If you use several health, fitness, and wellness apps on your Android phone, you've probably encountered the same problem: Each application saves its own data. And it's a hassle trying to get a comprehensive view of your activity, sleep, weight, and vital signs. That's precisely where Google Health Connect comes in, the platform that bridges all of these gaps.
Furthermore, many services are ceasing to use Google Fit They are migrating directly to Health Connect, which is Google's bet for the future. Thanks to this tool, You can centralize your health data in one placeDecide what you share, with which app, and in which direction, all with very clear privacy controls. And, of course, it also integrates with Google Health, Google Fit, and third-party apps like Carb Manager and RingConn.
What is Google Health Connect and what is it used for?
Health Connect is an Android platform that acts as a "hub" where Your apps store your health and physical activity data directly on your device. It's not a tracking app per se, but a tool that allows different applications to communicate with each other without having to create individual integrations.
In practice, this means you can use one app for sports, another for the dream and another for nutrition, and yet everyone shares relevant information through Health ConnectIn this way, other apps like Google Health can use that data to show more complete metrics or help you track your progress in greater detail.
One of the key advantages is that Health Connect saves offline data on your phone.Not automatically in the cloud. This gives you much more direct control over who accesses what, when, and with what permissions.
Where to find Health Connect on your Android device
Access to Health Connect may vary slightly depending on the Android version, but the idea is always the same: You can manage it from the system settings or from its own quick access menu.On most recent Android devices you will see it like this:
- From SettingsGo to Settings > Apps > Health Connect. From there you can access its settings, review permissions, and see which apps are connected.
- From Quick SettingsOn some phones, a shortcut appears in the quick settings panel (by pulling down the notification shade). Simply tap the Health Connect icon to open it.
On phones with Android 13 or earlier, you may need to install Health Connect from Google Play StoreOnce the app is installed and updated to the latest version, it will appear integrated into the system and you can start connecting your health applications.
Advantages of centralizing your data in Health Connect
The great value of Health Connect is that It greatly simplifies the connection between health and fitness apps.This prevents you from having to configure each integration independently. Instead of each app trying to read data from all the others, they all connect to the same core.
Thanks to this approach, you can have your information on steps, calories, sleep, weight, or vital signs in different services, but They all draw from a single common data sourceThis way you can, for example, record your exercise in one app and use a different one to view the reports or share the information with your doctor.
Another important point is privacy: Before an app can access your data, you must explicitly grant it permission.You can change your mind at any time, revoke access, decide what types of data are shared, and review which apps have recently accessed your information.
Connection between Google Health and Health Connect
Google Health is a Google app designed to group your health information (including clinic history(when available) and to show you a unified view of your dataTo achieve this, it relies precisely on Health Connect, which is the intermediary between Google Health and the rest of the applications.
When you connect Google Health to Health Connect, the app can consult data from other linked applications (for example, physical activity, sleep or well-being) and, at the same time, share their own data with those same apps, always within the permissions you have granted.
The data that arrives at Google Health from Health Connect They are stored in your Google account These data are used to calculate metrics within the app itself, such as activity summaries or health trends. In other words, Health Connect stores the data on your phone, and Google Health can sync some of that information with your account to provide more advanced statistics.
How to connect the Google Health app with Health Connect
The process for linking Google Health with Health Connect is guided within the app itself, but it's helpful to know all the steps. This way, You make sure you only grant the permissions you really want. and to understand what is being shared at any given moment.
First, you need to have Health Connect set up on your phone and the Google Health app installed and updated. Once that's done, you can follow these steps:
- Open the app Google Health on your Android device.
- In the top left, tap on Connections > Associated Applications.
- In the “Connect device” section, tap on “Sync your favorite health apps” > Configure.
- Carefully review the information displayed on the screen regarding the connection to Health Connect and press Accept if you agree.
- Select the types of data you want to sync, and then tap on Continue.
- If you choose to share your medical history with Google Health, you'll see several options: Allow allAllow or Do not allow. Choose whether and to what extent you want Google Health to have access to your medical history.
- If you choose to share physical activity and wellness data, similar options will appear: Allow allAllow selected items or Do not allow. Mark exactly which data you want the app to be able to access.
