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!

[ashmorde]

@MatthewFitbit When you create a fitbit group, how do you see a monthly total and not a weekly total? I was in the middle of a group challenge on activity groups when it was deleted. I need a place where I can see only the month from start (June 1) to finish. 

[natmcd99]

We were looking to use Fitbit to track a company wide health competition, so far on the app I haven't found a way to view DISTANCE. Will this no longer be available? Also, do I have to add each individual coworker as a friend before I can add them to my private group? This doesn't seem like an upgrade.

Why didn't any of the sales members I discussed this with not mention this change when they knew I was potentially spending thousands of dollars on this (and have already spent thousands)? Everyone I have contacted (not from the help department) seemed to have prior knowledge, specifically the sales member who assisted in my first bulk order!

[McCall8]

What has happened to my community group ?  The link to my group stopped working yesterday ? Its like it doesn't exist anymore, and you can't search for groups?  Have fitbit changed this?  

[MattFitbit]

Hi all.

As many of you know, 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.

I apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced as a result of this change. If you have additional questions, you know where to find me!

[mmclaughlin]

Are you kidding me?  Fitbit just decided to close all of these community groups that people have been using for years.  Wow... probably should have done some market research on that one first.  Not interested in using the app, since we used the community groups for work teams not "friend teams".  Had you bothered to ask your customers what they want, I'm sure the community group option would still be available.  Also, thanks for the NOTICE that you were going to do this - you just shut down the feature, not giving us any time to make another plan.  Time to find a new activity tracker for our 400 employees...

[ashmorde]

I am in the same boat. I was in the middle of running a 300+ person company challenge.  

I do not see how Fitbit needed to do away with the Activity Groups. Not everyone uses the app on their phone. I understand that you want to make it more user friendly, but if that was the case you would not be doing away with features, instead you would be creating a way for the app to utilize what you can on the computer and vice versa. 

My company is invested. We have been doing these challenges for years and Fitbit has made this more complicated. There is no feature that allows a group to see a one month walking challenge. We need a place to go that we would be able to have that. 

[J-flex]

@MattFitbit   Exactly what enhanced community features are you referring to.  Challenges are restricted to 10 participants.  Despite all the requests, suggestions to have this increased Nothing has happened. The web based activity group allowed for us to have more then 10 participants.  Your comments fall short of anything tangible.  There isn’t anything  new or improved to work with. 

Do better !!!

[kehoops]

@MattFitbit -  Who the hell was the genius who decided to remove the community feature a) without notifying ANYONE that this was coming; b) in the MIDDLE OF THE MONTH where MANY are in the middle of group competitions; c) without bothering to ask the CUSTOMERS how they felt about it; d) assuming that we were and wanted to be FRIENDS with the people against whom we were competing (most of whom were total strangers); and, e) after touting this feature as a key differentiator for Fitbit over other trackers, thus luring many to purchase their particular device?  Whoever that genius is should be fired!! 

This situation is ridiculous and reminiscent of the genius move that was made last year, also without any notice, when Fitbit decided to change the way we were able to download our own personal data (Remember that debacle?  Luckily, we the CUSTOMERS were able to show you the error of your ways and we got our data back the way we wanted it.)  How can you tell us that the mess you have made is an IMPROVEMENT?  Says who?  You?  Maybe an improvement on your part because there is less maintenance?  Because it sure as hell is not an improvement on OUR (your customers) part.  This is a total cluster, Fitbit!!!!  Please do the right thing and restore the Group Activity functionality. 

I am leaving my house right now to go to Best Buy to return the FitBit that I got my husband for Father's Day.  Sounds like I am not the only one who has had it with these stupid antics!

