Tag Archives: Fitbit

Introducing our new Pixel portfolio of products

Today, we’re introducing a true portfolio of Pixel products for the first time: the new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, and the very first Google Pixel Watch. Every Pixel device is designed to deliver a level of personal intelligence that turns day to day problems into truly delightful experiences. All of this is brought to life thanks to our combination of foundational technologies, artificial intelligence, Android and Google Tensor.

This is what we have been building up to for a while: delivering a lineup of beautifully designed Pixel phones, watches and earbuds that work together to understand your needs and deliver the helpfulness you expect from Google. We believe Pixel isn't only a phone experience, it's a personal, intelligent, cohesive computing experience.

White Pixel phones, Pixel Buds and a Google Pixel Watch on top of natural white backgrounds

The latest products from Google

As the Pixel portfolio expands the phone is at the center of it all. The new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro take all the helpfulness and personal intelligence people love about Pixel, and make them even better. The design is the ultimate refinement of Pixel, simplifying the parts and construction to make phones that are sophisticated and distinct.

Underneath, they’re powered by the second-generation Google Tensor G2, the only processor that makes it possible to bring Google’s artificial intelligence and machine learning directly to the phone. The new Pixel phones are great for photography, with features that can sharpen your photos and shoot cinema-quality videos. Pixel Call Assist is a new suite of features that helps with everything from making calls to avoiding them. They also provide fast, accurate voice assistance with Live Translate and Assistant voice typing.

Pixel 7 is engineered to understand you and your world, putting Google’s personalized intelligence right in your hand. And Pixel 7 Pro is Google’s most powerful phone. It brings serious performance, and an upgraded telephoto lens, for people who want an even better zoom experience.

Our new Google Pixel Watch, is the first smartwatch to provide the best of Google and Fitbit, and it’s the perfect companion to our Pixel phones. Pixel Watch features a beautiful, custom-developed 3-D coverglass that’s durable and scratch resistant, with three distinct jewelry inspired stainless steel finishes in black, silver and gold. Watches are so personal, so we offer many watch bands — active, stretch and woven, metal and leather — along with customizable watch faces and an easily personalizable user interface. Google Pixel Watch helps simplify your life by integrating with your favorite Google apps, to listen to music, manage your smart home, get directions, make payments and more. Google Pixel Watch is the first WearOS device that combines Google's helpfulness with best health and fitness insights from Fitbit.

Earlier this year at I/O, we previewed plans to build an Android tablet powered by our custom Tensor G2 processor. And today, we shared more about our vision for making the PixelTablet the most helpful tablet whether you’re at home or on the go.[d0af56]We’re taking years of everything we’ve learned from making products for the home and Pixel and combining that experience into one device. Pixel Tablet pairs with a charging Speaker Dock to keep your device fully charged. It offers a terrific audio experience, while bringing some of the best features from a smart display to your tablet. Pixel Tablet is designed to seamlessly transition from an at home display to an entertainment device you can take anywhere - making it one of the most versatile tablets that easily adapts to you. We’ll share more details when it launches next year.

From their design to the high-tech features, these latest products embody the best of Google. You can learn more about them and pre-order the new Pixel phones and the new Google Pixel Watch in the Google Store, or from our partners around the world. In fact, we're expanding the availability of Pixel phones to more places, including Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden for the first time. Google now has a comprehensive portfolio of devices and services, for your home and for on the go, and we hope you’ll love this latest generation of products.

8 things to try now on Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4

Just a few weeks ago, we announced our latest generation of smartwatches, Sense 2 and Versa 4. These additions to our smartwatch lineup bring your wellness up a notch – and they’re available starting today.

If you’re setting your sights on fitness, Versa 4 offers features to help you stay accountable, monitor progress and reach your goals. But if you’re thinking more broadly about tracking your health and wellness, Sense 2 might be the device for you.

Here are the top features for each. Choose your own adventure:

A man and woman exercise with Versa 4 on their wrists.

Sense 2 and Versa 4 offer a variety of features to reach your physical and mental health goals.

1. Level up your workouts.

Sense 2 and Versa 4 include more than 40 exercise modes available on-wrist – that’s more than double we’ve ever had. With daily workout guidance, real-time stats, personalized Active Zone Minutes and even the ability to leave your phone at home and still track pace & distance with built-in GPS, you’ve got all you need to reach your fitness goals on the court…or pool…or track…or gym – you get the picture.

