Is the subscription required to view sleep stats?

[SunsetRunner]

Hi Fitbit,

May I just voice my disappointment with the fact that you make Sleeping Heart Rate and Restlessness a paid feature now! This is a gross business practice. What's next, I'll have to pay to track activities or access my daily heart rate logs? Fair enough that the access to extra features such as workouts is extra, but sleep tracking is standard feature of Fitbit. Outrageous. 

Moderator edit: Updated subject for clarity 

[SilviaFitbit]

It's great to see you around @SunsetRunner. Thanks for the details mentioned. Sorry for the delayed reply. 

The Fitbit Premium is a personalized resource in the Fitbit app that includes guided programs and advanced tools to help you reach your goals. There are 3 features of Fitbit Premium which are:

- Detailed programs tailored to your health and fitness goals 

- Insights on your activity and progress throughout programs 

- Step-by-step workouts with Fitbit Coach 

If you have a watch that tracks your sleep stages, you will still receive this information and you can see it in your online Dashboard, you can learn more about it by checking this article: What should I know about sleep stages?

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @SilviaFitbit, thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, in my app some features of the sleep tracking are showing as paid features. Could you please confirm if I should be able to access these without joining Fitbit Premium? 

[Giampi71]

@SunsetRunner 

See also this discussion.

In my opinion this is a terrible mistake by Fitbit and we need to be vocal.

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks @Giampi71, I agree with you! Very poor choice from Fitbit 

[SilviaFitbit]

Thanks for getting back @SunsetRunner. Sorry for the delayed reply. 

I appreciate the screenshot you've shared. The sleep score you're mentioning in the Fitbit app, it's only available if you buy the Fitbit Premium, you can learn more about this service by checking this article: What's sleep score in the Fitbit app?.

Thanks for participating in the forums @Giampi71.

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[SunsetRunner]

@SilviaFitbit, according to your previous answer, 

"The Fitbit Premium is a personalized resource in the Fitbit app that includes guided programs and advanced tools to help you reach your goals. There are 3 features of Fitbit Premiumwhich are:

- Detailed programs tailored to your health and fitness goals 

- Insights on your activity and progress throughout programs 

- Step-by-step workouts with Fitbit Coach"

Could you please explain how the two features of sleep tracking fall in any of these categories? Am I the only one who fails to see the connection between the restlessness and heart rate during sleep and tailored workouts and progress tracking. 

[SunsetRunner]

Also @SilviaFitbit maybe you are able to tell me why the two features in question were available for free for the first few days after roll out but then were made as paid features? 

[jocelynloane]

I totally agree! I feel like to offer the stats and them hide them behind a paywall a week later is a betrayal of their customers. Boo Fitbit!

[LarryFish]

I, for one, completely disagree with the entitled whining going on in this thread and many other.  You have access to the same sleep stats available before the update.  You will have to pay a subscription for the new sleep insights (plus the other new health features). 

I wonder how some of you function in the world.  Fitbit spent a load of time and resources developing and testing these new algorithms to give you actionable health insights.  If Fitbit couldn't charge for this development time, they wouldn't create the new algorithms.  What is the problem? 

I'm excited to see what Fitbit brings to the table with this subscription service.  I'll pay if its worth the money to me.  If not, I won't. 

But but but, not being able to see two new resting heartrate insights makes Fitbit a total disgrace and an unethical company!!! Cut the crap and grow up.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @LarryFish, thanks for sharing your point of view.

With your question about the ability to develop new features if Fitbit didn't charge for it you seem to forget that to be able to access the software you first have to purchase the hardware. For example, Charge 3 that I'm using was released less than 1 year ago, I have had it for 2 months, yet already I would have to spend more money to access the new features. 

As I said in my original post, I understand that features such personalised workouts and tracking your progress is charged extra. It's a bit like signing up to the gym - you can use all the equipment but if you want a personal trainer, they charge an extra fee. The sleep stats are not a personal trainer though, they are like a new flashy set of dumbbells that you have to pay extra to use - and you have to pay as much as for the personal trainer, even though you don't need one!

What is also quite odd here is that the features WERE actually available for free for a short period of time. 

In all this, of course each Fitbit user can decide if they want to pay for the feature or not, but you still can feel like you being ripped off.

[Giampi71]

According this tweet by Fitbit CEO the sleep score uses the SpO2 relative sensor that we, owners Versa/Ionic/Charge 3, have already paid.

It means that Fitbit is collecting data from our sensors without giving anything in return if we don't pay further? For once I think Fitbit should pay us a premium fee to collect OUR data.

[SilviaFitbit]

Thanks for getting back @SunsetRunner. Sorry for the delayed reply. 

Fitbit Premium insights use your health and fitness data to provide customized tips and observations to help you reach your goals. Fitbit Premium helps you build healthy habits by offering tailored workouts, insights into how your behavior impacts your health, and personalized plans to help you reach your goals. Pick a subscription that works for you, and then start with a free 7-day trial. 

If you're sleeping well, you will have the energy to exercise more. 

Regarding your sleep stages, you're still able to see them in your online Dashboard, see the screenshot below: 

Hey @LarryFish, @jocelynloane and @Giampi71. Your feedback and comments are appreciated. We're always striving to provide you with the best Customer Service, you can post your idea in our Feature Suggestion board. Those ideas are reviewed by our team and the status is given based in Fitbit's plans. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[KateFitbit]

@Giampi71 I checked with our team and the current version of Sleep Score does not utilize SpO2. I don't have any other updates at this time, but will let you know when I hear more. 

[Giampi71]

So, are you saying that FITBIT CEO made a false statement?

[SunsetRunner]

@SilviaFitbit, thanks again for having this back and forth with me. 

Following your logic, you could argue that all stats should be premium since they all provide some insight on how your behaviour influences your health. I honestly do not see any difference between the newly introduced sleep measures and any other analytics in the app. Why are these particular ones premium? They don't provide some revolutionary analysis when compared to other features. What is more, the heart rate is already available in the daily heart rate records!

Should we expect all new features to now be only available via premium subscritpion?

[Giampi71]

One more question: are you going to print in the tracker boxes, manuals and every other information available that some features required a yearly subscription to be paid?

What about all users who bought the trackers and there was not such information on the box?

[AlejandraFitbit]

Hey guys, thanks for your participation in the Community, I am sorry for the delay in respond.

@Giampi71, as mentioned previously, the current version of Sleep Score does not utilize SpO2. Once we have more information about this, we will let you know.

@SunsetRunner, I understand how are you feeling and appreciate all the feedback provided about this. If you want to have more information about this feature, I recommend taking a look at the help article: What should I know about Fitbit Premium?.

Let me know if you need anything else. 

[Giampi71]

@AlejandraFitbit Looking at the forum/reddit and many other sources on internet it is evident to see that users are expecting Sleep Score to implement SpO2.

And couldn't be different since both James Park and Dennis Hsu officially states its presence.

I really think  that Fitbit should issue an official statement and apologize to the users, similar to what Apple did few month ago with the AirPower Wireless Charger

[wearmiat]

Charging an extra subscription fee is completely bogus.  This isn't some phone app I'm whining about not being free; the sleep information goes along with the other health info that made up the reason I spent $230 on a fitness device.  In addition, the SPO2 sensor (a touted feature) was one of the reasons I selected the Versa, with the expectation it'd be useful for SOMETHING.  This is a complete joke.  Sorry Fitbit, this subscription move is the last straw...you've lost a supporter.