Comparison
Where Does Your Galaxy Watch Health Data Actually Go?
Not competitors. They work together. But it matters to understand who does what so you don't disable the wrong one.
TL;DR
- Samsung Health and Health Connect are not competitors: they work together.
- Samsung Health collects data from the Galaxy Watch via Bluetooth: disabling it breaks Watch sync.
- Health Connect is the Android permissions layer between health apps: disabling it stops third-party apps from reading data, but Samsung Health keeps working.
- The real flow is: Watch → Samsung Health → Health Connect → third-party apps.
- To block the Samsung cloud without breaking anything: Samsung Health → Settings → Privacy → disable sync with Samsung Cloud. Data stays local and keeps flowing to Health Connect.
Samsung Health and Health Connect are not competitors: they work together, and disabling the wrong one either breaks Galaxy Watch sync or stops third-party apps from reading your data. Samsung Health collects data from the Watch; Health Connect is the permissions panel that decides what flows out to other apps. Understanding this distinction resolves 90% of questions about Galaxy Watch and fitness apps.
Samsung Health: the manufacturer's app
Samsung Health is the official companion app for Galaxy Watch (and accessorily for other Samsung devices). Its job:
- Receive data from the Watch via Bluetooth.
- Display it in dashboards, charts, achievements, guided programs.
- Sync it with the Samsung Health cloud (if you have a Samsung Account and the option is on).
- Since mid-2024, automatically write to Health Connect for the requested data types.
Samsung Health is proprietary, focused on the Samsung user experience, and includes consumer features like food tracking, guided fitness programs, social dashboard (challenges with friends). Its data model is fully its own (internal format, not publicly documented).
Health Connect: the Android exchange layer
Health Connect is an API and an app distributed by Google, designed as a neutral layer where all Android health apps write and read. It doesn't have a rich user dashboard: it's almost just a control panel showing you:
- Which apps have permission to read each data type (steps, HR, sleep, etc.).
- Which apps have permission to write.
- History of who read what when.
- Button to revoke permissions individually.
The Health Connect data model is publicly documented (developer.android.com/health-connect), structured, and each type is an explicit class. It's Google Fit 2.0, fully on-device.
How they work together
On your Galaxy Watch, the actual data flow is:
- Watch sensors → BLE → Samsung Health (main app).
- Samsung Health stores internally + (if enabled) writes to Health Connect the allowed data types.
- Health Connect keeps a neutral copy of data and exposes the API to anyone with permission.
- Third-party apps (FitMesh Sync, Strava, MyFitnessPal, sleep coaching apps, etc.) read via Health Connect.
Practical differences, one by one
| Aspect | Samsung Health | Health Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | User app: visualize, workouts, coaching | Permissions layer between health apps |
| Rich dashboard | Yes (steps, sleep, food, challenges, ECG, etc.) | No (permissions only) |
| Cloud sync | Yes (Samsung Cloud, opt-in via Samsung Account) | No (strictly on-device) |
| Proprietary data types | Yes (e.g. Body Composition, guided workouts) | No, only standard schemas |
| Manual export | CSV via app, slow process | No user export (third-party apps do it) |
| Updated by | Samsung | Google (via Play Store) |
When to use which
- Want to see your sleep with detailed charts or follow a Samsung workout program? → Samsung Health.
- Want a third-party app (e.g. MyFitnessPal, dietitian app, coaching app) to read your data? → You need Health Connect with granted permissions.
- Worried Samsung sends your data to the cloud? → In Samsung Health → Settings → Privacy disable 'Sync with Samsung Cloud'. Data stays local and keeps flowing to Health Connect.
- Want to see who's reading your data? → Open Health Connect → App accessibility: see the full list with timestamps.
- Want to uninstall one? → On Galaxy phones you can't uninstall Samsung Health (preinstalled) but you can disable it (you'll lose Watch sync). Health Connect is preinstalled on Android 14+ and can be disabled without breaking Samsung Health.
What if the phone isn't Samsung?
