Garmin Boosts Google Health Connect Support for Wearables

Key Takeaways

1. Garmin has launched a support page for data transfer to Google Health Connect.
2. Data transfer is one-way, from Garmin Connect to Google Health, limiting comprehensive activity tracking.
3. Transferable data includes activity and wellness metrics like body fat percentage, weight, step count, sleep patterns, and calories burned.
4. Heart rate information from workouts, swimming stroke counts, and cycling speed and cadence can also be transferred.
5. The lack of two-way data transfer may affect Garmin Connect’s training and wellness suggestions.

We talked about this back in May, and now Garmin has launched a support page that indicates it will soon allow data transfer to Google Health Connect. This page details the types of data that will be shared, which includes various activity and wellness information.

One-Way Data Transfer

Garmin clarifies right away that this transfer is only one-directional, meaning data flows from Garmin Connect to Google Health, but not the other way around. This limitation could be a problem in some cases: for instance, if someone uses a different device for daily activities versus sports, Garmin Connect won’t have the full picture of the user’s total physical activity. This lack of comprehensive data might affect Garmin Connect’s training and wellness suggestions.

Types of Transferable Data

As mentioned earlier, multiple types of activity and wellness-related data can be sent from Garmin Connect to Google Health, along with a few pieces of user-specific information. For example, metrics like body fat percentage and weight—recorded through a compatible scale—are transferable. Other data includes step count, sleep patterns, and calories burned. Additionally, heart rate information from workouts can also be sent over, along with swimming stroke counts and cycling speed and cadence data.

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