[sj32]

As far as I am concerned you people really don't support your users.  I rely on the community groups that I am a part of and always visit this part of the app more than any other......this is just another way that you will be sending me away from your product.  My question is why eliminate a function with no real interaction with the users.  This is NOT goddd communityservice

[JoanWx]

Me too as of yesterday

[checking]

@MattFitbit - Despite what you say, the App leaderboards do not provide the same experience as the Community group leaderboards: Where is monthly data, where is distance, where are active minutes, where are daily averages for each of these, where are the individual titled threads/topics in the message section. Also, you close out those of use who do not wish to make their smart phone an integral and necessary part of their fitness tracker. What you say is horseshoes, I hope those of you responsible for this downgrade are paid in stock options. 

[ersgf4]

I am also having the same issue. 

[Drainman]

A lot of people do not have tons of friends with fitbit trackers. That is what made these groups fun to use you could join a monthly challenge with out knowing anybody. Now your pretty much stuck with a useless pedometer.

[CityLion]

I do not see Activity Groups in the Drop Down Tab for Community when Logged into my web profile/Dashboard today. My last use one week ago functioned well.

Community still reveals Help Forums and Discussion Groups now. 

@MatthewFitbit 

I do not mind migrating my deprecated groups primary discussions, and members.  I am the host. The issue apparent is that Fitbit claims it is my data, I have created it I want it back to use for my purposes and there is no longer a link available as before.  Please instruct me how I may retrieve my data.

Thank you

PS next month I would have migrated of my own volition, now I'm unFit a bit

[ashmorde]

@MattFitbit 

I am trying to do as you suggest, but there are issues. 

I created a group, but most of my friends are being shown as "inactive" Which I know they are not. The group feature will not allow me to add them to the group. How do I get them to show?

[CityLion]

Hahaha, I am so sorry you are in the position of defending the indefensible.  I'll assume all change is for the better given a chance to have a modicum of control in transition. 

One of the changes for the better I would like to see is Fitbit actually using their own system.  Every single user of the "Deprecated" feature could have been messaged automatically some time ago.   

[RedHedd]

Yup, me too, as of yesterday.  I had to click around to see that my friends list is still living somewhere, but not showing up on the Dashboard tile.

[Sweetytweety]

This really sucks....I have been friends  with people from all over the world on these sites and "bam" they are GONE....they were the only reason I continued to use fitbit.....I am broken hearted and have no clue what I am going to do.....I'm sorry, but you can NOT treat customers like they do not exist....you exist because of us !!!  Treat us that way

[Clay130]

Unfortunately I have not been able to view any groups in Fitbit the last few days cannot seem to find them anywhere the link that I had saved indicates the page no longer exists what's up? 

[UnicornJean]

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@MattFitbit wrote:

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.

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I really am looking for a solution. Where are the local groups near Amarillo, Texas? Denver and Austin are not "local" by any stretch of the imagination. Where can I find groups of other librarians? Where can I find folks who like to walk their dogs?

You see, I only was friends with one person in the Amarillo group. The other working and retired librarians weren't personal friends -- the people I know who were in that profession don't have Fitbit products. The 1300+ dog walkers weren't personal friends; my friends here who walk dogs don't have Fitbits. What you have done is isolate your customers who felt part of a community, be it their profession, their small town, their place of employment, or an interest that made them different from the norm -- one of my groups was folks over 50 who walked their dogs. 

What it feels like to many of us is that instead of letting us play in the shallow end of the pool, you are throwing us off the highest diving board into the deepest end of the pool, along with all the other folks. You are combining the local baseball team with the pros and expecting the less-experienced folks not to get discouraged.

One of the reasons I love my Fitbit is it let me look at others like me. Maybe I wasn't so bad at what I did since I could get into the top 10% of my groups if I pushed myself. It encouraged me to push for that extra 200 steps to get ahead of the person just in front of me -- and f that person took another 100 steps, I'd get up and walk, too. These ginormous groups that *Fitbit* thinks we will like won't do that. 

<sigh> So do you have answers to my questions? Will Fitbit create a public Amarillo group? Or maybe one for the Texas Panhandle? How will you find out about local events and tell those of us here about them? Is there a place where folks who want to walk in the Palo Duro Canyon can see if anyone else would be interested?

Please do consider these questions.