Google to launch $9.99 monthly AI-powered health coach on May 19

Alongside unveiling the new Fitbit Air fitness tracker, Google on Thursday also announced that it is rebranding the Fitbit app as Google Health and launching a new AI-powered health coach subscription service.

The Google Health app will become a central part of the company’s fitness and wellness strategy following Google’s 2021 acquisition of Fitbit, which expanded the company’s presence in fitness wearables beyond its broader Android smartwatch ecosystem.

Powered by Google’s Gemini AI, the new Google Health Coach is designed to provide personalised health insights and guidance, acting as a fitness trainer, sleep coach, and overall wellness advisor. Google said the service has been in public preview since last year and has continued to improve based on user feedback.

The company said the Google Health app will launch globally on May 19 as part of the Google Health Premium subscription service, formerly known as Fitbit Premium. The rollout date matches the launch of the new Fitbit Air wearable.

Google Health Premium will cost $9.99 per month or $99 annually, with the AI-powered health coach included in the subscription. Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscribers will also receive access to Google Health Premium at no additional cost.

Google explained that the AI coach is customised for each user through an onboarding process in which users share information such as their fitness goals, daily schedule, available workout equipment, injuries, and lifestyle preferences. Using this information, the health coach generates personalised recommendations and insights.

Users can also interact with the coach using natural language to update goals or personal information whenever needed. In addition, the system allows users to log workouts, meals, and health records by dictating information or uploading photos and files.

The AI coach will appear in the Today tab of the Google Health app. Google said the insights provided will go beyond simple summaries by combining multiple data sources, including fitness activity, sleep tracking, nutrition, environmental data, cycle tracking, and U.S. medical records if users choose to provide access.

The company also noted that features related to cycle tracking, nutrition, and mental well-being have been redesigned specifically for the AI-powered coaching experience.

Google is also integrating the health coach across other parts of the Google Health app. This includes workout suggestions in the Fitness tab, sleep analysis in the Sleep tab, and broader health metric summaries in the Health tab.

Initially, the AI health coach will be available to select Fitbit and Pixel Watch users first, though Google said support for additional devices is coming later. Anyone can still download the Google Health app to begin using it. Still, users without compatible Fitbit or Pixel Watch devices will receive access to the AI coach at a later date that Google has not yet specified.