Withings charges extra for Apple Health sync — but only for new users
Most owners of Withings health devices also sync their data with Apple’s Health app. That was always free. Soon, it won’t be.
Person on a Withings scale: Key feature no longer free.
(Image: Withings)
French health tech specialist Withings is angering new customers with a price change: For the first time, you’ll have to pay to sync information collected by the company’s hardware with Apple Health. This has always been a standard feature of the manufacturer’s devices, but will now become part of Withings+, a subscription service that costs at least €100 a year. The company confirmed the change in response to a user’s question in its official forum. The “cutoff” date was Oct. 12.
Account age is what matters
According to Withings, only users who have never had a Withings account before are affected, whether paid or free. “If you created your account on or before October 12, 2026, automatic third-party sync stays free.” This policy is tied to the account, not to existing devices, “so buying a new scale, watch or any other Withings device in the future won’t affect it. Your sync stays free.” Users can also still export “their entire history” — but only as a CSV or PDF file. Sharing data with doctors will also “not be put behind a paywall”.
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Users on the Withings forum called the move “unacceptable”, since this is a basic feature of the devices. Withings hardware isn’t cheap: a scale can cost €500. Now, the subscription comes on top of that if you want to view the information anywhere other than the Withings app.
MCP interface and more for members
Withings said it had expanded its subscription service with new “exclusive” features, including heart age, “Readiness” (for sports), glucose resilience (a metric only Withings knows) and an improved “Health Assistant” that learns about your health profile. There’s also a new WIthings AI Connector, which lets users share information with chatbots through an MCP interface.
Withings emphasized that new members can try everything, including syncing with Apple Health. “If the membership ends, syncing pauses, but no data is lost.” Sync resumes as soon as you pay. In other words, unless you pay for the subscription, your information is locked in the Withings app, except for PDF and CSV exports.
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