Regulatory requirements appear to be the reason for this latest nerfing
Google Fitbit has announced that third-party apps and watch faces will be removed from its smartwatches in the European Union this summer.
Announcing the move in a support page update, the company has noted that the axing will occur in June due to regulatory requirements, meaning affected watches will be unable to install new apps or faces.
At this stage, it’s unclear whether existing downloads will remain useable on devices, with the page simply stating that “access to a selection of Google and Fitbit apps” will be granted following the update.
It’s also not explicitly mentioned by Google which regulations it’s adhering to with this latest move, but it’s certainly not a surprise to see more hurt for Fitbit users.
In the last couple of years, we’ve seen Fitbit Adventures, Open Groups, and Challenges all culled from the app experience, with the third-party app experience already suffering thanks to Spotify and Deezer support being removed.
This time, Google said:
“Following a careful assessment of the impact of new regulatory requirements, we have made the decision to remove third-party apps and clocks from the Fitbit app gallery for users in the European Economic Area in June 2024. Users in other countries will not be impacted.”
As you would expect, the removal will also apply to all of the watches Fitbit has released in the region.
This even includes the current-gen Fitbit Sense 2 and Fitbit Versa 4, which didn’t have access to apps but could enjoy third-party watch faces – until now.
Fitbit trackers – like the Charge 5 or Inspire 3 – don’t appear to be affected by this, and, naturally, the Google Pixel Watch 2 or Pixel Watch 1 shouldn’t face any issues, either.
As we say, though, it’s another nail in the coffin for Fitbit’s strength under Google.
The death of Fitbit as we know it is something we’ve highlighted in detail over on our PULSE by Wareable platform, and this latest news doesn’t do anything to dispel that notion.
Pour one out for people with Fitbits in Europe, is all we can say.