Still works. Samsung Health is free on the Play Store also for Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi. The Galaxy Watch pairs via Galaxy Wearable (also multi-brand) and Samsung Health takes over to read data. Health Connect sync works the same way.
In summary
- Samsung Health collects data from the Galaxy Watch via Bluetooth and manages it: disabling it breaks Watch sync.
- Health Connect is the Android permissions layer between health apps: disabling it stops third-party apps from reading data, but Samsung Health keeps working.
- The real data flow is: Watch → Samsung Health → Health Connect → third-party apps (FitMesh Sync, MyFitnessPal, etc.).
- To block Samsung cloud without breaking anything: Samsung Health → Settings → Privacy → disable 'Sync with Samsung Cloud'. Data stays local and keeps flowing to Health Connect.
- To see who reads your data: Health Connect → App access → full list with timestamps.
The Full Picture: Galaxy Watch, Samsung Health, Health Connect, and Google Health
The Galaxy Watch first sends data to Samsung Health. Health Connect is an on-device exchange layer on Android, not a cloud: it holds whatever Samsung Health decides to write to it. Google Health can import some of that data precisely through Health Connect, but it never connects directly to the Galaxy Watch. FitMesh, in turn, can read the same data through two distinct paths verified in the code: the direct Samsung Health Data SDK channel and Health Connect (more on fitness-data-sync). Not every metric crosses every one of these layers. Verified July 22, 2026.
- Galaxy Watch measures the signals and sends them to Samsung Health.
- From Samsung Health, the Samsung Health Data SDK offers a direct, read-only channel to FitMesh, independent of Health Connect.
- Still from Samsung Health, data written to Health Connect reaches both FitMesh and the Google Health app, via two separate links.
- The Google Health API is a separate system: a cloud infrastructure evolved from the Fitbit Web API, distinct from both the Google Health app and Health Connect, which doesn't automatically receive Galaxy Watch data.
Galaxy Watch
Where the signals originate: steps, heart rate, sleep, SpO2, and the other raw measurements come from here, the watch's sensors (including the BioActive sensor on Ultra2/Watch9). A commonly overlooked distinction: an insight the app calculates (a score, an average, a category) is not the same thing as a value the watch measures. Attributing to the watch itself what Samsung Health actually computes is a common mistake to avoid.
Samsung Health
The Samsung app and ecosystem that collects and interprets Galaxy Watch data. Always distinguish three levels: raw data (heart rate, steps, hours of sleep, with a standard unit); summaries (averages, trends, comparisons with the previous day); proprietary scores (Heart Health Score, Daily Cardio Load, Fitness Index), computed with a non-public Samsung formula. Some features depend on region, watch model, and app version: a feature visible on one device may not be on another.
Samsung Health Data SDK
The channel for apps approved as Samsung partners (like FitMesh), distinct from Health Connect: Samsung's official documentation treats the two systems separately, never explicitly linking them. It requires registering a package name and SHA-256 signature with Samsung before production. A commonly misunderstood point: a data type existing in the SDK's theoretical list (23 readable, 12 writable per the official documentation) doesn't prove that a specific app, like FitMesh, requests or actually reads it. These are two separate questions, verifiable only by looking at that app's own code.
Health Connect
Android's on-device data store and permission layer, run by Google: per the official documentation, it "stores and structures health and fitness data" and provides standard insert, update, and delete functions, plus the ability for client apps to sync data out of Health Connect. It's not a dashboard with its own charts, it's not Google Health, and above all it doesn't guarantee that every data point visible in Samsung Health actually gets written here: these are two separate steps.
Google Health (app)
Google's consumer app for Android and iOS, successor to the Fitbit app. For a Galaxy Watch, it receives data through Samsung Health and Health Connect, not directly from the watch: Google's official support page states this explicitly, "The Google Health app does not connect directly to Samsung Galaxy watches." It also requires explicit consent inside Samsung Health to activate the sync toward Google Health.