2. Make sense of your stress.

For all-day stress management, Sense 2 offers a first-of-its-kind continuous Body Response sensor[28b684]in a consumer smartwatch. Combining various metrics right on your wrist, Body Response identifies when your body is showing signs of potential stress. The feature then notifies you, so you can be aware of your triggers and learn to manage them in the moment.

3. Check if you need a rest day.

Understand what’s best for your body on any given day and enhance your workout routine with a Daily Readiness Score in Fitbit Premium. When you wake up, check out your score in the Fitbit app to see if you’re ready to push it to the next level or should take a rest day based on your activity, sleep and heart rate variability.

4. Keep a pulse on your heart health.

Did you know Atrial fibrillation (AFib) affects more than 33.5 million people globally? Your smartwatch can help identify the signs of AFib through an on-wrist assessment with the electrocardiogram (ECG) app on Sense 2 as well as the Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications on both watches.[3a81bf]Both of these tools have FDA and EU clearance and can help inform conversations with your healthcare provider.

A man sleeps with Sense 2 on his wrist, tracking his sleep patterns for advanced insights.

With Sleep Profile, Premium members receive a Sleep Animal and insights into their sleep habits.

5. Learn about your ZZZs.

A good night’s sleep is a key part of your overall wellness, and our newest Premium feature, Sleep Profile, provides insights on your sleep trends over the course of each month. Wear Sense 2 or Versa 4 for at least 14 nights each month, and you’ll get a Sleep Animal with a deep analysis of your sleep style, along with personalized guidance to help improve your sleep quality.

A woman adjusts her sneakers while sporting the new Brother Vellies woven leather accessory band.

Elevate your look with the brand new collection of designer bands from Brother Vellies.

6. Amp up your style.

Switching up your day-to-day look has never been so easy and stylish. Choose from new colors of infinity, sport, woven, hook & loop, premium Horween leather or vegan leather bands—or try the new collection of braided Brother Vellies designer bands.

7. Customize your experience.

With an all-new operating system, Versa 4 and Sense 2 makes accessing the content you want easier, simpler and faster than ever before. Customizable tiles allow you to check the latest information – from your fitness stats or the weather – start an exercise and so much more with just one swipe.

8. Keep going…and going…and going…

Designed to keep up with your life, Sense 2 and Versa 4 are powered by a long battery life of more than six days. That’s almost a whole week without a charge! Leave it on all day and night, and when it’s time to recharge, fast charging gets you a full day’s worth of battery in just 12 minutes.

A woman walks to the office, carrying her work materials and wearing her Sense 2.

No matter what your week looks like, you can count on Sense 2 and Versa 4 for more than six days of battery life.

Versa 4 is now available for $229.95, and Sense 2 is now available for $299.95 (USD) at Fitbit.com, Google Store and select global retailers.

Our work toward health equity

As a physician and an academic, I’ve worked with communities that have historically experienced health inequalities due to factors like where they live, what their income is and how they identify. And I’ve seen firsthand how technology can connect individuals to critical information and tools that help them manage their health and help health care providers expand access to care for them.

Today, I lead a team at Google focused on making sure our research, products and technologies can help billions of people live healthier lives — especially the communities that have historically been underserved by healthcare.

This week, we’re hosting our annual Google Health Equity Summit. This event brings together researchers, policymakers, health equity experts and more from both inside and outside of Google to discuss pressing health equity issues. We’ll also share updates on how we’re helping billions of people be healthier. Here are a few highlights:

Connecting people to care that’s right for them

Information is a determinant of health, and bridging information gaps can help foster more equitable care. People from all over the world use Google products and services to find information about their health needs and questions. We work to make sure everyone can access authoritative information that is relevant and actionable based on those needs.

Search features help people easily access care that’s right for them — from showing appointment availability to finding in-network care options. We’ve updated our search experience to make it easier to navigate U.S. government benefits programs, like Medicaid which covers one in four people including about half of all children in the U.S.

A screenshot showing the new Search feature. The information for 'BadgerCare Plus' in Wisconsin is pulled up, and includes a list of 'Local and national resources' that lists links to that include information on eligibility and how to apply for Medicaid in Wisconsin, along with a link to download the application form. It also includes 'Support phone numbers' such as the general help line for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

In the coming weeks, when you search for Medicare and Medicaid plans, you’ll see additional information about eligibility requirements and the enrollment process. For those enrolled in Medicaid, you’ll also be able to filter nearby healthcare providers that accept Medicaid, alongside an existing filter for Medicare — making it easier to find doctors who accept your plan.

Screenshot of the search results for the query 'doctors near me', with the new feature that allows you to filter for doctors that accept Medicare and Medicaid. In the upper left corner of the Map, you can select a bubble that says 'Medicare/Medicaid' to filter the results.

