Google's AI-fication of the Fitbit app is charging full speed ahead and will soon be reaching more people and more countries. After debuting as an Android-exclusive preview for US Premium subscribers, Google has announced that the public preview of its redesigned Fitbit app and health coach/concierge is opening to iPhone users starting Feb. 10.

The Gemini AI-powered "Coach" will also roll out in English to Fitbit Premium subscribers in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore on both iOS and Android.

Google debuted the redesigned Fitbit app and built-in Coach as an optional public preview in late October for eligible Fitbit Premium subscribers on Android and has since been collecting feedback from early adopters to refine the experience. This expansion brings the new app to more people, generating additional feedback opportunities and moving closer to a final version release.

As the race to build smarter, more personalized health platforms intensifies, Google is leaning on its full ecosystem of hardware, software and AI assistant to set Fitbit apart. With the wrist as the centerpoint of the data (via Pixel Watch and Fitbit trackers), Google is aiming to evolve its platform from a passive fitness tracker into a proactive, AI-driven wellness companion.

What to expect

The redesigned app experience has a cleaner UI that's more intuitive to navigate than the previous version. It's built around four main tabs: Today, Fitness, Sleep and Health.

The Today tab, which is what you'll consult most frequently, highlights glanceable stats with a stronger focus on weekly trends. Google says these are a truer reflection of progress compared to the usual day-to-day insights that other trackers emphasize. The other tabs let you dig deeper into detailed metrics across categories like sleep stages and vitals. And this time, the burden of interpreting the data won't just fall solely on the user. 

Woven throughout the app is a new Coach feature, that you can access through an "Ask Coach" prompt. Coach draws on real-time and historical data to help make sense of your metrics and even turn them into a personal action plan. Google describes it as an "always-on" coach that can respond to questions or proactively adjust your plan based on recent activity, readiness, or even life events like travel or missed workouts.

For example, you might ask, "I have 30 minutes for a workout… What do you recommend?" or "How can I improve my VO2 max?" Or even draw links to your own stats with prompts like, "Do I sleep better on days when I get more steps in?"  

During the (optional) onboarding process, you can set goals, log available fitness equipment and note injuries or limitations. The preview begins with a short 5-10 minute conversation (either by text or voice) to help the AI understand your goals and motivations. From there, the plan dynamically adjusts based on changing metrics like training load, readiness score and overnight recovery data, keeping everything aligned with your long-term goals.

Participation in the coaching experience is opt-in, so you can still use Fitbit without the AI features if you prefer.

Availability and pricing

The update -- launched first to US-based Android users -- will also be available to people in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore (18 and older) who subscribe to Fitbit Premium ($10 a month or $80 a year) regardless of phone. Yes, that means iPhone owners too. It works with the latest Fitbit trackers, smartwatches and Pixel Watch models. During the preview phase, you can toggle between the old and new app designs without losing data, allowing for side-by-side comparison and feedback collection. 

Google says user input from this period will be key to shaping the end result of the app experience and will have an integrated feedback tool for testers. While the company hasn't confirmed a firm end date for the preview, it says the experience will continue to expand to more users and devices over time.  

The real test

This redesign and Coach feature show serious potential. If it delivers on Google's promises of bringing professional-grade coaching to mainstream users, it could mark a turning point for wellness tech and could position Google at the front of the pack. The company says the coach experience was developed with input from health experts and a consumer advisory panel, and that user data will not be used for Google Ads.

But as with everything in the AI world, execution will be everything, and the value of a wellness coach must be compelling enough -- and accurate enough -- to overcome the hesitation of entrusting yet another AI feature with sensitive health data. But the real test lies in how well Google manages privacy, data security and real-world usefulness. That balance could mean the difference between just a repackaged Gemini that most people turn off, and a game-changing tool that translates your data into action.

For now, it's a promising preview, but one I'll be testing firsthand once it rolls out.