Exporting Fitbit data after the Google acquisition: practical guide

Fitbit's recent history is also its users' anxiety story. Google acquisition in 2021, initial promises not to use data for ads, mandatory Google Account migration in 2023, progressive replacement of Fitbit.com with Google tooling. Each step moved the data control panel a bit more towards Mountain View. If you have a Fitbit (or a Pixel Watch, which uses Fitbit as backend) it makes sense to assess where things stand today.

State of the art as of May 2026

• •Account: legacy Fitbit Account doesn't exist since 2025. All accounts are now Google Accounts. Google email login required.
• •Fitbit app: still exists as Android/iOS app, now distributed by Google LLC.
• •Fitbit.com: the public web dashboard was decommissioned. Only the account/privacy area remains accessible.
• •Historical data: fully preserved during migration, accessible via app and via Google Takeout.
• •Health Connect: since 2024 the Fitbit app writes to Health Connect (Android). Pixel Watch likewise.

Path A: Google Takeout (most complete)

Google Takeout is the official Google portal to download data from all products, Fitbit included. It's the structured way to get the full history.

1. Go to takeout.google.com and sign in with the Google Account linked to Fitbit.
2. Click 'Deselect all', then search 'Fitbit' in the list and select it.
3. Expand sub-items (Activity, Sleep, Heart Rate, etc.) — you can choose granularly which types to include.
4. Pick export format (JSON recommended, CSV for most activity data) and destination (direct download, Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive).
5. Start the export. Times range from minutes (small account) to hours (years of granular data). You'll get an email when ready.

The package contains folders per data type. Examples: 'Personal & Account → Profile', 'Activities → activities-YYYY-MM-DD.json' (daily summary), 'Heart Rate → heart_rate-YYYY-MM-DD.json' (per-minute samples), 'Sleep → sleep-YYYY-MM-DD.json' with stages. For deep backfills files can weigh GB.

Path B: Health Connect (for daily use)

If you don't need a one-time historical snapshot but a continuous flow of Fitbit data to another app, the path is Health Connect.

1. Make sure the Fitbit app is updated (version 4.10 or higher).
2. Open Fitbit → 'You' tab (bottom right) → look for 'Health Connect' in profile settings.
3. Tap 'Connect' and authorize write access for the data types you want to expose.
4. From then on any third-party Android app with Health Connect permissions can read your Fitbit data.

Important limit: via Health Connect, Fitbit exposes sleep stages only as total duration (not separate REM/Deep/Light/Awake), and doesn't expose workout GPS tracks, VO₂ max or Cardio Fitness Score. For those you need the official Fitbit Web API (OAuth), which requires developer approval and is usually only accessible to already-approved apps.

What to do before closing the account

If you're thinking of leaving Fitbit (to switch to Garmin, Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch), do these three steps in order:

1. Export everything via Takeout first. Once the account is deleted it's too late.
2. Disable cloud sharing you no longer need (Strava, MyFitnessPal sync, etc.).
3. Request GDPR deletion if you want to ensure everything is removed from backups. Go to privacy.google.com and select 'Delete your data'.