Microsoft says it is rolling out the capability to Cortana on iOS, Android, Windows (PC), and eventually the Harman Kardon Invoke smart speaker. Yes, that’s right, no Windows 10 Mobile support to speak of. There is another important limitation. For the time being, the Fitbit skill is only available in the United States. Starting to link Fitbit wearables to the digital assistant is as simple as connecting your Fitbit account. This is achieved by saying “Hey Cortana, Open Fitbit”. After this, Cortana will take control, meaning you can ask the assistant about your Fitbit tracking.
The clear upside of automation is that you no longer need to visit the Fitbit app or website. Cortana will track most the features on the app, such as steps taken, calories burned, water consumption, and much more. Taking the reins, Cortana will read the data to you as you work out and pursue fitness goals. Microsoft also says she will offer some gentle words of encouragement: “You can say, “Hey Cortana, Ask Fitbit how am I doing today,” along with several other supported health and fitness prompts to learn about your daily progress. Cortana will not only read out your progress – like active minutes you’ve logged, how you slept last night, or the number of calories you’ve burned for any day within the previous week – but may also show you a short summary with all the handy information.”
Building on the Skills Kit
Among the most dynamic abilities is answering based on time of day. Additionally, the assistant will also update your food and drink data through the day. Microsoft has detailed some of the most common requests for Fitbit users:
“Hey Cortana, ask Fitbit how much water I’ve had today” “Hey Cortana, ask Fitbit how many calories do I have left to eat” “Cortana, ask Fitbit how many steps do I have left” “Hey Cortana, ask Fitbit how many workouts I need to do this week” “Cortana, Ask Fitbit how am I doing today” “Hey Cortana, show me my leaderboard”
As the name suggests, the Fitbit skill is a part of the Cortana Skills Kit, which was debuted at Build 2017. The Skills Kit has been in preview since May. The kit gives developers tools to create new apps and features for the Microsoft virtual assistant. It is a cross-platform service that will run on Android, iOS, Xbox, Windows, and any upcoming Cortana-powered hardware.