People also turn to YouTube looking for answers to their health questions and to find online communities where they can connect about shared health issues and needs. To boost the quality of information and access to authoritative health content, we’ve launched product features and established partnerships over the past few years.

Today, YouTube is rolling out THE-IQ – Tackling Health Equity through Information Quality, a program in partnership with Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) that brings together organizations supporting underrepresented and under-resourced communities. YouTube and KFF will provide resources, such as seed funding and video production expertise, toThe Loveland Foundation, the National Birth Equity Collaborative and the Health Equity Leadership & Exchange Network at the Satcher Health Leadership Institute to help them reach more people on YouTube around important topics like mental health, maternal care and health access.

Extending resources and technologies to support community work

In addition to building health equity within our products, we have an equally important role to support work happening in the broader health community.

Last year, we debuted the Fitbit Health Equity Research Initiative to offer Fitbit and Fitabase resources and technologies to researchers studying the impact of health disparities and possible solutions. Awardees included those working on Black maternal, fetal and postpartum health, transgender youth sleep health, diabetes and cardiovascular health within Latino communities, and adolescent health and wellbeing.

This year, we’re expanding the program to further support groups disproportionately impacted by health disparities. Researchers at academic institutions and nonprofit research organizations in the U.S. are invited to submit their health equity research proposals to the Google Health Equity Research Initiative (HERI) for the chance to win Fitbit devices and Premium, Google Cloud credits or funding. With support from Fitabase, these researchers may also be eligible to win access to remote data collection and analysis tools. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply to this year’s HERI.

There are no shortcuts to achieving health equity. Google is committed for the long term to building and maintaining trust with communities who can benefit from our products.

To hear more about our work, tune in to the Google Health Equity Summit live stream at 10 a.m. PST on Monday September 12 or watch the recap on our event site.

Kick-start your fitness routine with Fitbit Inspire 3

Health and fitness is personal – your goals, commitment and approaches change over time. For some, carving out time for yourself (let alone your fitness) can be a struggle, especially as routines change. Today, we’re introducing Fitbit Inspire 3, a tracker that can help you live healthier, find your energy, do what you love and feel your best.

Inspire 3 is the next generation of our entry-level health and fitness tracker, helping you work on your best self without breaking the bank. It’s an easy way to track key metrics 24/7 like activity, heart rate, sleep, stress and more. Plus, it comes in a thin, lightweight design with a vibrant color touchscreen and long battery life that can last up to 10 days (based on usage).

Fitbit Inspire 3 in morning glow with an on-device animated demonstration, showcasing how you can view your daily stats, like steps, distance and heart rate, as well as the on-wrist apps, all on a glowing orange background.

Fitbit Inspire 3 gives you 24/7 tracking of your activity (steps, calories burned, distance, hourly activity), exercise (active zone minutes and weekly goal progress), heart rate, heart health, and sleep quality (blood oxygen (SpO2), duration, score). You can also start an exercise, set timers, a stopwatch or alarms to wake you during the optimal sleep stage, and even turn off notifications and disable the screen display for a disturbance-free night – all from your wrist.

Motivating you to move

Living an active lifestyle doesn’t mean you need to be a health enthusiast. Whether you’re walking to work, trying the latest viral dance craze or just grabbing lunch with friends, Inspire 3 can capture all your movement, automatically tracking Active Zone Minutes, calories burned, distance, heart rate and steps. It’ll also gently remind you to move throughout the day, which can help your overall metabolism. Then, when doing a workout, you can watch your heart rate to see when you’re in fat burn, cardio or peak zones so you know how hard you’re working.

Sleep better and stress less

Being active is only part of your health — getting sleep and managing your mental health have a direct impact on your overall wellbeing, too. With Inspire 3, we make it easy to track all your stats in one place so you can see how your activity and sleep impact your stress level, and vice versa. Wearing your device to sleep, you’ll get insights into your sleep quality with Sleep Stages and Sleep Score, and can then try things like setting a bedtime reminder, a SmartWake alarm or guided breathing on your wrist to help improve your sleep over time.

To help you relax before bed, try mindfulness exercises in the Fitbit app to help you relax before bed, start a meditation practice, and track if your body is showing physical signs of stress with Stress Management Score. Then, see how your activity, sleep and stress impacts your body in the Health Metrics Dashboard. Here you can keep an eye on how your breathing rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, oxygen saturation (SpO2) and resting heart rate respond to different situations, like alcohol, altitude, caffeine or a cold, so you can take actions to feel your best.