Google Health API
A distinct cloud API, the evolution of the Fitbit Web API: Google's official documentation describes it as managing health/fitness data from "Fitbit, Pixel Watch, and other third-party devices and apps" on a unified infrastructure, never naming Samsung or Health Connect. It doesn't replace Health Connect: they're two distinct Google systems, with different access mechanisms (cloud OAuth API versus on-device store). It isn't automatically linked to Galaxy Watch data. Related reading: the Google Fit API's shutdown, a distinct evolution from this one.
FitMesh: Two Paths, Verified in the Code
FitMesh reads Galaxy Watch data through two parallel paths, verified directly in the app's source code, not inferred from Samsung or Google documentation. Via Health Connect: heart rate, HRV, sleep, SpO2, respiratory rate, workouts. Via the direct Samsung Health Data SDK channel (partner approval already obtained, live in production, not behind a feature flag): heart rate and sleep with priority over the Health Connect value, plus skin temperature, workouts, body composition, blood pressure, and sleep apnea (the latter only as a boolean flag) available only from this channel. FitMesh doesn't read VO2 max (explicitly excluded from the code) and doesn't replicate any proprietary Samsung score. All supported sources: integrations page.
What Google Health Can Read: Health Connect's Generic Capability
Per Google's official support page on Health Connect and the Google Health app, these are the data types Google Health is generically capable of reading and writing via Health Connect, as a system. This is a technical capability of the app, not proof that a specific source (like Samsung Health) actually shares that data: the next section separately verifies what Samsung shares for the Galaxy Watch.
| Category | Google Health Can Read from Health Connect (Generic Capability) | Google Health Can Write to Health Connect (Generic Capability) |
|---|---|---|
| Fitness | Steps, VO2 max, Floors, Active calories burned, Distance, Exercise, Total calories burned | Steps, Speed, Step cadence, VO2 max, Floors, Distance, Elevation gained, Exercise, Exercise route, Total calories burned |
| Temperature | Body temperature | Body temperature |
| Sleep | Sleep session, Sleep stages | Sleep session, Sleep stages |
| Vitals | Skin temperature, Blood glucose, Heart rate, Heart rate variability, Oxygen saturation, Respiratory rate, Resting heart rate | Skin temperature, Blood glucose, Heart rate, Heart rate variability, Respiratory rate, Resting heart rate |
| Body measurements | Weight, Body fat percentage | Weight, Body fat percentage |
| Nutrition | Hydration, Nutrition (food, meal type, energy, macros) | Hydration, Nutrition (food, meal type, energy, macros) |
| Mental wellbeing | Session duration | N/A (read-only) |
What Samsung Health Actually Shares with Google Health for the Galaxy Watch
The table above describes a generic Google Health capability, not Samsung's actual behavior. For the specific Galaxy Watch path, the same Google support page dedicates a section to "Samsung Galaxy Watch" with two explicit lists: the data the device actually shares, and the data it doesn't. It also requires explicit consent activated inside Samsung Health before any sync toward Google Health can happen.
| Data | Shared by Samsung Health to Google Health |
|---|---|
| Steps, distance, energy (aggregate total) | Yes |
| Sleep (duration, stages, schedule) | Yes |
| Exercise session summaries | Yes |
| Heart rate | Yes |
| SpO2 (blood oxygen) | Yes |
| VO2 max | Yes |
| Body measurements (weight) | Yes |
| Floors climbed | No |
| Skin temperature | No |
| Resting heart rate | No |
| HRV (heart rate variability) | No |
| Respiratory rate | No |
| Steps/energy at minute/hour granularity | No |
| Exercise session maps and routes | No |
| Detailed session data (e.g. lap splits) | No |
| Health alerts (ECG, irregular rhythm) | No |
The Full Matrix: 25 Metrics Across Four Systems
Every cell comes from an official source or from verified FitMesh code, never from a logical chain like "Samsung Health has it, so Health Connect exports it, so FitMesh reads it": these are three separate checks. The "Samsung → Google Health" column is distinct from Google Health's generic capability: the former comes from the Samsung-specific page (14236613), the latter from the generic table (14506680), they aren't interchangeable. States used: available; shared; available with limits; not shared; not read by FitMesh; not documented; not verified on the public version.
