Google and Fitbit

[Jake68]

I’m struggling to understand why my Fitbit will be bricked next year because I won’t get a google account. Not sure what kind of unholy alliance was created between Google and Fitbit but I feel like I threw $130 in the trash when I bought this product. This sucks. 

[Odyssey13]

Hi @Jake68  Fitbit's purchase by Google was completed in January 2021. They have been slowly transitioning things over the past four and a half years. They've even extended the time we all have to switch over to a Google account, by a year. When the Charge 6 came out, people had to set up using a Google account, so it's not been unexpected. Not sure why you don't want a Google account. If you're using an Android phone, you already have a Google account so you can access the Play Store to get a variety of apps. Even my husband, who doesn't use all the features of his Android smartphone, has a Google account, although he doesn't actively use it.  

[Jake68]

I have a Charge 5. I have an iPhone. There was nothing on the box when I purchased my Fitbit that stated a Google account will be required to use most of the features of this product. Some folks are comfortable with Google worming their way into every aspect of our lives, I am not. And I certainly don’t need another email account in my life. What’s the point? I’ll most likely give my Fitbit away or toss it in the garbage next year.
Sent from my iPhone

[LZeeW]

@Jake68   Fitbit released the Charge 5 in 2021 and you didn't need a Google account to set it up.  Fitbit started requiring Google accounts for new users in mid-2023, a few months before the Charge 6 release.

I understand your opinion.  I have family members who will leave Fitbit next year.  Please don't put your Fitbit in regular trash if you choose to leave.  It should be discarded as e-waste in many areas.