Unable to share/cast Premium workouts to TV

[Laszlo1981]

Hi,

I have found out this morning, the screen share/cast option is not available from the exercise videos anymore.

I still can cast using the phone in-built feature, but in much lower quality and not as convenient.

I have Pixel 7 phone.

Why is this feature is not available anymore? The app's log does not state it was removed.

Thanks

Laszlo

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Laszlo1981]

Android central picked the issue up. Great.

https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/googles-latest-update-makes-the-fitbit-app-unusable

[Paulpoll]

Thanks for sharing this article. Hopefully this will encourage Fitbit to either bring back the feature or make some announcement as to why they removed it in the first place.  The lack of a satisfactory solution/response is disappointing, particularly when it appears that this feature is the reason we all moved to Premium. 

[TracyThePas]

What a bunch of crap. As if you can watch a workout video on a phone screen. It was one of the perks of Premium. Shame on you Google

[QuentinBeck]

Several posts/updates from yourself all of which state the same.

There is no need for an "investigation". Just read the posts by users on this forum and it's evidently clear that the Casting function has been intentionally removed in the latest Android app update.

Version 4.30 can cast videos without issues.

Version 4.32 does not have the ability to cast videos as it has clearly been removed and a decision has been taken to intentionally make this the case.

The function needs to be reinstated so that Premium subscribers can make full use of the service they pay for.

The function was removed via an app update so it can just as easily be reinstated with another.

This is very simple. It is not a several weeks long effort to "investigate" something that is so obvious and so straightforward.

If you are not getting answers then you need to keep going back until you actually get an answer.

[Laszlo1981]

I totally agree with you.

Rolling the app back to a previous version and using the cast button works, plays the training videos, then it proves, the original functionality is still part of the app. The cast button could be easily reinstated as it must be a minor UI update.

The team have the changeset for each update, they could easily roll the change back and push an update out.

@LizzyFitbit - point the question to the Fitbit Team manager why this function has been removed and why this function is not reinstated yet. Any investigation is just time waisting. We do not want anymore investigation.

The Fitbit community did the hard work for the Team to prove what they messed up.

[Sonea_]

I honestly think Google does not care, they can throw us away like garbage and they even can afford it. 

Google will try to force us Premium users later on to buy the new Google TV application so that we can still use our Premium. 

[QuentinBeck]

Absolutely correct. Rolling back does work, so I have the ability to still utilise workout videos as intended. 

Sadly not all users are comfortable side loading older versions of apps, so a lot of users will be stuck with this latest update.

As you have clearly stated any investigation is just waisting time as it is blatantly obvious what has occurred. This isn't an error particular to a specific device etc it's an intentional removal of basic functionality by the developers and has been done via an update to the app.

It's so mind boggling straightforward that anyone can see it. Yet everyone has to go through the motions of hoping a Moderator will come back with a solution, despite us already having told them what the solution is.

Instead Google should just come straight out and be honest about the removal and why they have done it. We all know they don't care and the moderator "carrying out an investigation" is just pure lip service.

[Lazetteb]

On the phone with FitBit Premium right now. I am hoping this is just a glitch and the feature has not been disabled. I have placed on hold. If streaming premium content has been disabled, I am definitely doing to cancel my premium subscription. It is only the last remaining "perks" that I'm actually use and that is valuable to me. 

FitBit needs to do MUCH better about listening to its customers and I've undeniably seen a decline since the transition to Google. 

If I have to constantly go elsewhere to get fitness content in the format I want, like streaming, then my FitBit subscription no longer a value added service to me. 

Still on hold BTW. They told me they will circle back in 24 hours. I will update then! 

[tt1234567]

The app on my phone got updated this morning. Sadly, there's still no cast-to-tv button.

[yooeff99]

I wonder how this investigation is going....

I guess they really killed the most obvious feature for the app.  Unreal.

[mrsleep]

Hi @LizzyFitbit, just wanted to check in as it has been two weeks since your last update. Could you please confirm whether this feature will be returned? Thanks.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone, and welcome to the new members.

Thanks for keeping me informed about this situation. I understand how frustrating this has been for you, and I sincerely apologize for the experience you've had. Please know our team is actively investigating the issue to develop a fix as quickly as possible.

While I don't have a specific time frame for the fix at this point, I want to assure you that I will update this thread with more information as soon as it becomes available.

[QuentinBeck]

What on earth is still being investigated at this stage??

The answers have been handed to you on a plate. There is nothing to investigate. The fix is to reinstate this basic functionality to the app as it has been intentionally removed in the latest update.

Please pass this on with urgency to the developers who essentially downgraded the entire customer experience with this ridiculous update that has stripped out an essential function.

[TracyThePas]

Investigate?? Just put the cast feature back on

Sent from my Bell Samsung device over Canada’s largest network.

[Wend19]

They are either chronically understaffed, don't care, or don't intend to fix the issue.

I'm going with "don't care/don't intend to fix it".  I've assumed since their acquisition of Fitbit that they plan to kill the company in a misguided attempt to get people to use their unsuccessful smart watches instead.

[AaronCo]

Removal of casting functionality without any notice = me cancelling Fitbit Premium as soon as the trial period expires. Using the screen cast functionality on my phone reduces video quality and eats battery. Instead of removing features from a paid subscription suddenly, how about creating an AndroidTV/AppleTV app first. Very frustrating product management decision, and damaging to your brand!

[mrsleep]

Hi @LizzyFitbit, thanks for the response. Let me rephrase my question slightly - you said in your post that the team is "investigating the issue to develop a fix as quickly as possible". Can you please confirm that this means:
a) that the removal of TV casting has been recognised as an issue, and
b) that work is being done to reintroduce this feature?
Knowing the above would make the lack of timelines more palatable.
Many thanks. 

[tt1234567]

---

@LizzyFitbit wrote:

Please know our team is actively investigating the issue to develop a fix as quickly as possible.

---

Hello @LizzyFitbit, thanks for posting that, it's good to know that there is an intention to fix the issue. It's given me at least some hope.

[Nancy_T]

This has been going on for over a month and refusing to refund or offer any kind of compensation to customers that paid specifically for this function is very bad business. I've moved on to the Les Mills platform since that was also removed from the Fitbit platform. Maybe you could also look into how we can get a refund.

[QuentinBeck]

In excess of a month with no answers at all.

Feable and meaningless updates from the moderator stating there is an "investigation", despite numerous individuals clearly spelling out exactly what the issue is.

I too will be looking to move to another platform very soon as the total disregard Google offers to it's customers is laughable.

I'm probably more insulted at the lack of transparency and honesty. We've all worked out that the Casting option was intentionally removed yet Google/Fitbit and it's moderators continue to treat us like children and believe we have no knowledge of Google's long history of failed tech projects/intentional closures of projects once they have acquired them.