Be inspired by your progress and potential

Inspire 3 gives you insights into your body and provides guidance to reach your wellness goals with access to introductory fitness and wellness sessions, guidance and challenges in the Fitbit app. You can boost your progress by using the app to log your blood glucose, hydration, menstrual cycle and nutrition information for a 360-degree view of your health, and stay motivated by connecting with and challenging friends and family.

With Fitbit Premium, you’ll get access to tools like Daily Readiness Score to gauge your body’s readiness for exercise, Sleep Score breakdown and Sleep Profile to better understand and improve sleep quality, and Stress Management Score details to track your body’s physical signs of stress. You can also access more than 1,000 workouts and mindfulness sessions, a complete wellness report, and more – all in one place with the Fitbit app.

Different accessory styles compatible with Inspire 3 laid out on colorful background, in order from top-to-bottom: midnight zen classic band, morning glow classic band, stainless steel metal mesh, translucent red, classic lilac bliss and black clip.

Inspire 3 has a thin, lightweight design and comes in a colorful assortment of classic, translucent, stainless steel mesh bands and our popular clip to match the vibe you’re feeling on any given day.

Designed for longevity, comfort and convenience

The lightweight pebble of Inspire 3 is thin, water resistant up to 50 meters, fits naturally on your wrist and has Fitbit’s longest battery life for comfortable 24/7 wear. It also comes in a range of fun colors to brighten your mood and fit your style. Plus, you can easily change up your look with accessories like translucent and stainless steel mesh bands and a clip, sold separately.

Adding even more color to your day, the bright display lets you quickly see your stats, pick a colorful clock face to fit your style and use the new always-on display function (3+ days with default settings). Whether you’re going for a run or headed to class, you can also stay connected to what matters to you with customizable on-wrist notifications from your phone.

Inspire 3 is available for $99.95 (USD), including a six-month Premium membership for new and returning customers. Beginning today, pre-order Inspire 3 online at Fitbit.com and select global retailers, with worldwide availability in September.

Fitbit’s fall lineup: helping you live your healthiest life

Fitbit has always been focused on helping make everyone in the world healthier. Millions of people around the globe use Fitbit every day — from checking how well they slept to doing a workout or mindfulness session in our app. Today, I’m excited to share the next generation of Fitbit wearables that combine Fitbit’s health and wellness tools with the smarts of Google — Inspire 3, Versa 4 and Sense 2. These devices are even thinner and more comfortable, so you can wear them all day and night, and you don’t have to charge them every day.

Whether you're focused on improving your mental health, gearing up to run a marathon, or starting a new health and wellness routine, you have a range of easy-to-use devices to choose from. By giving you information about your body that otherwise wouldn’t be top of mind — like your resting heart rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), sleep trends and body’s responses to stressors — you can better understand how to manage your holistic health. Here’s a look at how each device can fit your needs:

  • Inspire 3 is a fun, easy-to-use tracker that helps you stay on top of your health with 10 days of battery life. It’s a great entry-level device with a rich color display that can track important metrics at our most accessible price point.
  • Versa 4 is a fitness-focused smartwatch that offers over 40 exercise modes, real-time stats, built-in GPS and Active Zone Minutes, plus Premium features like Daily Readiness Score to help you reach your activity goals – all with 6 days of battery life in a thinner and lighter design.
  • Sense 2 is our most advanced health-focused smartwatch with more than six days of battery life that helps you manage stress and track your heart health with sensors that can detect signs of atrial fibrillation through our ECG app and PPG algorithm (both FDA cleared and CE marked), heart rate variability, skin temperature and more. It also includes our new Body Response sensor, which measures cEDA for all-day stress management.

Getting the most out of your Fitbit experience

Our newest offerings are just the start of how we can help you uncover information to improve your overall health and wellness. With the Fitbit app, you can stay motivated and on track with weekly and longitudinal stats about your activity, heart health, sleep and stress. Plus you can log your hydration, menstrual health, mood, nutrition and glucose levels all in one place. Seeing all of your metrics together can help you better understand how the actions you take each day can impact your well-being and make better decisions for your daily life.

You’ll also access important health features, including Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications, which uses our photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to assess your heart rhythm for signs of atrial fibrillation or AFib, for users 22 years or older with no known history of irregular heart rhythm. This feature has both FDA clearance and CE marking, and it’s compatible with a range of our heart-rate enabled devices.

Fitbit Premium, which is included with all new device purchases for six months, takes your experience even further with additions like Daily Readiness Score and Sleep Profile to dive deeper into your stats and progress, and over 1,000 workout and mindfulness sessions to keep your mind and body active.