| Metric | Samsung Health | Health Connect | Google Health (Generic Capability) | Samsung → Google Health | FitMesh (Direct Samsung) | FitMesh (Health Connect) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steps | available | available | available | shared (aggregate; not at minute/hour granularity) | available | available | |
| Distance | available | available | available | shared | available | available | |
| Floors climbed | not verified on the public version | available | available | NOT shared (Samsung-specific source) | available | not read by FitMesh | Google Health generically reads/writes it via Health Connect; Samsung Health doesn't share it for the Galaxy Watch; FitMesh doesn't request it via Health Connect |
| Calories | available | available | available | shared (aggregate; not at minute/hour granularity) | available | available | |
| Heart rate | available | available | available | shared | available, Samsung priority | available | |
| Resting heart rate | available | available | available | NOT shared (Samsung-specific source) | available, Samsung priority | available | Google Health generically supports it via Health Connect; Samsung Health doesn't share it for the Galaxy Watch |
| HRV | available (Vitals) | available | available | NOT shared (Samsung-specific source) | not read by FitMesh | available | Not exposed by the Samsung SDK: Health Connect only for FitMesh. Google Health generically supports it, but Samsung Health doesn't share it for the Galaxy Watch |
| Respiratory rate | available (Vitals) | available | available | NOT shared (Samsung-specific source) | not read by FitMesh | available | Health Connect only for FitMesh. Google Health generically supports it, but Samsung Health doesn't share it for the Galaxy Watch |
| Sleep | available | available | available | shared | available, Samsung priority (whole block) | available | |
| Sleep stages | available | available (part of the block) | available | shared (included in the sleep summary) | available, as part of the atomic block | available | |
| SpO2 | available (Vitals) | available | available | shared | available with limits (gap-fill) | available | Health Connect has priority for FitMesh |
| Skin temperature | available (Vitals) | available | available | NOT shared (Samsung-specific source) | available (gap-fill) | not read by FitMesh | FitMesh reads a different type (body temperature) via Health Connect, never true skin temperature from this path. Google Health generically supports it, but Samsung Health doesn't share it with Google Health for the Galaxy Watch |
| Workouts | available | available | available | shared (session summary) | available (gap-fill) | available, Health Connect priority | |
| Workout detail | available | available | available | shared (session summary) | available | available | Doesn't include the GPS map or per-lap splits: those are tracked separately in the "GPS routes" row below, not shared by Samsung |
| GPS routes | not verified on the public version | available with limits (write-only in Google's table) | available with limits (writes the route, doesn't appear to read it) | NOT shared (Samsung-specific source) | not read by FitMesh | not read by FitMesh | No GPS field requested by FitMesh's code in either path. Samsung Health doesn't share workout maps/routes with Google Health for the Galaxy Watch |
| VO2 max | available (Fitness Index input) | available | available | shared (Samsung-specific source) | not read by FitMesh | not read by FitMesh | Samsung Health shares it with Google Health per the Samsung-specific page; FitMesh still deliberately excludes it from the code: every app chooses its own data types |
| Weight | available | available | available | shared | available (gap-fill) | not read by FitMesh | Direct Samsung channel only for FitMesh |
| Body composition | available | available with limits | available (fat percentage) | not documented (not mentioned on the Samsung-specific page) | available (gap-fill) | not read by FitMesh | Direct Samsung channel only for FitMesh |
| Blood pressure | not verified on the public version | not documented in this specific table | not documented in this specific table | not documented (not mentioned on the Samsung-specific page) | available (gap-fill) | not read by FitMesh | Direct Samsung channel only for FitMesh |
| Sleep apnea | available (FDA-cleared feature) | not shared (not a Health Connect data type) | not shared | not shared (not a Health Connect data type) | available with limits (boolean flag only, Samsung priority) | not shared | Never the raw data, only a detected/not-detected flag |
| ECG | not verified on the public version | not documented | not documented | NOT shared (explicit on the Samsung-specific source, as a "health alert") | not read by FitMesh | not read by FitMesh | Absent from every verified source, in both directions; the Samsung-specific page explicitly excludes it along with irregular rhythm notifications |
| Daily Cardio Load | available | not shared (proprietary score) | not shared | not shared (proprietary score) | not read by FitMesh | not shared | Internal Samsung Health calculation, no corresponding Health Connect data type |
| Fitness Index | available | not shared | not shared | not shared | not read by FitMesh | not shared | Requires BIA and VO2 max as internal Samsung Health inputs; FitMesh doesn't replicate it |
| Heart Health Score | available | not shared | not shared | not shared | not read by FitMesh | not shared | Proprietary Samsung score, non-public formula |
| Vitals (aggregate feature) | available | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable (see above) | see the component metrics above | see the component metrics above | Not a single exportable data point: its 5 metrics (heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, skin temperature, SpO2) are evaluated row by row above |
Why a Metric Can Disappear Along the Path
- It's a proprietary score (Heart Health Score, Fitness Index, Daily Cardio Load), not raw data: it doesn't exist as an exportable data type.
