For several months, Google has been quite vocal about the changes that are coming to Fitbit. The company is doing all it can to prepare loyal Fitbit users for the coming changes. The company has once again stated that Fitbit accounts will be retired in the upcoming years, making it necessary to sign into the service using a Google account. Don’t worry if you’re a Fitbit user and this is your first exposure to this information. The transition isn’t expected to happen for a few more years; a Google account won’t be required until 2025. But starting this summer, all new users will have to sign in with a Google account.
Having said that, Google is giving solutions for current users, such as the ability to move a Fitbit account to a new Google account. It makes sense to keep things simple, but starting in the summer, new Fitbit users will have to create a Google account. Old users of the service might not like the change, but it does provide some added benefits. Privacy and security are arguably the most crucial. Despite being the parent company of Fitbit, Google has vowed not to use any of the info held by Fitbit users for its ad business.
Also, according to the company, greater privacy settings would be available with a Google account, making it simpler to manage all user data. The Fitbit experience, which has been developed over many years, will largely remain the same, and all health and wellness information will be preserved. If you already have a Google account, you’ll be relieved to learn that after the switch, you won’t need a different password for each service and can instead rely on your Google account password.
New Fitbit users must use a Google account
As previously noted, this will be an option for current Fitbit users, but starting in the summer, anyone opening a new account will need to use or create a Google account. Although Google did not give an exact start date, you can probably expect to hear more about this as time draws near. Google may begin the needed Google account process as early as June, with September being the latest month. By 2025, all users will have to have a Google account, so getting a head start would be a good idea in case you face any issues.
Google first informed users that this shift would be taking place towards the end of 2022. The official support website for it provided an explanation of the revisions’ timing and motivation. Fitbit began to phase off support for Google sign-in in December 2022, marking the start of the changes. Fitbit has retired some of its beloved community features like Challenges and open groups. These are likely the most significant change. Fortunately, you may still form closed groups with family and friends even if this change took place last month.
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Google explains why the changes are necessary
Google explains that the changes were necessary to “create new features, deliver faster load times, and improve your experience”. We haven’t generally noticed anything new as a result of these changes, but let’s hope that something new appears soon. The Fitbit app will surely provide you with lots of info regarding the switch to a Google account. But if you aren’t happy about it, you’ll be able to use the older Fitbit interface for a short time.
Google has been retiring Fitbit’s features
Google is very serious about the new changes and for some months now, it has been cutting down Fitbit’s features. This is probably in preparation for the migration. Reports state that as of March 27th, the Fitbit program would no longer include all challenges. It will also not include games, and the option to join open groups.
Back in February, users got the email
We’re working hard behind the scenes to enhance the Fitbit app with Google technology this year. This evolution will enable us to develop new features, deliver faster load times and improve your experience. And ultimately, ensure Fitbit helps you live a healthier, more active lifestyle. To deliver these improvements we will be streamlining areas of the Fitbit app and the following features will be removed on Android and iOS as of March 27, 2023
• Open groups will no longer be available – but you can still create a closed group with your friends and connect with other users in the Fitbit Community on our Health & Wellness forums.
• All Challenges and Adventures, including trophies, will no longer be available.
We’ll continue to update the Fitbit app and develop new features that create an even better experience over time. If you’d like to download your data from these features before it’s deleted on March 27th, visit fitbit.com/settings/data/export to log in to your fitbit.com dashboard
More features are going down
After March 31, 2023, users won’t be able to download music from Pandora and Deezer. After that date, you won’t be able to view previously transferred content. Also, you won’t be able to download music for offline use from these sites. The official Deezer and Pandora apps required for the offline feature will be removed from Fitbit’s third-party app store.
Deezer and Pandora downloads are not supported by the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 devices. It’s actually a huge surprise that these new watches don’t accept third-party apps. This was a major selling point of their forebears. Following the removal of the Deezer and Pandora apps off the Sense as well as the Versa 2 and 3, the debate over whether other third-party apps are here to stay or if Google is moving to remove third-party app support from all of its Fitbit devices continues.
