Microsoft Band Gets Even More Social in Update Set to Rollout

Microsoft seems to be hung-up on Facebook for social capabilities these days. When new sharing opportunities for the Microsoft Health app showed up a few weeks ago, the Facebook portion worked famously but the other sharing methods were buggy. Those have since been fixed with the last round of updates that delivered last week.

Now, a new update to the Microsoft Health app is bringing even deeper Facebook integration. These Facebook-driven social features include:

Microsoft’s announcement says:

With Social Challenges and Leaderboards, create challenges for steps, calories burned, longest run or bike ride between you and your Facebook friends who also have a Microsoft Band. Challenges can be one, three, five or seven days.

To see who deserves the bragging rights, check your friends’ daily activity on Microsoft Health’s Leaderboard to compare your standing and get motivated.

And, this update also brings social capabilities to those who don’t actually own a Microsoft Band. All you have to do is install the Microsoft Health app, connect it to Facebook, and then join others on Facebook (through the app) to compete for steps or burned calories. This option is available for all supported Microsoft Health app platforms (iOS, Android, Windows Phone).

The update has yet to begin its delivery from the Microsoft servers, but it shouldn’t be too long. As always, you can expect that I’ll be digging deep into the how’s, what’s, and wherefores’, for this new features once I’ve had a chance to test and review value.

QUICK UPDATE: For those asking "where the heck is my update???" - this Band update is set to deliver during Microsoft BUILD 2016 - so we'll have to wait a bit before it begins rollout.

P.S. Microsoft tends to have this habit of also delivering unannounced features in updates. We’ll have to wait to see if this is also the case in this new update.

Want some other options for Microsoft Band compatible social competitions? Try inKin or Bandsider.