Google Health: Fitbit, We have a problem. A design problem.

A screenless entry-level tracker should not expose weaknesses in Google’s software platform. The Fitbit Air does.

In May, Google required millions of lovers of the existing Fitbit app to switch to Google Health 5.0, which is now the app for everyone, including Fitbit Air and Google Pixel Watch 4 owners.
The app looks modern and is packed with Gemini AI awesomeness, but it feels rushed and unfinished.

The opening screen immediately undermines confidence. Look at the words “Weekly Cardio”: six characters stray into the white ring that surrounds the progress info. The main graphics lack further polish: the circle on the left is visually imbalanced relative to the rounded rectangles on the right, and elsewhere, some charts appear blurry. Individually, these are small flaws, but together they make the software feel unrefined. Several smaller fitness apps hosted in the5krunner’s Indie App Spotlight section are made by single developers, and most look aesthetically sharper.

Next, it’s clear that Google loves Gemini, their impressive and very powerful new toy. Several screens have become Walls of Words, bombarding the senses with too much stuff. Impenetrable. Off-putting. Whatever happened to glanceability, to graphics that show just the key exceptions and insights?

Beyond my personal irks, the layout changes have proved widely divisive.

Google reorganised the app around four tabs: Today, Fitness, Sleep and Health. It pushes automated coaching and wellness summaries to the front. Some casual users welcome the friendlier guidance and simpler dashboard. Long-time Fitbit owners often do not, as core metrics that previously required a glance can now take multiple taps to reach.

Personalisation also remains limited. Dashboard tiles cannot be rearranged, and wellness prompts occupy too much valuable screen real estate. Google’s 27 May roadmap, which promises greater dashboard control, effectively acknowledges these types of shortcomings.

Most existing Fitbit and Pixel owners did not choose this update. Fitbit Air buyers did, but existing Fitbit users were automatically moved over, with no option to switch back.

Google has responded quickly with updates for run labelling, sleep data, food logging and parts of the dashboard. That fast response suggests the company is listening. But the visual presentation issues and awkward navigation remain. All of this from an app the public has had for barely a week.

The app feels more contemporary than the old Fitbit app, and those coming from platforms like Whoop or Oura for the first time often prefer its wellness-focused approach. My sleep data over the last few weeks is presented here cleanly – I love this – 9/10!

Change for change’s sake sometimes needs to be welcomed. Over the last 5 years, many health and fitness apps coalesced towards a similar design ethos, only to realise that this might look good and work well, but did little to support the brand image because of the generic design. That’s partly why Google is taking a different visual tack alongside the inevitable delights of its AI.

Google seems to have chosen to let Health prioritise advice over quick data. You can see why: reading text increases engagement and dwell time in the app. But I suspect that approach will fail in the long term and that people want frequent, scannable snippets of content in their hectic lives. AI needs to play a part, and the insights it gives now, which will only improve, are amazing. But we need them to be amazing when we want them to be, and not be permanently amazing (and annoying) every time we open the app.

More: Fitbit Air review – 28 Cons, 21 Pros – Yes, really.

FAQ

Q: Do I have to switch from the Fitbit app to Google Health?

A: Yes. The update was mandatory, rolling out between 19 and 26 May, and Google Health 5.0 is required to pair a Fitbit Air. There is no option to return to the old Fitbit app.

Q: Can I customise the Google Health dashboard?

A: Only in part for now. Tiles cannot be freely rearranged and the wellness prompts take fixed space. Google’s 27 May roadmap promises greater dashboard control.

Last Updated on 28 May 2026 by the5krunner

the5krunner

tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID