Activity Groups have been closed

[MatthewFitbit]

Fitbit Update 6/14/19: We have removed the web-based activity groups from Fitbit.com. Our enhanced community features within the Fitbit mobile app provide users with a significantly better experience by allowing them to access fitness-related news and local events, connect and message with friends, discover public groups of like-minded individuals, and create their own private groups.

User-created groups on the Fitbit app also allow members to track their progress through group leaderboards and cheer each other on, just as they could through the web. The Fitbit mobile app is available for Android and iOS.

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As of 6/13/2019, Web Activity Groups have been deprecated and will no longer be accessible.

We know that many of you have used this space to connect with friends and fellow Fitbit users, and we recommend considering the in-app Fitbit Community to continue those conversations. Along with topical public threads where you can discuss personal health goals, the Community also offers closed groups with many advantages - including space for up to 2,000 members, and leaderboard statistics.

For more information on joining and inviting your friends to these closed groups, check out this article. We know that this kind of transition can be difficult, but we are confident that you'll find lots to love in the new Fitbit Community!

[enna628]

Friends tile gone on the desktop version.  I haven't looked on my Android version yet.

[GSaldiveri]

@MatthewFitbit- As others have said, a little warning would have been nice! Most of the people on my friends list are due to those Activity Groups. We used them for monthly challenges (at least for steps) and many people were not linked as friends because we were able to group up in there. Now there is no way to get back to that.

I've had a closed group set up for months through the app and I  have yet to see a leader board in there. If it exists I'd really like an explanation as to how to view it. It would also be nice if I could get the now dead links to my groups off my profile page. Since you shut down the groups I can't get to a "Leave Group" link any longer...

*Edit: After updating the App, I now have a 7 day leader board available.

[treeman_22ca]

very up set with fit bit  even all my friends have been deleted.  Will be taking it off and never buying another or promote the product.

[SNS1999]

Me too. Gone on both my work and home computers. 

[maria2r]

I just joined a group that challenges members to hit at least 300,000 steps/month (10k per day). I was looking for it to check my stats then discovered that the activity groups were removed altogether. I am hoping someone from that group sees this post to get reconnected and have the leaders start it up again as challenge group on here?

Thank you.

~maria

[kehoops]

That is total BS!  I use my Community activity group daily for motivation!!  I literally adjust my workouts to make sure I keep pace with others at the top of the leaderboard!  Why did Fitbit unilaterally remove these groups with NO NOTICE!?!?  You didn't even give us a chance to figure out a way to stay together!  I am not 'friends' with anyone in my activity group so have no way to attempt to re-create.  This move was incredibly user-unfriendly!  Why bother with FitBit anymore when the 1 unique feature is gone?  Assissine!

[UnicornJean]

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@treeman_22ca wrote:

very up set with fit bit  even all my friends have been deleted. 

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I *think* your friends may not have been deleted. If you click on that blank tile "Fitbit is more fun with friends," your friends list should come up when it goes to a new screen -- at least mine did. Fingers crossed that yours will too. 🙂

I was pretty worried my friends were gone; now it is an additional click to see how they are doing. 😞

[checking]

@maria2r  I believe all Community Activity Groups have been deleted and will not be reinstated or return in the future. Since the activity groups were my main reason for using Fitbit (certainly not for their devices), I will be leaving Fitbit - only yet to decide if immediately or when current device dies (as we know it will).

[maria2r]

If anyone is not too upset with Fitbit and would start the groups back up, that would be great. I just joined a 300,000 monthly steps group and couldn't find it this morning when I was checking my stats. 

Thank you.

[maria2r]

@checking 

Thanks for your reply. I saw another thread about the Activity Groups being closed. A few have posted that they are very upset about that change and plan to leave the Fitbit community because of that. 

I was hoping someone who is not too upset with Fitbit from those groups would consider creating a challenge group on here for those who wish to continue with those types of challenges. What was good about those was that I did not have to do or post anything to the group, my steps were automatically posted to group and I just checking in to make sure I was on pace. I am not too savvy about these things and would not make a good group admin but would like the accountability.

[MarleyEckman]

Is there anyway we can still have a group?  Our company used that to track employees for a fitbit challenge so that they could earn money.

[auntiej]

Another reason to toss the Fitbit and go with another product.  And to say "this type of transition can be difficult" is patronizing.   You stop making the One, your expense bands start falling off after less than 6 months, you close the Activity Groups, etc. etc. etc.  I tell you what is difficult and that's continuing to like and support Fitbit.

[SunsetRunner]

Wow. Lame. Way to dis the users Fitbit.

[bachman_marilyn]

This is so unfair!! I have been in my activity group for years and monitoring it on my web. I can't afford an I-phone, I-pad or Android pad and am lucky to have a computer to enjoy my fit bit activity. Now I can no longer enjoy my activity group because it is not on my web. My fit bit is not fun anymore!
Marilyn

[CharityC]

This stinks!

[coloradomtnmn]

Matthew, did you guys just wipe out all of our groups we had previously setup? most of us here complaining, all used the leader board in some fashion. is this data just gone or will you be migrating it to the App? can we search the App and find our Web groups we had along with our leader boards? why did you guys not notify anyone that this would be happening?

[Drainman]

you said go to link and I clicked link and it says you can access closed groups on app. No you cant I went to my app and there is no such thing

[checking]

With the removal of the Activity Groups and their leaderboards (my primary reason for using Fitbit - the replacements available in the Apps are nearly worthless), the choice of which of my devices to wear, Garmin Fenix or Fitbit Charge 2, becomes obvious. Perhaps more important to Fitbit is where I'll go to buy my next device.

Oh yeah, and thanks for the smooth roll out. You know, like announcing a few weeks/months ahead so that we could be prepared for the closure, e.g., collecting data, discussions, and group member lists. Thanks for your consideration in obliterating years of our personal contributions and discussions.

Goodbye

[ashmorde]

This is a total nightmare. I was running a 300+ group and we were right in the middle of a one month challenge. 

[lemayp]

This June we were about to celebrate our 48th months at my company where the fitbit group was being used.  The main objective of the group was to monitor and motivate our employees to walk 10,000/7500/5000 steps a day calculated on a monthly bases.  Statistics were accumulated and reported.

The Activity group was the only way to monitor that and represented a huge source of motivation.

I think that fibit missed something here by removing the feature.  It was a key feature for "average" people who want to monitor differently their effort while sharing it with friends.  It made people purchasing the device in order to join the groups I have created.