- On the “Allow additional access for health?” screen, you will be asked if you want Google Health You can also access historical data and background information.Select the types of data you want to share this way and click Allow.
- After granting the permissions, a confirmation page will appear with the message “Google Health is syncing.” Tap on Ready to finish the configuration.
Since then, Google Health will begin syncing your most recent data stored in Health ConnectThis synchronization includes not only activity, but also other compatible parameters depending on the apps you have connected.
How to check if synchronization with Health Connect is working properly
Once the connection is set up, it's advisable to verify that synchronization is working correctly. To do this, There's no need to touch the permissions againYou can simply check your status from within Google Health itself.
The steps to check the synchronization are these:
- Open the app Google Health.
- Click on the top left of the screen. Connections > Associated Applications.
- In the “Settings” section, go to Manage Health Connect.
On the screen that opens you will see a message like this: "Just synced", "Synced 1 min ago" or "Synced at XX:XX"If you see any of these texts, it means that everything has synced correctly and that communication between Google Health and Health Connect is active.
If what appears is “Synchronizing”, it means that The data transfer is still in progressThis is normal if you've just activated the connection or if you have a large amount of historical data. If this message persists or you encounter problems, you should consult the Health Connect sync troubleshooting documentation to review potential issues.
How to manage Google Health data permissions in Health Connect
Permission control is one of the cornerstones of Health Connect; you're not obligated to share everything. You can decide what types of data Google Health reads or writes, both from within the app itself and from the Health Connect settings. This way, You adjust the access level according to your comfort and needs.
If you want to manage these permissions from Google Health, the procedure is as follows:
- Enter the app Google Health.
- Accede to Connections > Associated Applications.
- In “Settings”, tap on Manage Health Connect to go to the relevant section.
- On the “Health Connect” page, under “Settings”, tap on Manage data and accessThis will take you directly to the Health Connect settings screen on your phone.
- In the “Your health apps” section, select Health (Google Health). If you don't see it, tap on See more health apps and then choose Health.
Once inside, you'll have several options to fine-tune your settings:
- En PermissionsYou can choose from categories such as Physical Activity and Wellness, Medical History, or Additional Access. There you decide which data Google Health can read and which it can write to Health Connect.
- En Manage appYou'll find options like View app data, where you can check what the Google Health app is recording, or Remove this app's access, which allows you to revoke permissions and delete associated data if you no longer want it to be connected.
Thus, You can modify the information you share at any time. and prevent an app from having more access than strictly necessary. This is especially useful if you only want Google Health to read data, but not necessarily write it to other apps, or vice versa.
Connect Carb Manager and Google Fit through Health Connect
If you use Carb Manager as nutrition tracking app And if you have a Premium subscription, you can Integrate your Google Fit data using Health ConnectCarb Manager does not connect directly to all devices, so the usual flow is: fitness device or app > Google Fit > Health Connect > Carb Manager.
First of all, keep in mind that if you want to link a third-party device (bracelet, watch, scale, etc.) with Google Fit, You must follow the manufacturer's instructions so that your data is sent correctly to Google Fit. Once this is done, you can use Health Connect as an intermediary.
Data that Carb Manager imports through Health Connect
Carb Manager can receive various types of information from Google Fit via Health Connect. Currently, The data that is imported includes:
- Daily steps recorded by your apps or devices.
- Minutes of activity or minutes of movement, depending on what Google Fit records.
- Body weight, if you're syncing it with Google Fit.
- Future integrations planned for calories burnedwhich will be added in future updates.
When you review a specific day in the Carb Manager daily log, the app It will attempt to import the available data from Google Fit. through Health Connect. If nothing appears, it's possible that there was no data recorded in Google Fit that day or that the permissions weren't configured correctly.
How to connect Carb Manager with Health Connect
For Carb Manager to read data from Google Fit via Health Connect, you need to authorize the connection from within the Carb Manager app itself. The process is fairly straightforward, but it's best to follow it step by step to ensure everything is connected correctly.
- Check that the device you are using Carb Manager on (mobile or tablet) is Conected to internet.
- Log in to your account CarbManager.
- Within the app, go to Settings > Application settings.
