How to connect Health Connect to the app, step by step

To connect the app to Health Connect, enable syncing in the app, then choose in the Health Connect window which data the app can read and which it can write. EatSee saves meals (calories and macronutrients) and weight there, and reads steps. It takes a minute, and you can change permissions at any time.

Health Connect may sound technical, but it’s basically a shared folder for health data on your Android phone. Below, we explain how it works, how to set it up, and what to do if something isn’t syncing.

What is Health Connect?

Health Connect is a place on Android where apps share health and activity data: steps, weight, meals, sleep, and workouts. The data is stored on your phone, and each app can see only what you allow it to.

This means you don’t have to enter the same information in several places. The app that counts your steps saves them to Health Connect, and EatSee can read them from there and display them alongside your food diary.

Where to find it:

• Android 14 and later — Health Connect is built into the system. You’ll find it in your phone’s settings, usually under Privacy or Apps (the exact location depends on the manufacturer).
• Android 13 and earlier — Health Connect is a separate app you can download from the Google Play Store.

What does EatSee share with Health Connect?

In EatSee, you can see your steps alongside your goal, a weekly chart, and fun facts—for example, what percentage of the Earth’s circumference you’ve covered so far.

How to connect EatSee to Health Connect, step by step

1. Make sure you have Health Connect — it’s built into Android 14 and later; on older versions, install it from the Google Play Store.
2. Enable syncing with Health Connect in EatSee.
3. Select permissions — your phone will show a list of data that can be read and written. Enable the ones you need.
4. Confirm, then add a test meal or weight entry.
5. Check Health Connect to see if the data has appeared — in the Data and access section, you can see which app saved what.

Steps have to be sent to Health Connect by another app. They’re usually saved there by an activity app from your phone, watch, or band manufacturer. Check that this app is also connected to Health Connect and has permission to save steps.

Which permissions should you enable?

The rule is simple: enable only what you need. For EatSee, that means:

• Saving meals and nutrition information — so your food entries are sent to Health Connect,
• Saving weight — so measurements from EatSee are visible in other apps,
• Reading steps — so EatSee can display them.

Reading and writing data require separate permissions. If something isn’t showing up, one of them is usually missing.

Steps are information, not a punishment

A step counter can be motivating, but it’s easy to turn it into currency: “I ate a cookie, so now I have to walk 3000 steps as punishment.” That’s not how it works — in your mind or in your energy balance.

Steps are great in their own right: they improve fitness and well-being, and can help with weight loss by increasing energy expenditure. The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150–300 minutes of moderate activity a week, and daily walks count toward that.

Your calorie goal in EatSee already takes into account the activity level in your profile, so you don’t need to “work off” every meal. If you want to check whether your goal is right for you, read our guide on how to set a calorie goal.

A good step goal is one you can realistically reach. If you currently walk about 4000 steps a day, aim for 6000 first—not 10,000 right away.

Connection not working? Common causes

• No permission — in Health Connect, open App permissions, select EatSee, and check that the data you need is enabled.
• Wrong permission type — reading and writing are separate toggles.
• The step-counting app isn’t saving data - check that your phone, watch, or fitness band app has permission to write step data to Health Connect.
• Two step sources - if two apps are recording steps, choose which one takes priority in Health Connect.
• Date and time zone - an entry with a different date will appear on a different day.
• Outdated version - update EatSee, and on Android 13 or earlier, update the Health Connect app too.

Privacy: where is your data stored?

Health Connect stores data on your phone, and you decide which apps can see what. In Health Connect settings, you can:

• check which apps can access which data,
• revoke permission at any time,
• delete saved data - all of it or data from a selected period.

Have an iPhone? Check out our guide to how Apple Health syncs with your diet.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace advice from a doctor or dietitian. Written by the EatSee editorial team. Editorial policy.