Four screenshots of the Fitbit app left to right. The first is the main Today screen in the free app, showing a user’s daily stats in real-time, including a step count of 2,589, 1.3 miles traveled, 6 floors climbed, 15 Active Zone Minutes earned and 400 calories burned. The screen shows the user received a Sleep Score of 80. The second shows the Mindfulness tile in the free app experience, showing a user’s recent mindfulness activities. The third and fourth app screens showcase Fitbit Premium, including a summary of different features members get with the service, and a showcase of the Daily Readiness Score screen. The Daily Readiness screen shows a person’s readiness for exercise based on their data from the previous day.

The Fitbit app and Fitbit Premium give you essential insights, tools and motivation to help you reach your goals. The free Fitbit app brings together the stats on your wrist with tools for sleep tracking, stress management and more, to give a more complete picture of how it all fits together. With Fitbit Premium, you can take your Fitbit experience even further with features like Daily Readiness Score and Sleep Profile, more personalized insights, advanced analytics, and more than 1,000 workout and mindfulness sessions.

Experience Fitbit for yourself

Whether you’re just starting out or love to dig into health stats, we have a device to fit your needs. Don’t know which device is best for you? Take our quiz to find out. We’re confident you’ll find something that makes it easier than ever for you to put your health and wellness first and empower you to be your best self along the way.

Side-by-side photograph of Sense 2 in lunar white, Versa 4 in waterfall blue, Charge 5 in black, Luxe in lunar white, Inspire 3 in morning glow and Ace 3 in cosmic blue (from left-to-right).

Manage your health and fitness with Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2

Our latest smartwatches, Versa 4 and Sense 2, put health and fitness front and center. Powered by the new Fitbit OS, these devices are easy to use and designed so you can see what matters most to you, faster.

Thinner and lighter, they have been redesigned to feel more at home on your body, 24/7. The button, which was last featured on Versa 2, is back – with a new location that’s easier to access during your workout.

Close up view of Sense 2 device screen and back of device screen in shadow grey, showing the device screens side-by-side with a colorful, analog clock face.

Meet our most advanced health-focused smartwatch, Sense 2, powered by an on-wrist continuous EDA sensor for all-day stress management.

Packed with features

Stay on top of the metrics that matter most to you, from 24/7 heart rate monitoring and activity tracking to real-time stats, walk/run detection on your wrist, sleep tracking and stress tracking. Equipped with more than six days of battery life and fast charging (12 minutes of charging = 1 day worth of battery life!), these smartwatches are sure to keep up.

Wear your device to bed to benefit from advanced sleep tracking tools, including our new Premium feature, Sleep Profile. It uses 10 sleep metrics to show you what type of sleeper you are, spot key patterns and help you improve your sleep quality. You can also see how well your body is handling stress with your Stress Management Score so you know when to take a moment for guided breathing, meditation or a reflection.

Versa 4 and Sense 2 are compatible with both iOS and Android and packed with smart features including extended app and text notifications, glanceable alerts, smart replies (Android only) and more. Plus, coming soon, you’ll be able to access Google Maps and Google Wallet right on your wrist.

Close up of Versa 4 device in copper rose aluminum with rosewater band, showcasing some of the features on the device.

Meet our newest iteration of Versa that helps you put fitness first, Versa 4 is equipped with all-day heart rate and activity tracking, smart detect for your run/walks, and more.

Next-level workouts with Versa 4

Versa 4 has a focus on fitness. Choose from more than 40 exercise modes (more than double we’ve ever had!) all available on-wrist, including new options like HIIT, weight lifting, CrossFit and dance. Head outside with built-in GPS, or find something new with more than 1,000 workouts and mindfulness sessions in Fitbit Premium. Whatever you decide, Active Zone Minutes and in-the-moment heart rate zone alerts, help you track how your effort is adding up.

With Premium, you have access to Daily Readiness Score to help you know when to push hard or take a rest day. Each score is coupled with recommended actions, from an Active Zone Minutes goal and tips for recovery and associated content.

Stress less with Sense 2

Sense 2 takes Fitbit’s stress tracking tools even further, with a new Body Response sensor to track continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) for all-day stress management right from your wrist. Along with cEDA, it uses metrics like heart rate, heart rate variability and skin temperature to help you better understand when your body experiences potential signs of stress. That way, you can be aware of your potential triggers and create a stress management practice to build your resilience over time. Following a Body Response notification, Sense 2 recommends different ways to manage stress in the moment including mood logging, guided breathing, mindfulness sessions, on-wrist or in the Fitbit app.

