How to Disable the AI-Powered Coach Feature in the Google Health App
Since the Fitbit app became Google Health , Premium users have been unable to avoid its AI features—or at least, it seems that way. There’s a way to disable the AI coaching feature and bring some peace of mind back to the Today screen without waiting for your Premium trial (or subscription) to expire.
Why you might want to disable Google Health Coach
The AI-powered Health Advisor is a central feature of the Google Health app, at least if you have a premium subscription. You may have taken advantage of the three-month free trial of Google Health Premium when you connected a new device, or you may have purchased a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription, which includes the Health Advisor feature.
When the Coach feature is enabled, it updates the app’s main screen with a few paragraphs of text several times a day. (You’ll also receive a notification for each update.) The Coach will tell you how well you slept, congratulate you on an intense workout, or suggest workouts for the day based on how well you’ve recovered.
But, as I wrote in my Fitbit Air review , the trainer often gives false readings, misrepresenting workout data or misinterpreting your goals. One user, who returned to his normal routine after surgery, wrote on Reddit that the trainer constantly tries to discourage him from working out, calling him a “demotivation trainer.” Other users note that the trainer seems to misinterpret its own data .
Speaking from personal experience, I find the coach’s tone unbearable: arrogant and overly positive, except when it’s overly negative. I’d prefer neutral, fact-based feedback, or no feedback at all. Luckily, there’s a way to turn it off.
How to disable Google Health Coach
It’s a bit tricky, as it’s not in the app settings, but in your Google account settings. Here’s how to disable the Coach feature:
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In the Google Health app, tap your profile photo in the upper right corner.
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In Google Health, open the “Your data” section.
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Click “Manage” to adjust your privacy settings.
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Tap the Google Health Coach icon and you’ll see an option to turn it off.
When you return to the Google Health app, you’ll still see the paragraphs of text previously written by the Health Advisor, but no new ones will appear. A card will appear asking you to re-enable the Health Advisor, but you can tap “Not now.” You can re-enable the Advisor at any time by tapping the “Ask Advisor” button in the corner (it won’t disappear) and following the instructions.