Google’s AI-based health coach will launch at $9.99 per month on May 19

Besides taking the wraps off its new Fitbit Air, a Whoop-esque fitness band, Google also said Thursday that it is rebranding its Fitbit app as Google Health and launching an artificial intelligence-powered health coach as a subscription service.

The Health app will become a key part of Google’s fitness strategy, building on its 2021 acquisition of Fitbit, which saw the tech giant delve into fitness wearables to complement its general-purpose Android smartwatches.

Leveraging Google’s Gemini AI, the new Google Health Coach will deliver personalized insights to users, acting as a fitness coach, sleep expert, and health and wellness advisor. The company said the service has been in public preview since last year and is undergoing improvements based on user feedback.

Google says the Health app will be available globally on May 19, as part of the Google Health Premium subscription — the same day the new Fitbit Air goes on sale. The AI ​​fitness coaching service will come bundled with a Google Health Premium (formerly Fitbit Premium) subscription, which costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will have access to Google Health Premium at no additional cost.

Google notes that the Health Coach service is personalized to the user through the onboarding process, in which you’ll state your health goals, your daily routine, the type of exercise equipment you have access to, any injuries the coach should be aware of, and other lifestyle factors. The coach will then use these details to create personalized guidance and insights.

Users can also communicate with the coach using natural language to customize and update their personal details or goals at any time. They can also record workouts, meals, and health records by dictating to them or by uploading photos or files.

The coach can be accessed from the Today tab in the Google Health app. The company notes that any insights provided by the coach will not be just a summary, but will combine information from multiple sources, such as fitness metrics, sleep, environment, nutrition, cycle tracking, and US medical records (if access is provided). Cycle tracking, nutrition, and mental health features have all been redesigned for the health coach as well, Google said.

The AI-powered coach is integrated into other areas of the Google Health app as well, including exercise suggestions and guidance in the Fitness tab, sleep tracking in the Sleep tab, and a Health tab summary of your metrics.

The company says Google Health Coach will be available first to Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, and support for other devices will be coming soon. However, anyone can download the Google Health app to get started. People who don’t have a Fitbit or Google Pixel Watch will be notified when the Trainer is ready for them, but Google hasn’t said when that will be.