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Return it now while you still can. They won't be fixing it. We have all tried. Been over a year and a half. It's going to die out for their Google Watch.
I was given the my first fitbit...versa lite as a hand me down and i LOVED it. I tend to depend on having those cool apps and games , even my son enjoyed playing the bubble pop . of course after about a year with it, it finally gave out and stopped working. I was given an option for like 5 devices and i would get a small discount (calling customer support pays off) and i did lots of research on the versa 4 and the sense 2 . sense 2 won and i ordered it. waited for it. got it. opened it up and immediately started setting it up. I discovered that there is no such thing as third party apps and I am really disappointed and sorry that i didnt just go to the store and buy a new fitbit that ACTUALLY SUPPORTS APPS. ugh. what a waste. of course i can't tell my husband cause i was way to happy to receive this watch. new things are awesome, well, till i bought the fitbit sense 2. what a shame. i wish i could return mine and get a better fitbit :'(
My take away from moderators’ response is that customers are supposed to review the dashboard of Fitbit and figure out if the topic they want to post and comment on, is already out there. And ensure they put their votes there and not create a new trail of posts and votes for the same thing. Because otherwise the votes won’t count towards the threshold they apply to take action. How convenient! How about asking your IT to build an algorithm that can identify duplicates and sum the votes? Great solution don’t you think??! So that proper analysis of customer feedback and sentiment can be done, and….be addressed! Or not. The aggregation of votes can even be displayed on the dashboard for all to see. But maybe that would be a bad things because it would be public about just how many customers in total are unhappy. The removal of the 3rd party app functionality is like buying the newer model of a car, only to find out once you start driving it, that it’s got 3/4 of the horsepower of the previous model. But hey! It came in a color that wasn’t available before! And the fact that this is not made blatantly clear when researching it online, is shocking. It’s misleading. There is just too much content online that creates the perception that the feature is still available. And oh! Here are the steps to follow! To only get to a screen, after following the path for featured compatible apps, showing a picture of what the Spotify app looks like on the watch itself, and underneath the word “install”, which doesn’t seem to have a purpose because you can’t click on it, and then you notice a message further down that reads something like ‘app not available’. And then some folks try to approach it from the Spotify angle, to see if there’s a setting on that side that should be changed, so it pops up on the Fitbit side. Only to find the list of current compatible watches on Spotify’s website/app, and theirs ain’t on there. Mystery solved.
Came here just to up vote this. I’ve had 2 versas and after the last one died, I was ready to pull the trigger on a versa 4. Then I learned there’s no 3rd party app support and you can’t even do things like basic music controls anymore…
The Google integrations are nice, but it seems like they come at too high a cost, locking you into their ecosystem and removing choice.
I’ll wait to buy until features like these come back and look for an alternative in the mean time.
I recently bought a Sense 2 as a replacement for my Versa 2 - whose battery was dying. I had no idea I'd lose most of the apps and tools I loved on Versa. Why would you TAKE AWAY apps and features that you had on your previous devices for no REASON! There are hundreds of complaints here and I'm sure many more displeased customers that haven't bothered complaining. My complaints could go on, but then I'll be chastised for posting an issue in the wrong forum! I'll be returning my Sense 2 and will attempt to replace the battery on my Versa so I can go back to the watch I loved. Bad form Google and Fitbit!
Fitbit is no longer the Fitbit we all fell in love with, it’s now an off brand of the Google Watch and Google is treating the Fitbit brand as basic trackers, but the price point does not reflect that. Sent from my iPhone
It would be fantastic to see the return of third-party app support Futbol Libre websites for the Versa 4. Hopefully, the update will address this soon!