In addition to the Body Response sensor, the smartwatch is equipped with Fitbit’s other sensors to deliver a holistic view of your overall health. We’ve used a technique that turns metal into vapor, allowing us to integrate the metal electrodes of these sensors directly into the display glass of the device. This creates an even more simplified, streamlined look without sacrificing our technology.

A Sense 2 device image with options to complete an EDA scan, guided breathing season, or take a short walk to help mitigate stress.

Sense 2 can help you get your stress under control with continuous EDA tracking for all-day stress management, and prompts to reflect on what might be triggering your stress.

All-new accessories for smart style

We’re introducing a second collection of bands from Brother Vellies. Designed by Brother Vellies Founder Aurora James for Fitbit, these woven leather bands are now available in black and oak for $54.95, only on Fitbit.com.

Additional accessories to style your Fitbit smartwatches include three new infinity bands in blue mist, pink sand and waterfall blue ($29.95), sport bands in glow up/frost white and sea blue/ocean ($34.95), vegan leather bands in flax and indigo ($49.95) and Horween® leather band in garnet color ($49.95). All new accessories work with the newest smartwatches, and Fitbit Sense and Versa 3.

Versa 4 is available for $229.95 and Sense 2 is available for $299.95 (USD), and both include a six-month Premium membership (for new or returning customers). Beginning today, pre-order Versa 4 and Sense 2 online at Fitbit.com and select global retailers, with worldwide availability this fall.

Improve your ZZZs with Fitbit Premium Sleep Profile

A good night’s sleep can help you feel rested and recharged, while also playing a critical role in your overall health and well-being. Since the introduction of Fitbit’s sleep features in 2009, sleep tracking has been incredibly popular – making information previously only available through a sleep lab accessible to users via their wrist. To date, we’ve analyzed 22 billion hours of sleep data, equivalent to the lifespan of over 5,000 tortoises. (Fun facts: a tortoise lives for up to 500 years and there are 60,000 giant tortoises in the world.)

We know our users are motivated to gather even more insight into their sleep, which is why today we’re introducing Sleep Profile. This new Fitbit Premium feature offers a new longitudinal analysis of your sleep patterns. It also makes your sleep data even easier to interpret with fun animal characters, so you can take steps to improve your sleep quality and, in turn, your overall health.

Monthly sleep metrics graphic showcasing each of your month-long metrics like sleep schedule variability, sleep start time, time before sound sleep, sleep duration and deep sleep, with how you compare with others like you.

Fitbit Sleep Profile users will receive a monthly sleep analysis where they can see ideal ranges for someone of a similar age and gender, and where they fall within each – so they see where they could focus on improving.

What sleeper type are you?

These critical data points gathered from your sleep analysis inform your designated Sleep Animal, providing a fun way to understand your sleeping style. Our extensive research and testing found six animal archetypes, each chosen for their distinct trends that correlate each animal's behavior with common user sleeping behaviors and patterns.

The following graphics highlight top traits and habits of each sleeper type, and how yours can impact your day-to-day:

How does it work?

Wear your Fitbit device to sleep for at least 14 nights per calendar month to receive an assessment. The more you wear the device to sleep, the more precise the evaluation. Sleep can vary significantly from night to night, so it’s helpful to analyze your sleep data over a longer period from your own sleep environment to uncover more insights into your habits and how you can improve.

As a Premium member you will see your Sleep Profile, including your sleep animal and monthly sleep analysis, on the first day of every month. Animals can change from month to month, and data collected throughout the month will inform the next animal you receive the following month. There is no “ideal” animal – each one can be used to better understand your sleep patterns and how you can improve your sleep quality.

Based on your sleeper type’s behavior, you will see where your sleep patterns compare to others like you – whether it’s setting a more consistent sleep schedule or creating a bedtime routine like trying the mindfulness content found within the Fitbit app to help you fall asleep faster. Getting quality sleep can play a critical role in your overall health and well-being, with poor sleep being correlated to increased potential health risks including diabetes, cardiovascular problems, obesity, poor cognitive functioning and more. Premium uplevels your Fitbit experience by helping you better understand your sleep patterns, your readiness to exercise and how your body responds to stressors, all with additional guidance and insights to help you achieve your health, fitness and wellness goals.

Sleep Profile is rolling out in the Fitbit app to Premium users with Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge 5, Luxe or Inspire 2 devices upon launch. Users will receive their first profile during the week of July 4, followed by monthly profiles delivered in the Fitbit app on the 1st of each month. (Note: Sleep Profiles aren't intended for medical purposes and users should consult their health professionals for questions about their health.)

