Well being Join Jetpack SDK is now in beta and new characteristic updates

Posted by Brenda Shaw – Well being & Dwelling Companion Engineering Technical Author

At Google, we’re dedicated to empowering builders as they construct distinctive well being and health experiences. Core to that dedication is Well being Join, an Android platform that permits well being and health apps to retailer and share the identical on-device knowledge. Android units working Android 14 or which have the pre-installed APK will robotically have Well being Join by default in Settings. For pre-Android 14 units, Well being Join is accessible for obtain from the Play Retailer.

We’re excited to announce vital Well being Join updates just like the Jetpack SDK Beta, new datatypes and new permissions that can allow richer, extra insightful app functionalities.

Jetpack SDK is now in Beta

We’re excited to announce the beta launch of our Jetback SDK! Since its preliminary launch, we have devoted vital effort to enhancing knowledge completeness, with a selected concentrate on enriching the metadata related to every knowledge level.

Within the newest SDK, we’re introducing two key modifications designed to make sure richer metadata and unlock new potentialities for you and your customers:

Make Recording Technique Necessary

To ship extra correct and insightful knowledge, the Beta introduces a requirement to specify considered one of 4 recording strategies when writing knowledge to Well being Join. This ensures elevated knowledge readability, enhanced knowledge evaluation and improved person expertise:

In case your app presently doesn’t set metadata when making a report:

Earlier than

StepsRecord(
    rely = 888,
    startTime = START_TIME,
    endTime = END_TIME,
) // error: metadata will not be supplied

After

StepsRecord(
    rely = 888,
    startTime = START_TIME,
    endTime = END_TIME,
    metadata = Metadata.manualEntry()
)

In case your app presently calls Metadata constructor when making a report:

Earlier than

StepsRecord(
    rely = 888,
    startTime = START_TIME,
    endTime = END_TIME,
    metadata =
        Metadata(
            clientRecordId = "shopper id",
            recordingMethod = RECORDING_METHOD_MANUAL_ENTRY,
        ), // error: Metadata constructor not discovered
)

After

StepsRecord(
    rely = 888,
    startTime = START_TIME,
    endTime = END_TIME,
    metadata = Metadata.manualEntry(clientRecordId = "shopper id"),
)

Make Gadget Kind Necessary

You may be required to specify system sort when making a Gadget object. A tool object will probably be required for Robotically (RECORDING_METHOD_AUTOMATICALLY_RECORDED) or Actively (RECORDING_METHOD_ACTIVELY_RECORDED) recorded knowledge.

Earlier than

Gadget() // error: sort not supplied

After

Gadget(sort = Gadget.Companion.TYPE_PHONE)

We consider these updates will considerably enhance the standard of knowledge inside your purposes and empower you to create extra insightful person experiences. We encourage you to discover the Jetpack SDK Beta and overview the up to date Metadata page and familiarize your self with these modifications.

New background reads permission

To allow richer, background-driven well being and health experiences whereas sustaining person belief, Well being Join now incorporates a devoted background reads permission.

This permission permits your app to entry Well being Join knowledge whereas working within the background, supplied the person grants express consent. Customers retain full management, with the flexibility to handle or revoke this permission at any time through Well being Join settings.

Let your app learn well being knowledge even within the background with the brand new Background Reads permission. Declare the next permission in your manifest file:

  "android.permission.well being.READ_HEALTH_DATA_IN_BACKGROUND" />
...

Use the Feature Availability API to examine if the person has the background learn characteristic accessible, in keeping with the model of Well being Join they’ve on their units.

Enable your app to learn historic knowledge

By default, when granted learn permission, your app can entry historic knowledge from different apps for the previous 30 days from the preliminary permission grant. To allow entry to knowledge past this 30-day window, Well being Join introduces the PERMISSION_READ_HEALTH_DATA_HISTORY permission. This enables your app to supply new customers with a complete overview of their well being and wellness historical past.

Customers are in command of their knowledge with each background reads and historical past reads. Each capabilities require builders to declare the respective permissions, and customers should grant the permission earlier than builders can entry their knowledge. Even after granting permission, customers have the choice of revoking entry at any time from Well being Join settings.

Further knowledge entry and kinds

Well being Join now affords expanded knowledge varieties, enabling builders to construct richer person experiences and supply deeper insights. Try the next new knowledge varieties:

• Exercise Routes permits customers to share train routes with different apps for a seamless synchronized exercise. By permitting customers to share all routes or one route, their related train actions and maps for his or her exercises will probably be synced with the health apps of their selection.

• The skin temperature knowledge sort measures peripheral physique temperature unlocking insights round sleep high quality, reproductive well being, and the potential onset of sickness.
• Well being Join additionally offers a planned exercise knowledge sort to allow coaching apps to jot down coaching plans and exercise apps to learn coaching plans. Recorded workout routines (exercises) may be learn again for personalised efficiency evaluation to assist customers obtain their coaching targets. Entry granular exercise knowledge, together with periods, blocks, and steps, for complete efficiency evaluation and personalised suggestions.

These new knowledge varieties empower builders to create extra linked and insightful well being and health purposes, offering customers with a holistic view of their well-being.

To be taught extra about all new APIs and bug fixes, try the full release notes.

Get began with the Well being Join Jetpack SDK

Whether or not you might be simply getting began with Well being Join or need to implement the most recent options, there are lots of methods to be taught extra and have your voice heard.

• Subscribe to our newsletter: Keep up-to-date with the most recent information, bulletins, and sources from Google Well being and Health. Subscribe to our Well being and Health Google Developer E-newsletter and get the most recent updates delivered straight to your inbox.
• Check out our Health Connect developer guide: The Well being and Health Developer Heart is your one-stop-shop for constructing well being and health apps on Android – together with a strong information for getting began with Well being Join.
• Report an issue: Encountered a bug or technical concern? Report it on to our workforce via the Issue Tracker so we will examine and resolve it. You may also request a characteristic or present suggestions with Challenge Tracker.

We are able to’t wait to see what you create!