Amazon's Halo fitness band is a great way to keep yourself in shape, but for a while now, you couldn't bring Alexa with you while you were on a jog. Now, Amazon is allowing Alexa to connect to your Halo band via the Connect Alexa feature, so you can ask it questions about your health and wellness.
Halo's New Guest: Amazon Alexa
As first reported by The Verge, Amazon is bringing Alexa to the Halo.
While the Halo band doesn't have Alexa built in, the new Connect Alexa feature means Halo users can ask for updates on their health and wellbeing from an Alexa-enabled device. All you need to say is, "Alexa, what's my activity score?" or "Alexa, how's my health?" and the virtual assistant will respond with information gathered from your Halo device.
Amazon says that the rollout begins today, but users will need to ensure that both the firmware on their Halo and their iOS or Android app are all updated before they'll see it.
The Creepiest Fitness Band Yet
This is bad news for those who already don't like how intrusive the Amazon Halo feels at times. In fact, in a recent review of the device, we crowned it "the creepiest fitness band yet" due to how much data the Halo can potentially harvest from you.
However, Amazon realizes that the addition of Alexa may make some users uncomfortable. As health statistics can be a sensitive topic, Amazon has opted to disable Alexa by default when the update rolls out. If you want to enable it, you'll need to poke around in the settings and flip a switch before Alexa can talk to you.
It's also worth noting that Amazon will tailor Alexa to recite the data that Halo has collected. It will not, by any means, store any results or keep track of your vitals.
However, Alexa will be a great way to get a snapshot of your vital signs no matter where you are. For instance, you can ask Alexa for your sleep score if you're concerned that you're not getting as much rest as you like.
If you feel a little iffy about giving Alexa permission to peer into your health history, don't worry. As we mentioned above, the feature is disabled by default, so it's not forced on you.
If you do opt in and turn it on and feel uncomfortable about the decision, you can turn the feature back off again, and Alexa will stay quiet. You can then head into the Alexa app and erase all the logs you created using the Halo fitness band.
Use Alexa on the Go With Amazon Halo
If you'd rather spend more time running and less time fiddling with a gadget to show you the right statistics, you'll be pleased to know that Alexa will soon be able to get information from your Halo fitness band. However, if you're worried about privacy, the app will have everything you need to keep peace of mind while you exercise.
If you're still on the fence about buying an Amazon Halo, we recently named it one of the best fitness trackers that can measure your heart rate.
Updated to clarify that the Halo band doesn't have Alexa built in. Instead, Amazon has added an optional Connect Alexa feature.
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