【2020 Archives】

There's certainly no shortage of health-tracking options020 ArchivesiOS devices, between Apple Health, Fitbit, and countless other apps. However, one big name was missing until this week.

Google announced on Wednesday that its Google Fit app is now available on iOS. That means the app, which received a major revamp last year, is now usable on pretty much any smart device you might own.

The announcement made it pretty clear that Google wants to be as accommodating as possible for fitness enthusiasts. Apps like Nike Run Club that connect with Apple Health will also sync with Google Fit, and the new iOS version of the app will track data from either an Apple Watch or a Wear OS device.

Google originally launched the Fit app in 2014, but gave it a major facelift last year to keep it competitive with other major health apps. Now, it's centered around two things called "Move Minutes" and "Heart Points."

Move Minutes are built up by, well, moving. Heart Points, on the other hand, are earned by doing more strenuous exercises. If you've ever wanted to turn your own fitness journey into a video game where you earn points for doing different tasks, Google Fit might be the app for you.

At the end of the day, all this means is that more people can use Google Fit now. You don't need an Android watch or even an Android phone to reap the benefits of Google's health platform, if you so desire.

For Google, it's a victory in the sense that more people can actually use the app and see what makes it unique. Google did something similar earlier this year when it brought the Google Duplex AI phone call feature to Android and iOS. Potentially useful apps shouldn't always be locked behind platform exclusivity.