What you need to know
- Amazon is rolling out Alexa integration for its Halo fitness tracker.
- If you own an Amazon Halo, you can now ask Alexa devices for all your health-related stats.
- The new "Connect Alexa to Halo" skill is opt-in, so you'll have to activate it in the Halo app to get started.
Amazon Halo users can now ask Alexa devices to access all their Halo Health data (via The Verge). In addition to your health summary, you will also be able to ask Alexa for your activity score, sleep quality, and body composition.
Amazon says the integration will be rolled out to Halo users over the next few days. Along with the latest firmware for your Halo band, you will also need to have the latest version of the Android or iOS app to enable the feature. The new "Connect Alexa to Halo" skill is opt-in, which means it won't be turned by default. To begin using the feature, you'll need to activate it from the Amazon Halo app on your phone.
For additional security, Amazon is offering the option to set a voice PIN to access the Halo health data. Once enabled, Alexa will ask for a 4-digit PIN before answering questions related to your Halo data. You can even set a five-minute timeout window after the PIN is provided, allowing you to continue asking for data without having to provide the PIN again. Amazon also notes that inquiries about users' Halo data will not be stored as part of Alexa's regular history of responses, and the tone analysis won't be done on Alexa devices.
While it may not be the best fitness tracker on the market right now, the Amazon Halo can provide more in-depth insights about your health than many of its rivals. Surprisingly, however, the fitness tracker is currently out of stock in all sizes and colors on Amazon. There's also no word on when the Halo will return to Amazon.