How Dublin City University is prioritizing wellbeing

Mental and physical health and wellbeing have come into ever sharper focus since the beginning of the pandemic.

In January 2021, a Dublin City University Students’ Union survey of almost 2,000 students found that more than 80% felt alone more often than not in the past two years, and that over half found their college workload unmanageable.

This follows on from research published by the Union of Students in Ireland. Their National Report on Student Mental Health in Third Level Education found that one third of students have clinically relevant levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Last year, students at Dublin City University were given a Fitbit Versa 3 smartwatch to see how even small changes they made to their exercise, sleep and nutrition impacted their overall wellness. The participants in the course, called FLOURISH, reported improved aspects of their sleep (70.5%), healthier food habits (70.5%) and better understanding of their personal health and fitness data (93%).

The 5-credit module was focused on student wellbeing and it was led by Professor Alan Smeaton. In the report findings, you can see how the course delivered practical tips to 169 students for everyday wellness. It also helped students’ digital literacy, specifically the awareness of personal health and fitness data, and its potential for developing healthier habits.

Dublin based computing student Conn Byrne told us about his experience taking part in the course:

Why did you choose to do the FLOURISH course?

I wanted to learn more about how technology can help me better understand my health and fitness.

How did the FLOURISH course help improve your overall wellness?

I learned how small changes can affect my daily mood. Being on Fitbit kept me conscious of my healthy habits on a daily basis, not just when studying the course. I have now set a step goal, which I aim to reach daily. This has helped me to keep active, move regularly and push that little bit harder to get out there and stay fit.

Did you find using sleep data benefited your sleep routine overall?

I learned that sleep is one of the most important things for our bodies, and how it helps us to recover from almost everything that impacts us. Learning how easy it is to track and understand my sleep quality and the ways I can help improve my sleep was hugely eye-opening.

Have you changed any of your habits since doing the module?

I was able to track my physical activity, which is something I’ve always been interested in, and to see how to change certain lifestyle habits like taking more steps helped my mental goals as well. Being more intentional with my physical health will certainly help me going forward.

Mental health resources you can count on

When you or someone you care for is going through a mental health situation, it can feel isolating, overwhelming and distressing. To get through those moments, access to the right resources can make all the difference.

Anxiety and depression increased by 25% across the globe during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and hospitals and doctor groups recently called mental health a national emergency for adolescents. With these issues on the rise, searches for "mental health therapist" and "mental health help" reached record highs this year in the U.S.

Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, geopolitical crises and economic concerns also hit home for many Americans. To help support mental health challenges stemming from these issues, our goal is to surface authoritative information you can trust, create access to helpful resources you need in the moment and show empathy for everyone facing mental health issues. So in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S., here are tools built to support you when you need it most.

Resources for those in crisis

We know that many people turn to Search to get actionable information during a personal crisis, whether it’s related to suicide, sexual assault, substance abuse or domestic violence. In the coming weeks, we’ll update Search to use our AI model MUM to automatically and more accurately detect personal crisis searches in order to show you the most relevant information when you need it.

We’ve also made it easier to access clinically-validated mental health self-assessments from Search for conditions such as depression, anxiety, postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These self-assessments, frequently used by medical professionals, are meant to help people understand how their self-reported symptoms might map to known mental health conditions.

On YouTube, updates to our crisis response panels better connect you with timely and important resources. For years, YouTube has shown crisis resource panels on certain search queries to connect people with local organizations that can help them through a moment of critical need. Now, crisis resource panels appear on the Watch Page and in search results. The number of topics that display crisis resources in YouTube search results has also expanded to include issues like depression, sexual assault and substance abuse.

A phone screen shows a YouTube video with a panel underneath that has contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

In the past month, searches for "local drug rehab centers near me" reached an all-time high in the U.S. As part of our ongoing commitment to help people find useful and accurate information related to addiction and recovery and to support the newly instituted Fentanyl Awareness Day, our Recover Together resource has a new section. Here you can find more information about the prevalence of fentanyl in illegally-made pills and the importance of naloxone, a legal drug that can reverse overdose from opioids like fentanyl, heroin, morphine and oxycodone.

A desktop screen shows a map that can be used to search for recovery resources.

Building empathy and reducing stigma

Sharing stories about mental health can normalize the issue and reduce stigmas that deter people from getting help. Working with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, YouTube created a guide for creators with tips on how to speak from personal experience, work with experts and use inclusive language.