- Samsung Health doesn't write it to Health Connect for that model or version.
- The data type exists in the Health Connect standard, but the source app doesn't publish it anyway.
- The receiving app doesn't request permission for that specific data type.
- The feature is limited by region or device.
- Syncing between the Galaxy Watch and Samsung Health hasn't happened yet.
- The receiving app computes a different value with its own formula, not the same data.
- Duplicates and source priority can change the final value shown.
Practical Checklist
- Check the Galaxy Watch's last sync with Samsung Health.
- Check Samsung Health's permissions for that data type.
- Check that you've given consent for health data processing.
- In Health Connect, check permissions by data type, not just by app.
- Check the record's origin inside Health Connect (which app wrote it).
- Check the time range you're looking at.
- Check the installed Samsung Health version.
- Check the Android version.
- Check the regional availability of the specific feature.
This checklist helps diagnose most cases, not resolve every single one.
Methodology and Sources
Every claim about Samsung Health, Health Connect, and Google Health in this section is verified directly against the text of the official pages cited (direct fetch, cross-checked against the raw HTML source where the content required it). Claims about FitMesh's behavior are verified in the app's source code, not inferred from Samsung or Google documentation. During a technical audit of the sync paths, we verified that a metric's availability changes depending on the channel used: no claim in this section generalizes beyond the source that supports it. Verification date: July 22, 2026.
Sources
- Source 1 · developer.samsung.com
- Source 2 · developer.samsung.com
- Source 3 · developer.android.com
- Source 4 · developer.android.com
- Source 5 · support.google.com
- Source 6 · support.google.com
- Source 7 · developers.google.com
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Health Connect without Samsung Health?+
On a Galaxy Watch no: Samsung Health is the official bridge between Watch and phone. Without it the Watch won't sync. On other wearables (Pixel Watch, Mi Band, Garmin, Polar, etc.) you can use the respective companion app + Health Connect and ignore Samsung Health entirely.
Do data pass through Samsung cloud even if I only use Health Connect?+
Depends on your settings. If you disabled sync with Samsung Account in Samsung Health, data stays local on the phone then is copied to Health Connect (also local). If cloud sync is enabled, data is first in the Samsung cloud then copied locally, even though Health Connect only sees the local copy.
When does Health Connect not receive Samsung Health data?+
Three typical cases. One: Samsung Health → Settings → Health Connect not authorized (default situation on many devices until 2024). Two: only some data types authorized. Three: an old Samsung Health version (< ~6.20) doesn't have HC sync. Update and re-authorize.
Are Samsung Health and Health Connect the Same Thing?+
No. Samsung Health is the app that receives data from the Galaxy Watch and displays proprietary scores; Health Connect is Android's on-device exchange layer that Samsung Health can write a subset of its data to.
