Fitbit’s quick replies and female health tracking go live
Announced some two months ago, Fitbit has finally started rolling out quick replies and female health tracking. The company has also thrown in a few new healthcare apps for good measure.
Fitbit says female health tracking is one of its most requested features. In fact, this is the first time we are seeing this type of functionality on a fitness tracker or smartwatch.
In the coming days all Fitbit users age 13 and older who have identified themselves as female will receive a notification that fertility and menstrual cycle tracking is available. Those that choose to opt-in will find a new female health-tracking tile in the dashboard. For now the function is only available in iOS and Windows Fitbit apps, with Android to follow later this month.
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The feature allows women to log information on their periods, and see how this effects different aspects of their lives – everything from sleep to activity levels. After two months the app will start to predict period lengths and fertile windows using its “proprietary cycle algorithm. This will get smarter and more accurate as users log more data.
The app will even send optional push notifications two days prior and on the day of your predicted period start date. While the functionality is available to all owners of a Fitbit device, you will need to own the Ionic or Versa for smartwatch integration via the Fitbit Today dashboard.
For more information on female health tracking in the Fitbit app, check out the video below.
The other software update is for Android Ionic and Versa users who will benefit from a new “quick replies” feature. This will enable them to use their watch to send one of five pre-populated quick replies to text messages and messenger apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. They will also be able to add their own replies, as long as they are up to 60-characters long.
Rounding off today’s Fitbit news-brief, is a slew of new healthcare apps and clock faces. Fitbit says these will provide users with new options to improve wellness and help manage conditions such as diabetes and some types of cancer. This includes Dexcom, Diplomat Pharmacy, Fitabase, Humana, Limeade, One Drop, Sickweather, and Walgreens. Some of these apps, such as the glucose monitoring Dexcom, work in conjunction with third party medical devices.
“With our strong consumer engagement, cross-platform compatibility, and intuitive software and services we have become a wearable partner of choice for leaders across the healthcare industry,” said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit.
“Together, we aim to inspire positive behavior change that can ultimately improve health outcomes and reduce costs.”
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