Google’s latest health app update won’t change anyone’s routine overnight, but it shows where the company is putting its attention. Version 5.10 of Google Health, the app that grew out of Fitbit’s long-running companion app, is now available on iOS and is still reaching Android users. It brings three changes: a feature expanding to a new country, a smarter recovery metric, and a convenience feature for the AI coach.
The most significant is the arrival of Irregular Rhythm Notifications in Japan. The feature works on both Pixel Watch and Fitbit hardware, checking heart rhythm data in the background while the wearer is resting or asleep and alerting them to possible signs of atrial fibrillation. AFib often has no obvious symptoms but is associated with a higher stroke risk, which is why passive screening has become one of the most valued health features on smartwatches. Expanding heart-health features country by country is slow because each market has its own regulatory approval process, so Japan’s addition reflects work that goes well beyond flipping a switch. Users there can turn it on from the Health tab.
The second change affects the Readiness Score, the daily figure meant to tell you whether to push hard or take it easy. Google says it now uses more sleep signals to personalise the result, but hasn’t said which ones. That lack of detail is typical of recovery scores across the industry, and it makes it hard to judge how much the change will affect the number people see each morning.
The third addition is aimed at anyone using Google Health Coach, the conversational AI assistant built into the app. Entries logged by mistake can now be removed by simply asking, such as telling the coach to delete a morning run. This covers workouts, meals, weight and symptoms logged through the coach, though medical records are excluded. It’s a small fix, but correcting a mistake should take no more effort than making it, and a coach that could add entries but not remove them was an odd gap.
Version 5.10 is a modest release, but it comes during a busy run for Google’s health platform. The previous update brought Cardio Load tracking to workouts from third-party sources. Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 recently gained blood pressure and insulin resistance features, and Google has confirmed that a new Fitbit Edge tracker launches on October 12. The app is quickly becoming the centre of Google’s wearables strategy, which raises the stakes for how quickly features like rhythm alerts reach every market.
