Fitbit testing personalized ‘Walkmate’ notifications

Abner Li | Mar 11 2024 - 11:52 am PT

Fitbit is testing a 2-month program/study called “Walkmate” that uses personalized daily notifications to “help you walk more and stay active.”

After joining Walkmate, “you will receive one Fitbit app notification daily to reflect on so you can plan your walk for the day.” Fitbit will “track daily steps and AZM data in the background, so you can see the impact of the chosen strategy over time.”

During the onboarding process, you will “fill out a survey to help [Fitbit] understand what general situations might affect your physical activity.” This program is available to those that walk less than 8,000 daily steps on average.

To join Walkmate, open the Fitbit app and tap the Steps card. Featuring the Google Health Studies logo, researchers will use this data to see: Which behavior strategies people prefer, How long they follow them, and How these strategies impact their walking habits over time. After enrolling, a “Walk Mate” card will appear on the Today feed.

This would join the generic Reminders to move notification. More broadly, one could imagine a Fitbit experience that is more personalized where you set a goal and Google works to get you there through prompts and notifications.