Fitbit is officially stepping into the next generation of digital wellness with something that feels straight out of a sci-fi movie – an AI-powered personal health coach. 
Built on Google’s Gemini technology, this new feature marks Fitbit’s boldest leap yet into artificial intelligence, turning the classic fitness tracker app into a smart, conversational assistant that doesn’t just track your steps but talks with you about your health, habits, and goals.
Starting this week, selected Fitbit Premium users on Android in the U.S. can access the Public Preview of the Gemini-powered coach, while iOS users are expected to join the rollout soon. It’s a limited first look, but an important one – and it represents Google’s clearest vision so far of what AI-driven fitness might look like in everyday life.
The AI Coach: A Conversation About Your Health
Unlike a static app interface or pre-set workouts, this Gemini-based coach can actually hold a conversation with you. It’s like having a personal trainer, sleep consultant, and health analyst rolled into one virtual personality. You can ask it to design a customized 30-minute workout you can do in your hotel room, or request help understanding why you woke up tired even after eight hours of sleep. It can even prepare smart suggestions for what to ask your doctor next time you visit.
This isn’t a simple gimmick. Google says the system is grounded in scientific data and designed to provide helpful, contextual insights – not random motivational quotes. The goal is to help users make sense of their fitness and wellness data in real time through natural conversation. In many ways, this preview hints at Fitbit’s long-term strategy: fusing machine learning with human-centric guidance to make health tracking feel more intuitive and actionable.
Still a Preview: What’s Missing
Before anyone gets too excited, it’s important to note that this is very much a work in progress. Several standard Fitbit features haven’t yet made it into the preview. Users will notice the absence of menstrual, nutrition, and water logging. Key metrics like the Stress Management Score and Cardio Fitness Score are also unavailable. Social features – friends, leaderboards, badges, and groups – are missing as well.
To soften that blow, Google designed the preview so users can switch easily between the new AI interface and the traditional Fitbit app. You can try out the new coach for a bit, ask it some questions, then toggle back to log your meals or check how your friends are doing on the step leaderboard. It’s a clever way to let users explore without losing the familiar functionality of the core Fitbit experience.
Why It Matters: A Glimpse of Google’s Health Vision
This rollout is more than just another software update – it’s the first tangible example of Google’s larger vision for AI-assisted wellness. While other fitness platforms like Whoop or Oura have experimented with AI-based coaching, Fitbit’s integration with Gemini brings an entirely new layer of intelligence. The potential for personalized feedback based on your real data – from heart rate to sleep cycles – is enormous.
Google is being careful with the launch, emphasizing that the coach is being developed responsibly and securely. By inviting Fitbit Premium users to test it early, the company is building a feedback loop between real users and its AI system, allowing the technology to evolve in the wild. It’s a method that mirrors Google’s approach with other AI products: release early, learn fast, and improve iteratively.
The Bigger Picture: The AI Fitness Arms Race
Fitbit’s AI preview also comes at a time when rumors are swirling that Apple plans to integrate its own form of intelligent coaching into the Health app next year. The fitness industry as a whole seems to be racing toward a future where wearable devices don’t just measure activity – they interpret it. Imagine a day when your smartwatch knows you’ve been sleeping poorly for a week and automatically adjusts your workout plan, or reminds you to hydrate more because it detects higher fatigue levels.
Of course, this AI-driven convenience raises questions. Some users worry that turning fitness into a chat with an algorithm might make things less personal. Others, however, see this as a long-overdue innovation – a way to bring genuine guidance to people who can’t afford personal trainers or simply want a fast, data-based explanation for how their body feels.
The Early Verdict
Right now, the Fitbit AI coach is a fascinating, if incomplete, experiment. The preview lacks many of the bells and whistles users rely on daily, but that’s not really the point. This phase is about giving people access to the future – to let them play with it, critique it, and shape it. And with an easy toggle back to the standard app, there’s little reason not to give it a try.
As of October 28, Premium users with a Pixel Watch or Fitbit tracker can start exploring this new experience. It’s clear that this is just the beginning – but it’s an exciting beginning nonetheless. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer in AI’s role in fitness, one thing is certain: the line between human intuition and digital intelligence in health tracking just got a little blurrier – and a lot more interesting.
For those waiting for Apple’s move, the next year could be the most transformative yet for personal wellness technology. The age of talking to your fitness tracker – and getting meaningful answers – has officially begun.
1 comment
tried it today, the coach actually gave a decent workout plan ngl