Fitbit Coach will become part of Fitbit Premium

[FitbitCommunity]

To the Fitbit Coach community,

Fitbit Coach is now becoming part of Fitbit Premium. Fitbit remains committed to providing all the tools you need to live a healthier, more active lifestyle. To give you more choices for working out as well as the range of additional features check out Fitbit Premium. With the Fitbit Coach workout content now in the Fitbit app, and to allow you to use one app going forward, we’ll shut down the Coach mobile app, Coach website and Coach app on Fitbit smartwatches on July 30, 2021. 

If you’re currently paying for a Coach membership, here’s what you can expect:

• Annual members— you’ll soon receive a prorated refund of the remainder of your Coach membership

• Monthly members— you won’t incur any further monthly membership charges

As an exclusive offer to support Coach members through this transition, if you’re not already a Fitbit Premium member, you can try Fitbit Premium for a full year at no additional cost if you sign up by July 30, 2021. 

To start your Premium trial, make sure you download the Fitbit app and log into your account before you get started (you must use the same email address for Fitbit Coach and the Fitbit app to take advantage of this offer). Then, open the Coach app on your phone and tap the message at the top of the screen to start your Premium trial.

Have questions? Click here for more information.

Thank you for being a loyal Coach member, and we look forward to continuing to support your health and fitness goals. 

[Frinnie]

Agree with all saddened by total loss of coach. Have cancelled my premium subscription and suggest others vote with their feet too. Tragic. 

[AmyGless]

I've tried to stay positive and work within the confines of FitBit, but I really miss FitBit Coach...  Its why I renewed my premium subscription last spring and it's why I recommended the program to my friends.  I don't get the sense (from reading this thread) that FitBit had an appreciation for what a good environment the Coach app provided its users.  It was motivating, intuitive and provided good feedback. This is a huge loss and a big mistake.  I'll be moving on and looking for a fitness program/tracker that provides a more rounded experience.  I'm super disappointed - I finally found something that worked for me and you turned it off.      

[Yige]

Hi Amy,

I can only share with you my frustration. Fitbit Coach was really good. And times when Google meant something good for me have gone long time ago. I knew that Google will do something bad for fitbit customers as I saw first news that Google wanted to buy Fitbit. And here it is. Now I am evaluating fiit.tv . First week is done. I like it. I have already ordered fiit tracker. And after second week Im going to decide stay with fiit or search another one.

But until now I am okay with my fitbit bracelet, but started to look around after they announced Fitbit Coach Service termination.

[SunsetRunner]

I explained my situation (that I bought the Inspire2 because of the year free Premium it came with that I would need because Fitbit claimed FitbitCoach became part of Premium, only to find out Fibit was lying) to the store I bought it. Luckily the store was very lenient and I got a full refund! I'll be trying out Garmin as a (hopefully better) alternative!

[ArmorClass]

I've been using Fitstar/Coach for almost 4 years now.  I am disappointed that we're losing many of the features that made Coach unique, primarily tailored workouts that increased the challenge level over time.  When I heard Coach was being 'migrated' my hopes was that they were replacing it with something better.  If you do want to improve on Coach I would suggest:

1) stronger tie in between fitbit device and workouts - workouts should track and adapt based on performance during the workout.  E.g. shouldn't the device be able to keep count of reps rather requiring me to report that manually? shouldn't it track heartbeat to see if a particular exercise is a struggle or really easy?

2) more variety - i kind of felt like after you reach a certain level or period of time using the app the exercises started to become more repetitive.  Variety is what kept me mentally engaged and looking forward to every new workout.

I know it's probably pointless to ask for enhancements to something we are losing even basic functionality of but just in case someone is thinking about addressing these complaints and looking for a way to improve on what we had, you have my top suggestions.

[Lyrinx]

I did not see any reaction from Fitbit to this discussion. Obviously they did the shut down of coach and Fitbit will not implement the personalized training into the Fitbit app.

Therefore I will cancel my Fitbit premium. I have now registered with Freeletics. They have an AI behind and a feedback function. 

It's a pity, but the trainings without individual feedback functions are useless and I just feel completely ignored by Fitbit. 😑

[ben80]

I used Coach on the iPad. Am I the only one missing an iPad app?

[ben80]

ok got it, there is a horizontal view in the app. I just can't see how this new app replaces personalised workouts, which is the only thing I am interested in. I dont think I will subscribe.

[Frinnie]

No - I’m missing mine too.


Sent from my iPhone

[pgerardo]

Let me get this straight, I bought a watch with a set of apps and now you unilaterally decide to remove an app that I started to use not that long time ago and was enjoying. Are you going to keep shifting apps to premium until people that bought a FitBit because, well it's a Fitbit, end up with a wristwatch that you can only see the time? I don't need FitBit for that, I can buy a 5€ watch for that purpose.

