Yes, Fitbit syncs with Apple Health, but only in one direction
Your Fitbit can send data to Apple Health on your iPhone, but Apple Health cannot send data back to Fitbit. This means your steps, heart rate, calories burned, and sleep data flow from your Fitbit into Apple Health, where you can view everything in one place. However, workouts or health data you log directly in Apple Health will not appear on your Fitbit device or in the Fitbit app.
The connection works through the Fitbit app on your iPhone. Once you set it up, the sync happens automatically in the background whenever your Fitbit and iPhone are near each other and connected to the internet. You do not need to manually push data or open the app each time.
Key Takeaways
- Fitbit data syncs to Apple Health automatically after you connect your Fitbit account in the Fitbit app settings, but the sync only works one way.
- Steps, distance, calories, heart rate, and sleep data transfer to Apple Health, but workouts logged in Apple Health do not appear on your Fitbit.
- Your iPhone must have Bluetooth turned on and be within range of your Fitbit device for the sync to work.
- If data stops syncing, check that the Fitbit app has permission to access Apple Health in your iPhone settings under Privacy.
How to set up the Fitbit and Apple Health connection
Open the Fitbit app on your iPhone and tap the profile icon in the bottom right corner. Select your device name, then scroll down and tap "Apple Health." Toggle the switch to turn on the connection. The app will ask you to confirm that you want Fitbit to write data to Apple Health — tap "Allow" or "Turn On" depending on your iOS version.
Next, you will see a list of data types that Fitbit can send: steps, distance, calories burned, heart rate, and sleep. Each one has a toggle. Turn on the data types you want to track in Apple Health. Most people leave all of them on, but you can disable any you do not want to share. Tap "Save" or "Done" to finish.
That is the entire setup. Your Fitbit will now send data to Apple Health automatically. The first sync may take a few minutes, and then updates happen in the background whenever your devices are connected.
What data actually transfers to Apple Health
Fitbit sends five main categories of health data to Apple Health: steps, distance walked or run, active calories burned, resting heart rate, and sleep duration. These appear in Apple Health under their respective categories — you will see steps in the Steps app, heart rate in the Heart Rate section, and sleep in the Sleep category.
Fitbit does not send exercise data, weight, blood oxygen, or skin temperature to Apple Health, even if your Fitbit device tracks those metrics. If you want those details in Apple Health, you have to log them manually in the Apple Health app itself. This is a limitation of how Fitbit and Apple have set up the connection.
Why the sync might stop working
The most common reason Fitbit stops syncing to Apple Health is that the Fitbit app lost permission to access Apple Health. Go to your iPhone Settings, tap Privacy, then Health. Scroll down to find Fitbit and make sure the toggle is turned on. If it is off, tap it to turn it back on.
Another reason is that Bluetooth is off on your iPhone. Fitbit needs Bluetooth to communicate with your iPhone, and your iPhone needs internet to send data to Apple Health. Turn Bluetooth on in Settings or Control Center, and make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
If the app still will not sync, try closing the Fitbit app completely and opening it again. If that does not work, sign out of your Fitbit account in the app, then sign back in. This forces the app to refresh its connection to Apple Health.
How to check that data is actually syncing
Open the Apple Health app on your iPhone and tap the Browse tab at the bottom. Select any category where Fitbit sends data — Steps is the easiest to check because you accumulate steps every day. Tap into Steps and scroll down to see the data source. If Fitbit appears under "Data Sources & Access," the sync is working.
You can also look at the timeline. Tap the date at the top of the Steps screen and scroll through recent days. If you see step counts for days when you wore your Fitbit, the data is coming through. If the data is old or missing recent days, the sync may have broken and you should check the Fitbit app permissions again.
What to do if you want data to flow both ways
Apple Health and Fitbit do not support two-way syncing, so you cannot automatically send Apple Health data to Fitbit. If you log a workout in Apple Health, it will not show up on your Fitbit device or in the Fitbit app. You have to choose which app to use as your main record.
Most people use the Fitbit app as their primary tracker because it captures automatic data from the device, and they let Apple Health receive that data passively. If you want to log workouts, you can log them in both apps manually, but the apps will not talk to each other to avoid duplication.
Fitbit and Apple Health on other Apple devices
Once Fitbit data syncs to Apple Health on your iPhone, it is available on your other Apple devices — iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac — because they all share the same Apple Health account. You can view your Fitbit steps, heart rate, and sleep on any of these devices through the Health app.
However, you must set up the Fitbit-to-Apple Health connection on your iPhone first. The Fitbit app only runs on iPhone, not on iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac, so you cannot start the sync from those devices. Once it is running on your iPhone, the data flows to your entire Apple ecosystem automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does syncing Fitbit to Apple Health drain my battery?
No. The sync uses very little power because it happens in the background and only when your iPhone and Fitbit are close together. You may see a slight increase in battery use if Bluetooth is on all day, but Fitbit syncing itself is not the cause.
Can I sync Fitbit to Apple Health on an Android phone?
No. Apple Health only exists on iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices. If you use an Android phone, you can use the Fitbit app and Google Fit instead, which have a similar one-way sync relationship.
What happens to my old Fitbit data when I set up the sync?
Apple Health will only receive new data going forward from the moment you turn on the sync. Historical data from before you connected Fitbit to Apple Health will not transfer. You can still see your old data in the Fitbit app, but it will not appear in Apple Health.
Can I turn off the sync without deleting my data?
Yes. Go to the Fitbit app, tap your profile, select your device, and toggle off Apple Health. Your data in both apps stays intact — the sync just stops. You can turn it back on anytime by toggling it on again.
Will my Fitbit still work if I disconnect Apple Health?
Yes. Disconnecting Apple Health does not affect your Fitbit device or the Fitbit app. Your Fitbit will continue to track steps, heart rate, and sleep normally. You just will not see that data in Apple Health anymore.