announcements show a more legible product strategy than the original promise alone: wearable hardware, health and fitness software, and coaching are being brought together under Google Health. But product integration is not proof of commercial or strategic success. Google’s public statements and current product documentation do not disclose its full internal decision process or establish whether the acquisition has met its financial goals.
Best Value
- Inspire 3 is the tracker that helps you find your energy, do what you love and feel your best – all you have to do is wear it;
- Compatible with Apple iOS 16.4 or higher and Android OS 11.0 or higher
- Move more: Stay motivated with a Daily Readiness Score, Active Zone Minutes, all-day activity tracking and 24/7 heart rate, 40+ exercise modes, automatic exercise tracking, and reminders to move
- Stress less: Keep an eye on your well-being with a daily Stress Management Score, mindfulness sessions, relax breathing sessions, irregular heart rhythm notifications, SpO2, menstrual health tracking, resting heart rate, and more[1,2]
- Sleep better: Automatic sleep tracking, a daily detailed Sleep Score, smart wake vibrating alarm, and sleep mode help you improve your sleep quality[3]
The most grounded answer to why Google bought Fitbit is therefore two-part: Google publicly said it wanted to strengthen wearables by combining the companies’ capabilities, and its 2026 product direction shows that combination being used to build a connected health experience. Whether that direction delivers on the acquisition’s broader ambitions remains unproven.
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