Facebook has entered the stiff competition for a ruling fitness app.
The social network, which has been working to increase its apps offerings, has acquired a fitness app called Moves, the AFP reported. Details about the deal have not been disclosed.
Developed by Finnish startup ProtoGeo, Moves tracks daily physical activity and calorie counts through a smartphone. ProtoGeo announced on Thursday that it had been acquired by Facebook and that select team members would begin work at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters.
"The Moves team has built an incredible tool for the millions of people who want to better understand their daily fitness activity, and we're looking forward to the app continuing to gain momentum," Facebook said in a statement.
Both companies said that Moves will stay a separate company, similar to statements after Facebook purchased the messaging service WhatsApp earlier this year.
Moves stated that any data gathered by the app would still be safe, telling users that "there are no plans to change that or commingle data with Facebook," according to the AFP. The app works by detecting movement through phone sensors rather than a wearable device.
According to the Moves website, the app has had 4 million downloads for Android and iPhone.
Forbes pointed out that the market for connected fitness tracking is already crowded with startups like Jawbone and Fitbit as well as big corporations like Nike, all of which are offering devices or software to monitor fitness. Apple may move into the ring as well with either a new wearable device or an app to track movement and calories.
Whether or not the Moves app takes off, Facebook can afford to experiment. The company reported earnings on Wednesday that exceeded expectations, posting $2.5 billion in revenue and a net income of $642 million for the first quarter.
Also Thursday, Facebook announced a new feature called "FB Newswire," which is intended to be a real-time stream of newsworthy content for journalists.
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