Google Health version 5.05, rolling out today on iOS, adds two-way syncing with Apple Health, meaning data recorded by a Fitbit device or logged in Google Health can now surface natively inside Apple’s health ecosystem. It’s a capability that previously didn’t exist, and one that Fitbit-owning iPhone users have wanted for years.
Version 5.05 also introduces Smart Health Links, a way to share summaries of your medical records with healthcare providers or family members via a secure URL or QR code, along with stability fixes for VO2 Max calculations, exercise maps, and post-workout editing.
Once you’ve updated to 5.05, the setup lives under your profile icon in the Google Health app. Tap “Partner apps,” select Apple Health, and follow the on-screen prompts to grant write permissions. After that, data begins flowing automatically. Google says the integration covers exercise records, steps, vitals, and sleep data recorded by Fitbit hardware.
The sync is bidirectional, Google Health on iOS already supported pulling data from Apple Health into Google’s app, which meant Apple Watch data could appear in what was previously the Fitbit experience. Today’s update adds the return path, so Google Health can write back to Apple Health rather than just reading from it.
The Smart Health Links feature enables sharing medical record summaries via a QR code or URL is aimed squarely at clinical and caregiving contexts, where handing a doctor or family member a printout has been the only practical option. The secure link format suggests Google is following the SMART Health Links standard already adopted by several US healthcare networks, which means providers who already support that standard could ingest the data directly rather than just viewing it. Google hasn’t detailed which records are included in a Smart Health Links export, but given that Google Health already aggregates lab results, medications, and immunization records from connected health systems, the scope could be substantial for users whose providers participate.
For developers, the Google Health API expansion announced in May opens the same data Google Health is now sharing with Apple Health to authorized third-party apps. That puts Google Health in direct competition with Apple’s HealthKit as a data layer for health app developers building cross-platform products, a market Apple has long dominated on iOS by controlling the platform.
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