I couldn’t agree more and it’s honestly pushing me to leave FitBit. I was forced to move from the versa 3 to 4 bc the 3 took a crap. So how is this an upgraded device? How do you build a new product, removing key features you had in your older model, stop selling said model and think your customers would be happy? Who in their product team made this call? This is absurd and they will be losing someone that has purchased minimum 5 Fitbit devices so far and will obviously have plenty more purchases in my future. Also, trying to get to some sort of support is beyond a nightmare (I’m pretty sure you’re just some random person that is helping). It’s almost like they knowingly left this out of their model manuals, help centers, and feature specs to trick their customers into spending $200 on a watch with same functionality as a $10 one. Whoever is in leadership positions here… well they should be fired. As an exercise watch, you would think you would think through your users experience. What would make you think that anyone would want to have to pull out their phones to change a song or turn volume up or down as they are working out? It seriously doesn't even make any logically sense. I'm still beyond baffled by the serious miss your product team did here.
Id encourage users to come here and post a comment every time you have to pull out your phone to change your music or volume etc. If we have to deal with this crap….fitbit should too…
Hey Fitbit just was out doing lawn work and had to come back to the house and get my phone to change the song and turn down my volume. Sure would be nice to be able to do that from my phone like I USED to be able to do.
Me again…. Currently at the gym on the treadmill and had to stop my run so I wouldn’t injury myself having to pull my phone out to change Whitney Houston I will Always Love you, bc you know who wants to have that song playing while running fast. can’t wait for your fix to return your device back to what they were. Can you clarify the date this will be restored?
We, others like you, have been posting for well over a year. There are hundreds of complaints and pleas to upgrade (ha) the software to include what was previously included. It is pretty clear that Google smart guys have made a decision to play out the string with Fitbit, they don’t really care in the end if man/most take their business elsewhere. The long game big picture is they believe they are better off with one platform. Personally I found an old Sense and immediately returned my Sense 2. Not certain where I’ll go when this one dies, maybe Apple maybe Garmin. I need GPS and a simple front-middle-back golf app. I like Find my phone, and Bar Code App along with all the fitness, health data I have with Sense.
The removal of 3rd party apps is a huge downgrade when new versions are supposed to be upgrades. I have been a loyal FitBit customer for many years and have gotten many family members to use it as well. Taking away the customization features, such as what stats to show on screen for workouts, and the ability to download convenience apps such as a basic calculator, Spotify or even a game scoring app, takes away the reasons for choosing this smartwatch and shows that Google cares little about their customers and how they actually use their watches. My family has been expressing the same disappointments in these "upgraded" smartwatches. It does not encourage users to buy the more expensive watches, it unfortunately chases away your loyal users and brand ambassadors. Without these features, we are now considering leaving the Google/FitBit brand.
Hi @JDel123456, thanks for sharing this product feedback about adding 3rd-party apps to the Sense 2 with us. This idea was already requested in this board, so I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to make sure the product feedback shared here doesn't get confused, or split a popular vote. Please click on the thumbs-up to show your support.
Oh man, just got my sense 2 up and running and got the band I wanted. I don't know why I assumed I would at least be able to change the song I am listening to but I can't. The "apps" are a nothing burger with sauce on the side. I was expecting way more. 😞
Reading the posts here it looks like Google pulled it. I'm returning my watch and I was so excited. I read older reviews I guess. I'm so tired of Google killing things.
Thank you for sharing your suggestion about adding 3rd party apps on Sense 2 and Versa 4. We appreciate your input and rely on feedback like yours to enhance our products and features according to our community’s needs.
If this suggestion gains enough votes and popularity from other customers, it will be reviewed internally by various teams at Fitbit. You can learn more about our process for deciding which suggestions get developed by visiting our FAQs.
Please stay tuned for any status updates. In the meantime, feel free to visit Health & Wellness to engage with other members about health and fitness topics.click here for further inforamtion.
Customers have been floored by newer fitbits going backwards in time re 3rd party apps and useful features and have repeatedly reported this.
Your response is only that if you receive enough votes you'll consider it?! You need votes to tell you to keep your product relevant and useful?
10 years I've had a fitbit and this will be my last one. So many other choices that focus on the fitness we want and the smartwatch features everyone uses.
That’s a bold face lie! People have been voting and letting you know their frustration and unhappiness with your product for years! Literally thousands of people! Do something about it. Sent from my iPhone
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