Fitbit badges are gone. When the Fitbit app became the Google Health app in May 2026, Google stopped awarding badges and deleted old ones. In its own words: “Badges will no longer be supported. New badges won’t be generated, and your historical badges will be deleted” (Google Health Help). The window to download badge data closed on July 15, 2026.
If badges were what kept you walking, you still have options: the weekly friends leaderboard, weekly cardio targets, and a do-it-yourself badge system that takes ten minutes to set up. Here’s what changed and how to replace what you lost.
When did Fitbit remove badges? #
Badges were the last piece of Fitbit’s game layer to go. The removals happened in two waves.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 27, 2023 | Fitbit removed Challenges, Adventures and open groups from the app |
| May 7, 2026 | Google announced the Google Health app as the Fitbit app’s replacement |
| May 12, 2026 | Fitbit social features were locked ahead of the switch |
| May 19 to 26, 2026 | The mandatory update turned the Fitbit app into Google Health |
| July 15, 2026 | Last day to download data from removed features, including badges |
Sources: Engadget on the 2023 removals, and Google Health Help for the 2026 timeline.
What else did the Google Health app remove? #
Badges weren’t the only casualty. According to Google’s help page and coverage of the switch, the redesign also dropped:
- Sleep Profile and the monthly sleep animals
- Groups and the Community Feed
- Direct messages between friends
- Custom usernames and profile photos (you now appear with your Google account name and picture)
- Estimated Oxygen Variation
- Snore detection on Sense and Versa 3
Your core data, including steps, heart rate, workouts and sleep, carried over to the new app.
What’s left in Google Health to keep you motivated? #
Nothing directly replaces badges in the app, but a few features cover part of what they did.
Weekly leaderboard with friends #
You can manage your friends list again in Google Health and compete on a weekly leaderboard that now supports both steps and Cardio Load (Google Health Help). It’s a simple ranking of total output, not the old head-to-head challenges, but a small group of friends can still make it competitive.
Weekly cardio load target #
Google Health replaced daily cardio goals with a personalized weekly cardio target. Cardio Load scores how hard your heart worked during activity, based on heart rate, age, resting heart rate and sex (Google Health Help). A weekly target is more forgiving than a daily one, which helps if your schedule is uneven.
Google Health Coach (paid) #
The Gemini-based Google Health Coach is part of Google Health Premium, which costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, or comes included with Google AI Pro and Ultra plans. It needs a paired Fitbit device or Pixel Watch, is limited to adults, and is available only in supported countries (TechCrunch). It gives feedback and plans rather than collectible rewards, so it won’t scratch the same itch as badges did.
How to rebuild Fitbit badges yourself #
Badges worked because they turned vague effort into a finish line. You can recreate that with a note on your phone and the numbers Google Health still shows you. Pick three to five, write them down, and tick them off.
| DIY badge | Rule | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Step streak | Hit your step goal 30 days in a row | Steps in Google Health |
| Cardio week | Hit your weekly cardio load target 4 weeks running | Fitness tab |
| Sleep window | Go to bed within 30 minutes of your target for 14 nights | Sleep data |
| Strength base | Two strength sessions a week for 8 weeks | Your workout log |
| Big walk | One 15,000-step day each month | Steps history |
| Leaderboard climb | Finish top three among friends in a week | Weekly leaderboard |
A few rules make DIY badges stick:
- Keep the first targets easy. A badge you can earn in week one gets the habit going. Save the hard ones for later.
- Build in a shield. Allow one missed day per streak without resetting. Our guide to streak shields explains why a forgiving streak outlasts a strict one.
- Include strength. Old Fitbit badges were almost all about steps, floors and distance. The CDC recommends at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity a week on top of aerobic exercise (CDC), so give yourself a badge for it.
For more ready-made challenge ideas, try our list of home workout streak challenges.
Apps that still reward milestones #
If collectible rewards matter to you, a separate app can sit alongside Google Health. Our comparison of the best gamified fitness apps covers step-based games like Pikmin Bloom and Walkr, story running with Zombies, Run!, and habit RPGs like Habitica.
For gym and running milestones specifically, One Gym Man keeps a trophy wall: every monster you beat is recorded with the turns taken, HP left and date, and you only beat higher tiers by logging heavier lifts and faster runs. It’s a manual workout log rather than a Fitbit sync, and it’s free with ads.
Frequently asked questions #
Can I get my old Fitbit badges back? #
No. Google deleted historical badges after the transition, and the deadline to download data from removed features was July 15, 2026. If you didn’t export them before then, they can’t be recovered.
Does Google Health have challenges? #
Not in the old sense. Fitbit removed Challenges and Adventures in March 2023, and they didn’t come back with Google Health. The closest feature is the weekly friends leaderboard for steps and Cardio Load.
Do I need Google Health Premium? #
Not for basic tracking. The core Google Health app is free, while the Google Health Coach and other extras need Premium at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Check the app’s Premium page for exactly which features sit behind it in your country.
What replaced Fitbit badges? #
Nothing directly. The free app offers a weekly leaderboard and weekly cardio targets, and the paid Coach gives feedback on your progress. If you want collectible milestones, set your own or use a separate gamified app.
Why did Google remove Fitbit badges? #
Google hasn’t given a detailed reason beyond folding Fitbit into the redesigned Google Health app, which also dropped several social and sleep features. The change shifted the app toward coaching and health metrics and away from collectibles.