Withings now requires a Withings+ subscription for automatic syncing to Apple Health and other third-party apps on accounts created from October 13, 2026 onward. Existing accounts keep free syncing, and current users who buy new devices are unaffected. Here is what changed, what it costs, and how Withings compares with rival scales.
Buy a Withings smart scale today, create a fresh account, and your weigh-ins will no longer flow into Apple Health by themselves. Withings has announced that accounts created on October 13, 2026 or later need a Withings+ subscription for automatic syncing of data to third-party apps, including Apple’s Health app. In the United States, Withings+ costs $99.50 a year, MacRumors reported on October 15, 2026.
The cutoff is the account creation date, not the device in the box. Anyone who created a Withings account on or before October 12, 2026 keeps automatic third-party syncing free, and existing customers who add a new Withings scale or watch stay unaffected. Only brand-new accounts fall under the new rule.
The backlash arrived fast. A thread on Withings’ own support forum calling the change unacceptable gathered 160 likes, with users arguing that writing data to Apple Health happens locally on the phone through HealthKit and should not require a cloud subscription. Withings had not publicly responded to the criticism as of October 16, 2026.
The Short Version
- What changed: Withings+ is now required for automatic syncing to Apple Health, Google Health Connect, and other third-party apps on new accounts.
- Who is affected: accounts created on or after October 13, 2026. Accounts from October 12 or earlier are exempt.
- What it costs: $99.50 a year in the US, €99.95 a year in Europe, £89.50 a year in the UK.
- Existing users: unaffected, even when adding new Withings devices.
- No loophole: Withings says routing data through Apple Health or Google’s health ecosystem does not avoid the requirement.
Why This Matters
A smart scale is only as useful as the data pipeline behind it. For iPhone owners, Apple Health is the hub where weight trends sit next to workouts, sleep, and nutrition, and automatic syncing is the feature that makes the whole thing effortless. Take that away and the scale becomes an island.
Putting that pipeline behind a $99.50 annual subscription changes the total cost of owning a Withings scale. The entry-level Body Smart costs about $99.95 in the US, so a new buyer who wants Apple Health syncing now pays roughly double in year one. The math gets worse on the premium BodyScan 2, which already costs $599.95 before any subscription.
It also breaks a long-standing expectation. Free automatic syncing to Apple Health has been standard across the smart scale market, including on budget models, and Withings built much of its reputation on playing well with Apple’s ecosystem. Grandfathering existing users while charging new ones splits the customer base into two tiers for identical hardware.
What Exactly Changed
The change lives in Withings’ developer API plans. According to gadgetsandwearables, which reviewed the developer documentation, Withings+ becomes required on the Start for Free API plan for sharing health data with a free-plan app, and that explicitly includes apps already live. Accounts created before the cutoff are exempt, and enterprise plans lift the requirement for specific use cases.
There is a one-day wrinkle in the reporting worth noting. MacRumors puts the account cutoff at October 13, 2026 or later, while gadgetsandwearables dates the API-plan change to October 12. The practical line is the same either way: accounts created in mid-October 2026 or later are affected, and earlier accounts are not.
Withings also closed the obvious loophole. Its documentation states that users cannot get around the Withings+ requirement by routing data through Apple Health or Google’s health ecosystem instead, which means the restriction reaches ordinary consumers, not just developers building on the API. Some new users have already reported seeing a Withings+ upsell screen when enabling Apple Health export after setting up a Body scale.
What Withings+ Actually Includes
Withings+ is not only a syncing toll. The subscription bundles a Health Improvement Score, AI-powered insights, a readiness indicator, and Cardio Check-Up, which offers up to four cardiologist-reviewed ECG assessments a year. Withings’ own pitch is that health data stays free while the subscription accelerates progress.
That framing is exactly what critics dispute. Their argument is simple: basic data portability is not an acceleration feature, and charging for it on new accounts while grandfathering old ones splits the user base into two tiers for identical hardware. Writing to Apple Health happens on the phone itself, so the subscription looks less like a technical necessity and more like a revenue decision.
How Rivals Handle Apple Health Sync
The contrast with rivals is stark. Garmin’s Index S2, listed around €149.99 in Europe, and the Eufy Smart Scale P3, about $89.99 in the US, both sync to Apple Health through their free companion apps, with no subscription standing in the way. Those policies are set by each vendor and can change, but as of October 2026 neither charges for basic Apple Health syncing.
That is why the timing stings. Withings hardware ranges from the $99.95 Body Smart to the $599.95 BodyScan 2 health station, and buyers at every price point previously took free Apple Health syncing for granted. A newcomer choosing between a Withings scale and a Garmin or Eufy alternative now has one more line item to weigh.
FAQ
Do I need to pay if I already have a Withings account?
No. Accounts created on or before October 12, 2026 keep free automatic syncing to third-party apps, and buying a new Withings device does not change that.
I am buying my first Withings scale. What happens?
If you create your account now, automatic syncing to Apple Health requires a Withings+ subscription, which costs $99.50 a year in the US. Setup, measurements, and in-app tracking still work without it.
Can I sync my data manually for free?
Community users report that manual CSV export still works, and Withings has not said otherwise. It is a clumsy substitute for automatic syncing, but it costs nothing.
Does this affect Google Health Connect too?
Yes. The requirement covers third-party apps generally, including Google’s health ecosystem, according to gadgetsandwearables’ reading of Withings’ developer documentation.
Will Withings reverse the decision?
Unknown. Withings had not publicly responded to the backlash on its support forum as of October 16, 2026.
Final Word
Withings has confirmed the new rule and the cutoff is clear: new accounts pay, old accounts do not. The open question is whether the backlash pushes Withings to carve basic Apple Health syncing back out of the subscription. If you already use Withings, nothing changes for you. If you are buying your first Withings device and Apple Health matters, budget $99.50 a year on top of the hardware, or compare scales that still sync free.
Sources / Attribution
- MacRumors, Joe Rossignol, “New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing,” October 15, 2026.
- gadgetsandwearables, “Withings puts Apple Health sync behind Withings+ for new users,” October 13, 2026.
- Withings Support Community, “Unacceptable: Apple Health Sync is now behind a $99/year paywall for new accounts” (user thread, 160 likes).
- Withings, Withings+ official page, withings.com (UK pricing).
- Withings, Cardio Check-Up press materials (EU pricing).
