Is Google Fit Accurate – Tests and Comparisons

I’m not a health expert, but I can read my tracking data on Google Fit, Samsung Health, and Strava, and one thing I always wonder is why Google Fit’s data is different.

So, I went on a mission to test the app and find the answer to the question: Is Google Fit accurate?

Different calorie data

I have both Google Fit and Samsung Health installed. It’s 5:30 PM, and Samsung Health shows that I have walked 166 steps since morning, whereas Google Fit displays 164.

Even though that’s only two steps difference, Google Fit says I have burned 1,216 calories, and Samsung Health says I have burned only 7.

One thing that must be noted here is that Samsung Health uses Kcal, and Google Fit uses Cal, but both have the same meaning in fitness.

Fitness battle: Samsung Health vs. Google Fit

How does Google Fit calculate data?

So, why is there a huge difference between those two apps? Is Google Fit accurate or Samsung Health? It turns out that both count the calorie data differently.

Google Fit, along with your exercise, counts your resting and your regular task and activity data. So, as the day passes, you will see the Cal increase even if you don’t work out.

Step tracking

However, I went for a walk to see how different both track my activity. I used Google Fit, Samsung Health, and Strava simultaneously to compare the data. Below are the results.

Google Fit

Google Fit recorded 1,302 steps, and it displayed 62 Cal in the energy expended option. The time it took was around 12 minutes.

The distance calculated was 1.15 km with 9 minutes of active time.

Samsung Health

Samsung Health displayed 1,307, which is very close to Google Fit. However, the total calories burned were 94, with 12 minutes as the finish time.

By looking at both, Samsung Health record 32 Kcal more than Google Fit.

Strava

Strava did not calculate the calorie data for some reason, so we can’t compare it with others. However, it calculated 1,310 steps which were close to others.

Omni Calculator

Since Strava did not help, I turned to the online tool Omni calculator. It has a calorie counter that checks your the burned calories. I put in the exact details as the apps, and it favored Google Fit.

It showed that on average speed, covering 1,300 will burn 59 calories, and from my tests, Google Fit recorded 62 calories.

So, Google Fit is more accurate than Samsung Health in walking exercises.

Activity workout

In the next round, I tested Google Fit and Samsung Health in a Badminton battle. I started the activity in both and left the phone for half an hour. Here is what both calculated.

Google Fit recorded 277 Cal, and Samsung Health recorded 298 Kcal.

Samsung Health again recorded more calories burned than Google Fit. This time the difference was 21 calories.

Is Google Fit accurate?

From tests and comparisons, we find that Google Fit is accurate, and in fact, it is more accurate than some other apps.

However, it also calculates your resting period, so if you want it to calculate your workouts, you will need to track workouts or add activities manually.

Summary

This is all for this Google Fit accuracy article. I hope my findings helped you answer the question you had. Please share your views about the app and your findings below so I can improve the article.

Madhsudhan Khemchandani

Madhsudhan Khemchandani has a bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering (Honours). He has been writing articles on apps and software for over five years. He has also made over 200 videos on his YouTube channel. Read more about him on the about page.