Fitbit Refreshes Water Logging Experience on Android: A Deep Dive into the Redesign
Fitbit continues its commitment to refining its user interface, and the latest area to receive a visual overhaul is the water logging feature on Android devices. Following a recent redesign of the Weight stats page in November, Fitbit is now rolling out a modernized water logging experience to a select group of Android users. This update brings a fresh aesthetic and a shift in navigation, aiming to align the water logging feature with the overall design language of the Fitbit app. However, as with any significant UI change, there are potential benefits and drawbacks to consider.
Previously, accessing your water consumption history involved navigating a reverse-chronological list. The top of the screen featured a chart displaying your water intake over various timeframes: Week, Month, 3 Months, and Year. This offered a quick overview of your hydration habits and trends. Now, the new design introduces a tabbed interface at the top of the Water page, offering a more structured and organized view of your data. These tabs are labeled: Day, Week, Month, and Year, allowing users to quickly switch between different perspectives of their water intake.
One immediate observation about the new design is its visual coherence with other areas of the Fitbit app. The intention is clearly to create a unified and consistent user experience. However, some visual vestiges of the old design remain, particularly the light blue status bar, which serves as a subtle reminder of the previous interface. This suggests that the rollout might be phased, with some elements still undergoing transition.
The most notable functional change involves the removal of the "Quick Add For Today" button from the main Water page. Previously, users could rapidly log their water consumption directly from the landing page. This streamlined process catered to individuals who frequently and consistently tracked their hydration. Now, users must take an extra step to record their water intake, which might be a point of contention for some.
While the direct access of "Quick Add For Today" is gone from the main screen, Fitbit offers alternative methods for quickly logging water intake. The primary option is through the main Floating Action Button (FAB) menu, a circular button that presents a range of options when tapped. Additionally, users can utilize the app shortcut feature, if available on their device, to directly access the water logging function. Whether these alternative methods fully compensate for the removed "Quick Add" button remains to be seen, and likely depends on individual user habits and preferences.
The redesigned "Log water" screen, accessible through the FAB, presents a familiar yet refined interface. The screen displays default increment options: Glass (8 fl oz), Bottle (16 fl oz), and Large bottle (24 fl oz), each accompanied by a plus/minus button. This intuitive system enables users to easily record common drink sizes. Furthermore, the new design caters to more specific needs with the inclusion of a "Custom amount" entry field at the bottom of the screen. This allows for precise logging of water intake beyond the default presets. Users can also adjust the date of the entry, providing flexibility for correcting past logs or planning future hydration goals.
The rollout of this Water redesign is currently limited. While some users running Fitbit version 4.38 are experiencing the new interface, Fitbit has confirmed that a server-side component controls the widespread availability of the update. This staged rollout allows Fitbit to monitor performance, gather user feedback, and address potential issues before a full-scale release.
Looking beyond the Water redesign, Fitbit has hinted at future updates targeting other areas of the app. The Food logging feature is slated for a similar modernization, suggesting a broader initiative to bring the entire Fitbit app in line with a consistent and contemporary design aesthetic. Furthermore, the Health Metrics section is being considered for a native UI, which could provide a more intuitive and seamless experience for tracking vital health data.
Overall, the Fitbit Water logging redesign for Android represents a step towards a more unified and visually appealing user experience. The tabbed interface provides a structured view of water consumption data, and the redesigned logging screen offers both convenience and flexibility. However, the removal of the "Quick Add For Today" button from the main screen is a potentially controversial change that may require users to adapt their logging habits. Whether this redesign ultimately enhances the user experience will depend on its widespread implementation and the integration of user feedback. It remains to be seen if the advantages of the new design outweigh the loss of immediate accessibility for frequent water loggers. As Fitbit continues to refine its app, it is essential to balance aesthetic improvements with functional considerations to ensure a seamless and efficient experience for its diverse user base. The future updates to the Food logging feature and Health Metrics section will provide further insight into Fitbit’s long-term vision for its app’s UI and functionality. The emphasis on gathering data through a server side release before making the updated version generally available seems a wise course of action, allowing the software developers to tweak the update based on user reaction. The modern look of the app brings it into line with other applications, but, as Ethan points out in the original article, this can mean an extra step or two for users to perform tasks they previously could complete more quickly. It will be interesting to see whether in future versions of the application Fitbit makes the "quick add" feature user selectable, so that users can customise their interface to their personal preferences.