On top of that seems that there was a FitBit premium 1 year trial offer that I've also missed. I was thinking to renew my 90-day trial but now I'm not that sure 😠

[Yige]

Just delete it. Fitbit Coach service has been closed.

[Frinnie]

I think what it all must be, is that Google saw Apple Health. It thought, we want to do that but don't have the trackers etc. Who's currently good and independent? Fitbit. Let's buy it!

Taking over Fitbit is the beginning of a major new Health store to be launched by Google. Google are keeping this under wraps, because they are late, because of the pandemic, but closing down both Fitbit Coach, and almost all of what was good about Premium, part of the Big Plan.

I also think "Sylvia" and co are just algorithms as they always say, thank you for writing, we are always doing our best to improve fitbit.

I imagine the originators of Fitbit (a) didn't realize this would happen and (b) are sad to see their old programs go down the plug hole. 

Sent from my iPhone

[SSNomad]

I was about to upgrade to a Versa 3. Since I can't get personalized workouts, find anything (seriously, no search function and not even categorized by type of exercize?), or download things to my phone in areas with poor connectivity, I may as well sped the extra $ for an Apple watch. 

[SSNomad]

Worst decision ever. 

1. No search function so things are all mixed together -- good luck finding walking!

2. No ability to download outdoor audio workouts for areas with poor connectivity. 

3. No ability to see what is in the workout in advance. 

4. The workouts themselves are not as clear. Some are mislabeled so you think you're going for a walk but it's really a run or some kind of aerobics. 

5. No personalized workout every day. 

[DrFrankencopter]

After a couple weeks off I’ve tried my first workout since the transition from FitBit coach to  FitBit premium.

To say I’m disappointed is a severe understatement. I’ve been using this app since the FitStar days (8 years or so). Loved the guided personalized workouts. Now it’s a bunch of random videos that are nowhere near my level. I used to get a solid 50min workout programmed for me, now I need to waste time hunting around to find workouts. Surely I can find this for free elsewhere.

Does anyone have other recommendations for guided/personalized body weight workout app? Or maybe I’ll just sign up for cross fit at a local club.

FitBit, what were you thinking? I didn’t need new content/features…just take my money and give me what you already have developed.

[StephanieNC]

Your description mirrors my experience.  The bigger loss for me was FitStar Yoga, which I loved.  On the bright side, I have been forced to explore other apps (the FitBit Premium "yoga" section is a bad joke), and I've found good ones.  Still searching for good HIIT and bodyweight workouts.

[SSNomad]

I used the yoga too, especially during lockdowns this past year. Part of the reason I was sticking with FitBit instead of switching to Apple Watch was the apps. I was just about to by a Versa 3, and now I'm reconsidering. There is no way to compare this stuff very well. I do like the sleep tracking on Premium and did manage to find two of the audio walking workouts I liked, but I will really miss the suggested workout each day. 

[SSNomad]

It seems pretty clear that no one from FitBit is monitoring this or doing anything about it, so, if you find a better tracker/program, please post it here. I have been trying to compare Apple Watch, Versa 3 and Sense, and was about to purchase a Versa 3 when this happened. Now I'm back to the drawing board. I don't know what fitness apps people use with Apple Watch. If you do switch and find something, please let us know in this thread. Thanks!

[amichetti]

I haven't tried them yet but apparently Freeletics has an AI trainer that
adapts to your ability and growth. I don't know if it syncs to any
smartwatch tho.. It's just an app on phone or tablet.

Since this announcement from Fitbit, I've been trying Nike Training Club.
It's been good in that I can give the app feedback on how hard the workout
is, but it's definitely not adaptive to me. I will probably give Freeletics
a try next.

It's the adaptive workouts from Fitbit Coach that I miss most. There just
isn't a replacement and I cannot figure out how a company that is literally
collecting my fitness data daily would not want to use that to give me a
workout tailored to me!

It's mind-boggling and frustrating and disappointing 😞

[Spaspartan]

This has been a really sad move. The interaction with the coach videos on premium are just not the same. I miss just being able to preview the workout and see what exercises were going to happen, now it's just a roulette game. The functionality of coach was spot on even without membership directly to coach (only have premium membership). Please properly integrate coach to the fitbit app, I don't mind them merging, but the functionality should still remain. This wasn't a merge, it was like a really poor drag and drop backup saved in the wrong format. Google I've been counting on you to enhance and elevate the device and platform I've loved for years now, but this was a clear step in the wrong direction. Please take your customer base seriously when we say we really enjoyed the coach app.