Google Health 5.11 Boosts Workout Detection to 100 Types
The update improves accuracy by nearly two times and adds new health monitoring tools for Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch users.
By Elijah Fitzgerald ·
Google has released version 5.11 of its health application, expanding the number of automatically detected workout types from 10 to 100. The update is currently available on the Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch models 3, 4, and 5. The Fitbit Edge will receive the feature when it launches on October 27.
The new activity tracking system uses contextual reasoning to analyze user routines, historical data, and manual edits. Google states this approach makes detections nearly twice as accurate and reduces missed workouts by more than half. A session is logged automatically if it lasts at least 15 minutes and shows a sustained elevated heart rate. Summaries typically arrive in the app within 30 minutes of the workout ending.
Users can confirm or edit logged activities, which allows the system to refine future predictions. The expanded list of recognized activities includes strength training, swimming, racket sports, and team sports. This change represents a major shift from the previous limited set of ten recognized exercise types.
Subscribers to Google Health Premium who own a Fitbit Air or Fitbit Edge have access to two new Health Guardian features. Blood pressure trends and insulin resistance trends are available for setup now. The first reports for these metrics are scheduled to appear at the beginning of November.
Blood pressure trends are designed to help users monitor patterns before they strain the heart. This feature will appear in the Health Guardian section of the Health tab for users who wore a Fitbit Air for five or more consecutive days in October. Insulin resistance trends track monthly shifts in metabolic health. These reports will be available to users who wore their watch for seven or more days and nights during the month.
The app also renames the blood glucose section to simply Glucose and updates associated charts. Users with connected continuous glucose monitors can set custom time-in-range goals. To do this, they must open the Metabolic section of the Health tab, tap Glucose, enter Settings, and choose Set goal. In the United States, the Lingo by Abbott device can now connect directly to the app, displaying readings within 30 minutes.
Sleep tracking has been adjusted to factor in step data, which helps capture short awakenings like getting up for the bathroom. Users can also delete naps that do not match their daily routine directly from the nap card. Premium members can ask the Google Health Coach questions about their glucose trends. Version 5.11 is available on iOS and is currently rolling out to Android users.
