- Google Health 5.01 introduces 16 fixes and improvements across the app.
- Users can now log previously created custom foods and track workouts more accurately.
- Sleep scores, step counting and third-party app integrations have all been updated.
Google has started rolling out the first major update to its redesigned Google Health app, introducing a series of fixes aimed at improving the accuracy of health data and smoothing out some of the frustrations reported by users since the overhaul launched.
The Google Health 5.01 update includes 16 changes covering nutrition tracking, fitness monitoring, sleep data and general app performance. While Google has issued smaller patches in recent weeks, this marks the first significant update since the redesign and appears to focus largely on improving reliability rather than adding major new features.
One of the most noticeable changes is in nutrition tracking. Users can now view and log custom foods they have previously created, making it easier to record meals that are not already listed in the app's database. The ability to create entirely new custom foods has not yet been introduced, although Google has indicated that feature is on the way.
The update also adds guidance around macronutrient goals, helping users understand how to set targets for protein, carbohydrates and fats.
Several fixes have been made to food logs imported from third-party services, including MyFitnessPal, Cronometer and Lose It. Google said meal entries should now be categorised more accurately, while unnamed food items imported through Apple Health will receive default labels instead of appearing blank.
For iPhone users, the company has also simplified switching between measurement units when logging food.
More accurate health tracking
Fitness tracking has received a number of corrections. Some users had reported that runs were being incorrectly classified as other workout types. Google said both past and future running activities will now be labelled correctly.
The company has also restored missing split data in some running summaries and improved the way GPS exercise maps load within the app.
Another update addresses an issue affecting some iPhone users whose steps were counted twice when both Apple Health and Google's Mobile Track feature were enabled.
Sleep tracking, one of the app's most-used features, has also been updated. Google said it resolved problems that prevented some users from seeing sleep scores in the Sleep tab, an issue that had affected the consistency of sleep data for some people.
A focus on reliability
Elsewhere, Android users should see more up-to-date information in the Today feed, while iPhone users affected by Fitbit account migration problems are being encouraged to restart the process after Google fixed an issue that blocked some transfers to Google accounts.
The update also includes accessibility improvements for VoiceOver and TalkBack users, with changes designed to make buttons, charts and navigation easier to use.
Google reportedly described version 5.01 as the "first of many improvements to come", suggesting further updates are already planned. For now, however, the company appears focused on refining the redesigned app and ensuring that the health data users rely on is displayed more accurately and consistently.
The update is currently rolling out gradually and is not yet widely available across Android and iOS devices.
Dr Nighat Arif and Harmeet Kaur NHS
