The refreshed, organized look
The most significant and most discussed change to the Samsung Health app is the revamped user interface. The older Samsung Health UI was infamous for a cluttered home page filled with various health metrics arranged haphazardly. A key issue was the excessive vertical scrolling required to access different app options. The new version largely solves this by introducing clearly defined sections with larger cards, improved spacing, rounded interface elements, and intuitive placement of commonly accessed information. The update also incorporates a vibrant color scheme, replacing the previously monotonous all-white or all-black treatment. The most notable addition is the introduction of six dedicated tabs that separate different aspects of the app: activity, sleep, heart, mindfulness, nutrition, and more. This grouping makes it significantly easier to find specific metrics. Important data is displayed in larger, more visually appealing cards, while less frequently used metrics remain accessible without cluttering the interface. While the redesign has received general praise for improving navigation, some longtime users have found it challenging to adjust after years of using the previous layout.
The new Vitals feature
Among the biggest additions is a new section called "Vitals," a centralized dashboard for important health measurements. This feature establishes a user's baseline metrics by wearing a Galaxy Watch or Ring while sleeping for seven nights. Once the baseline is set, it regularly checks nightly vitals to look for major deviations. The advantage is an alert option that notifies users when an unusual change is detected. Vitals measures five key metrics during sleep: heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen, comparing them against the user's resting baseline. For example, if Vitals detects an elevated sleeping heart rate, it alerts the user and helps identify potential causes. This data enables actionable lifestyle changes to restore vitals to normal levels. The information is presented in a format resembling an audio graphic equalizer, commonly seen in music apps. This intuitive design allows users to quickly identify which bars are out of range and require immediate attention. For Galaxy Watch owners, Vitals consolidates information previously spread across multiple screens, making it one of the most useful additions.
New Daily Cardio Load, Heart Health Score, and Fitness Index Features
Samsung has expanded cardiovascular tracking with three new features: Daily Cardio Load, Heart Health, and Fitness Index. Daily Cardio Load estimates how much physical activity strains the cardiovascular system throughout the day. Rather than simply counting steps or tracking workout duration, it evaluates exercise intensity and recovery to help users understand whether they are under-training, maintaining an ideal workload, or pushing too hard. The goal is to encourage sustainable exercise habits while reducing overexertion risk. The Heart Health feature combines heart-related metrics such as sleep duration and quality, stress levels, and physical activity with body composition data to generate a score between 0 and 100. A score above 65 is considered stable, while below 49 indicates attention is needed. This gamified approach encourages users to improve their health metrics. The Fitness Index feature averages scores across multiple fitness metrics: cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, muscular strength, body composition, and flexibility. These scores are predicted using data already supplied to Samsung, including user profile, body composition, and daily activity. The Fitness Index also shows users where they stand compared to peers of the same age and sex, providing a competitive edge.
All the new features can't be used yet
While Samsung has refreshed the Samsung Health app for smartphones, many of the new features require a corresponding update to several watch models. Despite newer models like the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 7 supporting all new features, they cannot use them because the watch firmware has not been updated. Many users feel Samsung's decision to release the updated smartphone app without updating the watch is a case of poor execution. Compounding the issue is Samsung's upcoming announcement of the next-generation Watch 9 series. It remains to be seen whether those models will support the refreshed Health app from day one. Another issue is that Samsung does not explicitly reveal which older Galaxy Watch models are compatible with newer features. Many headline additions rely on sensors and processing capabilities found only in the latest Galaxy Watch models. As a result, users may open a new section only to discover they need newer equipment for the feature to work, leading to frustration.
Some versions of the app have an ads problem
One major concern flagged by multiple users post-update is the number of ads in the app. Shortly after the redesign rollout, several users reported seeing promotional banners and advertisements inside the application. These appear within the "Discover" section located at the bottom of the screen. The reports sparked criticism because Samsung Health is primarily viewed as a health and wellness platform, not a commercial storefront. Some users believe advertisements feel out of place in an app designed to monitor fitness, sleep, and personal health information. Interestingly, the ads do not appear for everyone. Their availability varies by region, Samsung account, device model, and ongoing promotional campaigns. Some users never see advertisements, while others occasionally encounter promotional cards. Since these promotions are confined to the "Discover" section, users can avoid them by simply steering clear of that tab. Nonetheless, the presence of ads has generated significant discussion among the user base.
Source: SlashGear News