I've been using the Samsung Health app now for a couple of weeks, customizing my goals and entering data each day to track my health progress and gather data on my health habits.
However, one part of the in-app features does not seem to be very customizable and tends to hinder my data entry process: the water tracking.
Here's my gripe: The amount of water able to be entered can only by entered by cup (8.4 fl oz), though the measurement of said cup can then be shown in fluid ounces or milliliters, as per the app settings... But who has a perfectly measured cup of that size for tracking their water intake?
What DO people usually have on hand for their hydration needs? For most that I've seen, they have a select few hydrating implements of particular sizes, like a refillable daily-use insulated bottle of no particular brand that holds 40 fl oz, or a hiking-friendly backpack water pouch (again, of no particular brand) that they use frequently.
My suggestion: Allow for the addition of saved and named personal water containers where the size can be specified ONCE, possibly removing the cup implementation, and its slow animation, entirely in favor of the user-specified water measurement (i.e. +/- 1 fl oz or ml) with the custom user-created hydration vessel below for one-touch additions to the daily total---sort of similar to how the food measurements can be done, being that you can favorite specific food items or meals from the third-party service or add custom foods and nutrition values. Though this would just require the custom name of the item and a user-specified total water volume size---no third-party service or affiliation needed.
My thinking here is that, yes, my water drinking goal is generally set by the recommended cups-per-day, but it's entirely actualized based around the size of vessel I carry every day (40 fl oz). Instead of tapping the + button, waiting for the animation, then tapping again and STILL waiting for the long animation just to over or undershoot my target vessel size... I could just select my go-to water vessel(s) to add its total and use the +/- to add or remove my consumed fl oz (or ml) at will.
I think this would remove a lot of the guess work and drastically add to the convenience, especially when implemented in the app's Home "widget" view; The latter of which could remain as a simple +/- without animation, but represent just the selected user measurement (+/- 2 fl oz or ml), but perhaps with generic icons for the top 3 or so user-specified vessels.
Please consider this, Samsung.
User experience is absolutely huge in my book, and this current implementation of the otherwise rather well-implemented app is just... Clunky and bewildering.
I think that Samsung sets itself apart in the smartphone AND app development world as providing nearly infinitely customizable options for its users---something that should continue to be reflected throughout all steps of the user experience on smartphones and in-app.
I've been using the app for a while just like yourself and have substituted the water feature completely with the Play Store free app Water Drink Reminder. It has all the customization and a great goal calculator as well as widgets and it can be linked to Samsung Health and be showed on the homescreen.
Sincerely, Ane Hulton, avid user and aspiring software engineer :grinning_face:
Thanks for the suggestion, Ane. Much appreciated. Is the app made by Leap Fitness? And do you have any relation to the company, or just an avid user?
I definitely always appreciate a great app suggestion; and it looks like that app has the exact feature I was looking for with the customizable water bottle sizes! Perhaps Samsung should consider a more direct partnership and include it in Samsung Health as they did with the food tracking... hm.
Thanks again, Ane!
Sincerely, Kris - Avid app user, technical arts professional, and programming dabbler.
I hope they can fix this. I really don't want to keep downloading apps for things that Samsung should get right off the bat. I just bought my Active 2, but I'm finding some things that FitBit's app does much better. (no running calorie count except for on the phone app??) I'll give it a bit more time.
I have to agree. I was thinking of buying a Hidrate Spark smart water bottle (which tracks your water intake automatically), and I am very disappointed to see that the Hidrate app integrates with FitBit, Google Fitness, etc. but does not integrate with Samsung Health. This seems like a huge miss by Samsung.
I just switched over from fitbit and the water tracking is a HUGE disappointment. The 8.4 oz is a little absurd. Not to mention I have a different sized bottle altogether. I am beyond confused why we can't have the option to enter ounces # and log... Ie my 32 oz gum bottle click log... Done... 8 oz log done... 16 ounce log done... This is pretty rudimentary and a huge disappointment.
1,allow users to enter on a key pad the number of ounces Also
2.allow users to set 3 prest sizes ie 8, 16, 24, 33...and offer those preset icons they can press boom Also 3 allow users to set an ounce target... Not a glasses target
And let them see the average weekly ounces with respect to their goal of total ounces... If my daily goal is 80... It's nice to see if my weekly average is 80 or above
