Google Assistant preps connecting health apps to show sleep and fitness data

Google positions Assistant as being able to provide help throughout your day, and recently rolled out Gentle Sleep & Wake to all smart lights, while Routines let you quickly turn off devices for the night. Google Assistant is now readying integration with health services so that you can verbally ask for fitness and sleep information.

About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in the case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.

In addition to hinting that Assistant Driving Mode is almost here, the Google app 11.31 beta reveals work on “sleep_account_linking.” The strings suggest that Fitbit is one such provider, and that the data will be used by Assistant to answer “sleep-related questions.”

This could be useful for quickly finding out how long or well your slept, and seeing if anything can be done to improve it. Specific capabilities presumably depend on the service you’re connecting to Assistant.

Your Assistant will get access to your <xliff:g id=provider example=Fitbit>%1$s</xliff:g> sleep data. Google Assistant will use this data to answer your sleep-related questions across your devices that have personal results turned on.

Google today lets you enable “personal results” on Smart Displays and speakers. Information is only provided after verifying through Voice or Face Match that you’re the one asking. This sleep integration is accompanied by a new Google Assistant option to allow “proactive health and fitness results.”

The preference would allow Assistant to show health “data, suggestions, and related content.” It suggests that you’ll be able to ask about more than just sleep in the future. To protect your privacy, Google will delete these audio queries after answering.  

On devices where you have proactive health and fitness results turned on, the Assistant will show this data, suggestions, and related content without you having to ask. This data also helps troubleshoot and improve your health and fitness experience with the Assistant. Once your Assistant successfully fulfills your request to update, show, or answer questions about this data, Google will delete your audio query. The text from your request and other Assistant usage information is used to troubleshoot, develop, and improve Assistant services.

Meanwhile, you’ll be able to disconnect health services from Assistant in settings, while this entire capability can be disabled.

Fitbit is the most likely candidate for this integration given the upcoming acquisition. Their latest smartwatches already feature on-device Assistant, but this feature would let users get and hear their fitness data without having to use the Fitbit app.