Does Google Health Replace Health Connect?+
No. They're two distinct Google systems: the Google Health API is a cloud infrastructure (the evolution of the Fitbit Web API), Health Connect is an on-device store. The official documentation doesn't explicitly link them and doesn't declare a replacement.
Does Google Health Connect Directly to the Galaxy Watch?+
No. Google's official support states this explicitly: "The Google Health app does not connect directly to Samsung Galaxy watches." It only receives data through Samsung Health and Health Connect, with explicit consent activated in Samsung Health.
Does FitMesh Read Samsung Health Directly?+
FitMesh reads a subset of Samsung Health data through a direct channel (Samsung Health Data SDK, partner approval obtained), verified in the code: heart rate and sleep with priority, plus skin temperature, workouts, body composition, blood pressure, and sleep apnea (flag only) available only from this channel.
Why Does a Value Show in Samsung Health but Not in Health Connect?+
Often because it's a proprietary score (not a standard data type), or because Samsung Health doesn't write it to Health Connect for that model or version: these are two separate, non-automatic steps.
Why Does Google Health Get VO2 Max but FitMesh Doesn't?+
Google's official documentation lists VO2 max among the data Google Health reads and writes via Health Connect. FitMesh deliberately excludes it in its own code: every application chooses which data types to implement, availability in one app doesn't imply availability in another.
Does Health Connect Store Data in the Cloud?+
No. Per the official Android documentation, Health Connect is an on-device store: data stays on the phone, not in a Google or Samsung cloud.
Which Galaxy Watch Data Doesn't Reach Google Health?+
Two distinct groups. Not documented by either Google source at all (neither read nor written, for any app): detailed GPS routes/lap splits, ECG, and irregular rhythm notifications, plus minute/hour granularity. Documented as technically supported by Google Health but explicitly not shared by Samsung Health for the Galaxy Watch: floors climbed, skin temperature, resting heart rate, HRV, and respiratory rate. These are two different kinds of absence: the first is "not documented," the second is "documented as not shared by Samsung."
If Google Health Supports HRV or Skin Temperature, Why Don't I See My Galaxy Watch Data?+
Because they're two separate questions. Health Connect defines which data types exist as a standard; Google Health may be technically capable of reading them via Health Connect; but Samsung Health is the one that decides which types it actually exports for a given device, and for the Galaxy Watch, HRV and skin temperature aren't among those shared to Google Health, per the Samsung-specific support page. Real availability also depends on granted permissions, app version, and region: none of these factors substitutes for the others.
Does FitMesh Read Energy Score or Daily Cardio Load?+
No. They're proprietary scores calculated internally by Samsung Health, with no corresponding Health Connect data type: FitMesh doesn't read or replicate them via either path.
Can I Use FitMesh Without Google Health?+
Yes. FitMesh doesn't require Google Health: it reads Galaxy Watch data via Health Connect and the direct Samsung Health Data SDK channel, independent of any connection to the Google Health app or API.
Does the Samsung Health Data SDK Work on iPhone Too?+
No. It requires Android 10 or higher and the Samsung Health app installed: the official documentation confirms it's available "on all Samsung smartphones and non-Samsung Android smartphones," not on iOS.
How Can I Check Which App Wrote a Piece of Data?+
Open Health Connect, go to the page for the data type you're interested in, and check the source apps with write permission: this shows which app actually wrote that specific value.
Disclaimer
FitMesh Sync is an independent product. Samsung, Google are trademarks of their respective owners. This article implies no affiliation or sponsorship.
Medical disclaimer
The information in this article is for informational purposes only and does not replace advice from your physician, pharmacist or healthcare professional. FitMesh Sync is a fitness/wellness app, not a medical device, and does not diagnose or treat any conditions. For symptoms, clinical questions or treatment decisions always consult your primary care physician.
Written by
Matteo Pizzi
Founder & Solo Dev, FitMesh Sync · Fosforonero
Italian software developer. I built FitMesh Sync to fill the gap between my smartwatch and a real personal dashboard. Privacy-first, indie, EU servers.
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