Google turns Fitbit into an AI health hub with Gemini

Wearables have spent years hoarding our biometrics into charts and graphs, but they almost never tell you what to actually do with the numbers. If you slept poorly, your watch simply hands you a low score and leaves you to figure it out.

Google wants to change that. On May 7, the company announced that it is rebranding the Fitbit app into Google Health, rolling out its Gemini-powered AI health coach to the public after months of beta testing. Alongside the software overhaul, Google also introduced a new $99 screenless tracker called Fitbit Air.

The update begins rolling out automatically to existing Fitbit users on May 19, meaning no new app download is required and current devices like the Pixel Watch will continue working as usual.

Gemini turns into your personal health coach

The redesigned Google Health app consolidates your data into four main tabs: Today, Fitness, Sleep, and Health. It pulls in metrics from Health Connect, Apple Health, and external services like Peloton or MyFitnessPal. Later this year, Google Fit users will also be invited to migrate over.

The standout addition is the Google Health Coach built on Gemini. Instead of just charting metrics, the AI interacts with you in natural language to build personalized weekly workout plans. You can snap a photo of gym equipment to generate an exercise routine, or photograph a meal so the coach can identify what you ate.

In the U.S., users can also link medical records to have Gemini summarize lab results, medications, and vital sign trends over time. Addressing longstanding privacy concerns, Google reiterated that Fitbit health data will never be used for Google Ads.

A $99 screenless tracker built for data gathering

To feed that AI engine around the clock, Google is pairing the platform with Fitbit Air. Priced at $99, the tracker strips away the display entirely, weighing next to nothing so it can stay on your wrist 24/7.

Without a battery-draining screen, the device can run for days on a single charge and top up quickly. It packs sensors for heart rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature, along with 50-meter water resistance.

Crucially, Google is not walling the AI coach inside its own hardware ecosystem. Later this year, owners of the Apple Watch, Garmin watches, and Oura rings will also gain access to the Google Health Coach.

Why it matters

We think Google made a very smart pivot here: subtracting hardware complexity while adding heavy AI intelligence.

Many people are tired of wrist computers buzzing with notifications, but they still want continuous wellness tracking. At $99, Fitbit Air lowers both the physical and financial barrier to entry, turning the wristband into a discreet data collector for Gemini. For everyday users, having an AI that actually explains lab results and suggests sensible workouts is infinitely more valuable than staring at another step counter.

For the wearable industry, Google is shifting the battleground from raw sensor specs to LLM reasoning. Opening up the AI coach to Apple Watch, Garmin, and Oura users later this year is an aggressive land grab. Google is basically saying: buy whatever hardware you like, as long as your health data runs through our AI.

The real risk lies in trust and accuracy. Summarizing medical records and coaching workouts leave zero room for hallucinations. If Gemini misinterprets a vital trend, the consequences are immediate. Users will also need a Google Health Premium subscription to unlock the coach's full depth, and Google still has to prove the ongoing monthly cost is worth it.