Setting up Health Connect on Android

On Android, Motion reads your steps and workouts from Health Connect. It is a system service that sits between your health apps, so each one can share data with the others while you control exactly which app gets what.

This replaced the old way of reading from Google Fit. Google is winding Fit down, its developer access reaches end-of-service in late 2026, and the consumer app has folded into Google Health. If you have been following an older version of this guide that talks about Google Fit, this is the current one.

Installing Health Connect

Phones running Android 14 or later have it built in, so you can skip this section.

Phones on Android 9 to 13 can install it from the Play Store: Health Connect on Google Play.

After installing, Health Connect does not appear in your app list. That is expected. It is a system service rather than an app, and you reach it through your phone‘s Settings or through the apps that use it.

Connect the app that records your steps

Health Connect only forwards data that some app has written into it. So the app that records your steps has to be connected first. Which app that is depends on what you own.

• Fitbit or Pixel Watch: that is the Google Health app. Follow the Android section of our Google Health guide. In short, it is Connections, then Partner apps, then Sync your favorite health apps.
• Samsung Galaxy Watch: Samsung Health writes to Health Connect. In Samsung Health, open Settings and turn on Health Connect.
• Garmin, Polar, Suunto, Amazfit and others: each brand‘s own app has a Health Connect option in its settings. Turn it on and allow steps.
• No tracker, just your phone: Google Health can record steps from your phone‘s own sensors and write them to Health Connect, so the same guide applies.

Whichever app it is, make sure it is allowed to write Steps. That is the one permission Motion depends on.

Connect Motion

Open Motion. During setup it will ask for Health Connect permission. Allow it to read steps, and workouts if you want those counted too. If you set Motion up a while ago and are not sure, open your phone‘s Settings, find Health Connect, then App permissions, and check that Motion is listed and allowed to read steps.

Checking it worked

Walk a little, then open Motion. If your step count moves, you are done. If it does not, the usual cause is that the recording app has not written to Health Connect yet. Open that app, let it sync, and check its Health Connect permission includes steps. In Health Connect itself you can see recent data under each data type, which tells you whether the problem is before Motion or in Motion.