To listen to supportive community stories and helpful information on mental health, you can watch videos in this playlist on YouTube. For younger audiences, the YouTube Kids app features mental health content on expressing emotions and building coping skills through music, art and more. For more on what YouTube is doing when it comes to mental health, check out this blog.

Personal moments of managing stress

In moments when you need a hand managing your stress levels, Fitbit can help. SelectFitbit devices include a Relax app for deep breathing or an EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor so you can better understand how your body responds to stress — which is especially important as we all cope with the stress of the pandemic. From there, you can take steps to adjust your activity levels, improve your sleep or practice mindfulness to help manage the impact on your wellbeing.

A Fitbit device screen shows the Relax app.

Over the past year in the U.S., searches for “5 minute meditation for anxiety” more than doubled. Using Google Assistant, you can find and play meditations from Calm on your Google Nest display to help relax during the day or fall asleep at night. Just say, "Hey Google, show me meditations from Calm" or "Hey Google, start a meditation."

A Nest Hub screen shows the Calm app experience.

Contributing to community wellbeing

Beyond providing resources to people using our products, we’re also helping organizations and researchers that contribute to mental health.

Since 2019, we've provided $2.7 million and nearly 30 Google.org Fellows to help The Trevor Project use AI to support LGBTQ+ youth in crisis. Most recently, Trevor and a team of Fellows built the AI-powered Crisis Contact Simulator (CCS) that lets volunteer trainees practice realistic conversations with digital youth personas. The Trevor Project recently introduced a new persona to expand their counselor training.

Ask for help when you need it

It is always okay to ask for help — whether that’s going to Google or YouTube with questions you’re not comfortable asking anyone else or opening up to your friends and family or connecting with experts who can help you through the difficult moments. We need to support each other however we can.

New Fitbit feature makes AFib detection more accessible

Today, Fitbit received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for our new PPG (photoplethysmography) algorithm to identify atrial fibrillation (AFib). The algorithm will power our new Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature on Fitbit.[71d620]

You’ve got rhythm, but is it irregular?

AFib is a form of irregular heart rhythm that affects nearly 33.5 million people globally, and individuals with AFib have five times higher risk of stroke. Unfortunately, AFib can be difficult to detect as there are often no symptoms and episodes can come and go.

Our new PPG AFib algorithm can passively assess your heart rhythm in the background while you’re still or asleep. If there’s anything that might be suggestive of AFib, you’ll be notified through our Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature — allowing you to talk with your healthcare provider or seek further assessment to help prevent a significant medical event, such as stroke.

So how does PPG AFib detection work?

When your heart beats, tiny blood vessels throughout your body expand and contract based on changes in blood volume. Fitbit’s PPG optical heart-rate sensor can detect these volume changes right from your wrist. These measurements determine your heart rhythm, which the detection algorithm then analyzes for irregularities and potential signs of atrial fibrillation.

The clinical validation for Fitbit’s PPG algorithm is supported by data from the landmark Fitbit Heart Study, which launched in 2020 and enrolled 455,699 participants over five months. The study was conducted entirely virtually during the pandemic, making it one of the largest remote studies of PPG-based software to date. Data presented at the 2021 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions found that the Fitbit PPG detections correctly identified AFib episodes 98% of the time, as confirmed by ECG patch monitors.

Because AFib can be so sporadic, the optimal way to screen for it is through heart rate tracking technology when the body is still or at rest — making overnight detection when people are asleep especially important. The unique capabilities of Fitbit devices — especially its 24/7 heart rate tracking and long battery life — give it the potential to accelerate identification through long-term heart rhythm assessment.

All the ways to monitor heart health with Fitbit

With today’s FDA clearance of our PPG-based algorithm, Fitbit now provides two ways to detect AFib. Fitbit’s ECG app, which takes a spot-check approach, allows you to proactively screen yourself for possible AFib and record an ECG trace that you can then review with a healthcare provider. Additionally, the new PPG-based algorithm allows for long-term heart rhythm assessment that helps identify asymptomatic AFib that could otherwise go undetected.

The Fitbit PPG-based algorithm and Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications feature will soon be available to consumers in the U.S. across a range of heart-rate enabled devices. We want to make AFib detection as accessible as possible to help reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening events — like stroke — and ultimately improve overall heart health for everyone. We’ll continue to work with the BMS-Pfizer Alliance to develop educational content for patients and healthcare providers that will help identify and support people in the U.S. with irregular heart rhythms consistent with atrial fibrillation.

Visit our site to learn more about our PPG technology.