Following Google's I/O 2014 announcement of Google Fit, a health and fitness tracking platform for its Android operating system, the search company has released the Preview SDK for Google Fit, which allows developers to start working on apps that are compatible with Google Fit's ecosystem, along with a new build of Android L for developers.
In a blog post written on Thursday, Google Fit product manager Angana Ghosh says developers now have three different sets of APIs that allow them to build health and fitness apps, including the Sensors API, Recording API and History API.
"With the user's permission, you can get access to the user's fitness history - enabling you to provide more interesting features in your app like personalized coaching, better insights, fitness recommendations and more," Ghosh tells developers.
The Sensors API allows developers to build apps that can communicate with sensors on wearables and other devices. For example, a running app can be made to connect with a heart rate monitor so it can receive data every five seconds and display it on the screen.
The Recording API works on a similar principle, but instead of linking with sensors, the app gains access to cloud-based data. An application of this is for the same running app to record the runner's locations and create a map based on the information recorded earlier. The cloud backend is not available yet, so developers still have to wait a while before using this API, but Google says it is coming "soon."
Finally, the History API provides access to developers who wish to retrieve information collected by Google Fit. This allows them to obtain batch data recorded by other fitness apps on the Google Fit platform.
Developers who want to test out the new APIs will have to download the new Android L Developer Preview with build number LPV81C to a Nexus 5 or 2013 Nexus 7 device. The new developer build contains a new version of Google Play Store, which is compatible with Google Fit's APIs.
On the users' end, those who have devices already running on a beta version of Android L can try out Google Fit, but Google says it will make its health platform available in older devices in the future to provide users with a one-stop convenient shop where they can store and track all their fitness data, similar with what Apple plans to do with Apple's HealthKit.
