Why does Fitbit need location enabled to sync ?

[ato.wots]

I don't understand why does Fitbit requires location service to be enabled to sync my data from charge 3 to my Android phone. This is just unnecessary requirement. 

Is there any way I can sync without enable location?

I DON'T think it is necessary and I DON'T want to enable location just for syncing.

[SteveH]

There isn't a way to sync without it I'm afraid.

It's necessary because Google made it a requirement when they introduced android 6. Fitbit explain more about it here: https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/2134/

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @ato.wots! I’ve noticed that my friend @SteveH offered you a good response in order to solve the questions and doubts with your post. If this was the information you were looking for, I invite you to make @SteveH's post as the solution for your previous post. Highlighting the solution may be discovered more easily by other community member's facing the same questions or issues as you. You can read more about Accepted Solutions here.

I've moved your post to the Android App as this topic is more related to this board. 

Let us know if there's anything else we may do to assist you with. 

[VikingPB]

A good response is different to a reasonable and logical answer.  Steve offered the reason for it from a Fitbit perspective. But as I believe Google acquired Fitbit he has not answered the question asked... Why is location necessary to sync a fitbit tracker? There is NO logical reason for it unless of course it is for devious reasons. This is why I shall reconsider my use of fitbit products. 

[stubee]

Viking,

Google has not yet "acquired" fitbit.  That will probably occur sometime 2020.  So think of Fitbit and Google as separate entities, as they currently are.

As to why the location permission is required, I believe that was answered in the link provided.  Another way to say it is that an application can identify your location just by scanning the wifi/bluetooth network for nearby devices.  Google decided that users should be aware of this, and require them to accept the concept that these apps have access to your location (eventhought it's indirectly) by accepting the Location permission.

Personally I think there should be two permissions within Android: One for Direct Location (GPS) and one for Indirect location (bluetooth/wifi), but thats outside of anything Fitbit can do about it.

[FBNL]

Totally agree. I just sent this email to fitbit:

"Hi I have had a fitbit for years. I am very happy with it. ... Now I'm not able to synch (and see sleep data, for example) unless I give location services permission. That offers no benefit to me and was not required when I bought my fitbit. If I buy a car, the dealer can't come back two years later and say, your car won't start unless you send us all the photos on your computer's hard drive. They CAN say, we will give you a year's worth of gas if you give us all the pictures on your hard drive; and I can of course choose if that is a worthwhile agreement. I would like to formally submit that I think it is bull**ahem** to render my product useless unless I agree to give you more unnecessary access to my personal information. Please pass on that I give this a 1 out of 10 and my quote is "This is bull**ahem**." I will look for a different tracker."

Note: if it's an Android thing that's not my issue. That is something Fitbit (with whom I have an 'agreement') is responsible for in providing the service they promised me.