- Access the section Synchronization of health and fitness devices and select Health Connect.
- On the Carb Manager Health Connect screen, choose the option to Sync with Health Connect.
- When the permissions dialog box opens, select Allow All > Allow to grant Carb Manager access to the Health Connect data it needs.
After this, each time you check a day in your log within Carb Manager, the app It will import the wellness data it receives from Google Fit, passing through Health Connect first.If something isn't syncing as expected, check that Google Fit is correctly configured as a data source in Health Connect.
Configure Google Fit as a data source in Health Connect
In order for Carb Manager to receive the correct information, it is essential that Google Fit is selected as the data source within Health Connect. Otherwise, the nutrition app will not be able to collect activity or other parameters.
You can check and configure this as follows:
- In your Android device's Settings, go to Apps and locate the application HealthConnect of Google.
- Open the Health Connect app from there.
- Sign in App Permissions (App permissions).
- Select the app Google Fit.
- Press on Set up to start the setup.
- Choose the option Allow All to grant access to the data that Fit can share.
- Confirm by tapping Allow and then on Done to finish.
With this, Google Fit will be associated with Health Connect so that the data it collects (steps, activity, weight, etc.) is available to Carb Manager and other compatible apps, always respecting the permissions you have granted.
End of the Google Fit API and migration to Health Connect (RingConn example)
Google has announced the phased end of its Google Fit developer API, which is causing many apps to start migrate your synchronization to Health ConnectA specific example is RingConn, a manufacturer of smart rings that is adapting its service to this new platform.
In practice, this means that new RingConn users can no longer directly enable synchronization with Google Fit. Instead, The integration is done through Health ConnectFollowing Google's official recommendations to ensure a more secure and stable service in the long term.
What happens to old Google Fit data?
If you already had RingConn synchronization enabled with Google Fit before the change, This integration will remain active until a deadline.In the specific case of RingConn, it has been announced that synchronization will continue to work until October 1, 2025 at 23:00 (UTC+0).
If you decide to disable syncing with Google Fit before that date, you won't be able to re-enable it. However, All the data already synced will still be available in your Google Fit accountThey don't disappear. If you want to manage or delete that history, you'll have to do it directly from the Google Fit app or service.
Requirements for Health Connect to function correctly
When trying to authorize access to Health Connect with a device like RingConn, you might see a message such as “Health Connect does not currently support this device.” This message usually indicates that Your environment does not meet some of the minimum requirements so that Health Connect works properly.
Before you go crazy, it's advisable to check the following in this order:
- Android versionYour phone must have Android 9 or higher. You can check this in Settings > About phone > Android version.
- Health Connect appIf you're using Android 13 or earlier, you'll need to manually download and install Health Connect from the Google Play Store. Make sure the app is installed correctly and updated to the latest version.
- RingConn applicationCheck in the app store (e.g., Google Play) if you have the latest version of the RingConn app and update it if necessary.
- Device restartAfter completing the updates and checks, restart your phone and try authorizing access to Health Connect again from the RingConn app.
If after following these steps You still can't solve the problemRingConn recommends contacting their support team via email at cs@ringconn.com, indicating the problem and the device model you are using.
Current data limitations and permission controls with RingConn
Currently, there is a specific limitation: HRV (heart rate variability) data cannot be synced through Health Connect due to an algorithm compatibility issue. The company has indicated that it is working on a solution, so it may be enabled later.
On the other hand, when you authorize RingConn in Health Connect, you'll see a list of the types of data the app wants to read or write. There you can Please select one item at a time only what you are willing to shareso that RingConn will only sync the information that you have explicitly approved.
If you have any questions during the migration or setup process, the manufacturer encourages users to contact their customer support team Contact cs@ringconn.com to resolve synchronization, permissions, or Health Connect compatibility issues.
With this entire ecosystem, Health Connect has become the central piece that unites apps like Google Health, Google Fit, Carb Manager, RingConn, and many others. Thanks to its granular permissions approach, local storage, and flexible connections, You can have your health and physical activity data much more organizedView them from different applications and control what is shared at any given time, without losing sight of privacy or the convenience of having everything under one roof. Share this information so that more users are aware of the topic.