On an Android phone the client app reads health data through Health Connect, the phone's shared health store. Connect it once and steps, sleep, weight, body fat, heart rate, active energy and workouts stay in sync. Any wearable that shares with Health Connect comes along with it.
Connecting happens on the client's phone — there is nothing to switch on from your dashboard.
What the client's phone needs first
- Android 9 or later. Health Connect is built into the phone from Android 14. On Android 9–13 it is a separate app from Google Play — if it isn't installed or is out of date, the client app shows "Health Connect needs setting up" with a Get Health Connect button that opens the Play Store listing.
- A screen lock. Health Connect refuses to open its permission screen on a phone with no screen lock, and the client app says so.
On a phone that can't run Health Connect at all, the Integrations screen says so instead of showing a Connect button.
Steps your client follows to connect Health Connect
- Go to Profile and tap App Integrations. The Integrations screen opens with a Health Connect card reading Not connected, plus chips for what will be shared: Steps, Sleep, Weight, Body fat, Resting heart rate, Calories and Workouts.
- Tap Connect Health Connect. It reads Connecting… while the permission screen is up.
- Allow read access to steps, sleep, weight, body fat, resting heart rate, heart rate, active calories, total calories, distance and exercise sessions. Two optional switches sit in the same screen: access to data older than 30 days, and access in the background.
- The first sync starts right away and the Health Connect permissions screen opens with the status and last-synced time.
All the data types are required together. If any is left off, the app shows Some permissions are missing and nothing syncs until they're all on. Declining history or background access never blocks connecting.
What the optional grants change
| Grant | If allowed | If skipped |
|---|---|---|
| Data older than 30 days | First sync backfills up to 3 months | Backfill covers only the 30 days before connecting |
| Background access | On Android 14+ the app also syncs in the background, about every 15 minutes, best-effort | Data syncs only while the app is running |
The app asks for history access once. A client who skipped it can turn it on later in Health Connect under App permissions.
What the three card states mean
| State | What it means | What the client does |
|---|---|---|
| Not connected | Not connected yet, or access is granted but no data has ever arrived — usually the wearable's app isn't sharing with Health Connect yet | Tap Connect Health Connect; the permissions screen explains what to check |
| Connected | Access granted and data has arrived in the last 7 days. Shows Last synced, Sync now and Permissions | Nothing |
| Needs attention | Access has been removed, or no data for over a week | Tap Reconnect Health Connect |
The app re-checks the Health Connect grants each time the Integrations screen opens, so a lost grant shows up straight away.
What the Health Connect permissions screen shows
Behind the Permissions button: Status, Last synced and Sync: Automatic; a warning banner when something's wrong; Sync now; a Shared with your coach list of the seven data types, each with a switch showing what Health Connect has actually granted and a count such as "7/7"; Reconnect and Open Health Connect settings.
The switches can't be flipped in the app — tapping one opens Health Connect. To disconnect, the client removes the app there under App permissions.
Things to watch out for
- Health Connect access can reset after an Android, app or Health Connect update. The card shows Needs attention, and Reconnect Health Connect re-runs the permission screen; syncing resumes where it left off, so nothing duplicates.
- If the client turns off any one data type, the app treats access as not granted and syncing stops until they reconnect.
- Health Connect workouts never carry a GPS route, so their cards have no map.