What you need to know
- Google is rolling out Fitbit Air firmware version 253.2, but don't expect new features.
- This update focuses entirely on reliability and minor bug fixes.
- Google advises installing the update during the day or evening, as updating around midnight can temporarily throw off your daily step count.
Google has begun rolling out a new software update for the Fitbit Air. However, this release is solely focused on reliability and not on new features.
The company officially describes the update as containing only “minor bug fixes,” but it does not say what those fixes are. This is the second firmware release for the wearable, following the initial update last month. In its community post, Google says firmware version 253.2 is being rolled out to devices over the next few days.
Before you begin the installation process, Google says to make sure your Fitbit Air is charged or plugged into its charger and has at least 50% battery. You also have to keep the wearable connected to a phone or tablet via Bluetooth and have the latest version of the Google Health app on your device.
It also matters when you install. Google recommends updating your device during the day or in the evening, not at midnight, as updating late at night could make that day’s step count appear inaccurate temporarily.
Installation takes about 10 minutes to complete. First, open the Google Health app with your Fitbit Air nearby and tap Update on the Today tab. You can also tap on Update in the top left corner under Connections and then tap on your device.
Just keep the Google Health app open and keep your Fitbit close to your phone or tablet until the progress bar is complete.
Android Central's Take
I get that Google is finally shipping an update instead of leaving early buyers hanging, but “bug fixes and general improvements” has become one of the most overused phrases in tech. If this update really helps with automatic workout detection, Google should just say so. People don't buy fitness trackers so they can decipher vague changelogs. They buy them because they want reliable health tracking without babysitting it.
