3rd Party Apps on Sense 2 and Versa 4

Restore the ability to install 3rd party apps on the Versa 4 as was possible in previous versions of the watch.

 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and label.

754 Comments
jwm12
Jogger
That's the one. An update sure would be nice here 😅.
silvatyrant
Recovery Runner
Me too. I see an app called "MED ID" in the Gallery for my Sense 2. Is this
a mistake or are they testing 3rd party app release?
SunsetRunner
Not applicable

Are you kidding?!  I returned a Sense 2 for a Sense rather than "upgrade" to this piece of garbage.  It's arriving today.  

Fatal23
Recovery Runner

At least this app "proves" that it is not impossible to install 3rd party apps on a Versa 4. Come on Fitbit, open the floodgates!

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

On the brightside, I just got my upgrade from the Sense 2, now have a Sense.  Last fitbit I'll ever buy if they don't get their s*** together.

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

Had planned to replace my Versa 3 with the Versa 4 but not now after learning about the 3rd party apps.  That's a downgrade!  Fitbit definitely needs to add them back in.

Joardar73
Recovery Runner

Had a Versa 2 for years, it was great. My wife has a Sense 1 and she loves it. Once my Versa 2 died the Sense 2 was just released. My thinking was that the Sense 2 would be a next gen Sense 1, it's not. The Sense 2 is a step back from what the Sense 1 is. If I were to label the Sense 2 it would actually be a large screen Charge 6.

 

For the money that I put down for this "Smart watch" it should come with Google Assistant, YouTube controls, Google Wallet, Google Maps and support for third party apps like it's lower end less costly predecessor's.

LordBear
First Steps

Is it just me or is the Sense 2 really a disappointment and why does it keep losing its connect to my phone on blue tooth to receive any messages.  My last fitbit was great  and I feel totally let down by this product 

Marimu
Jogger

Devuelve aplicaciones como spotify!

adamski26
Stepping Up

I am absolutely fuming that I have spent all this money on the latest versa, got rid of my Versa 2, to find out that all the apps I used to use are no longer available! What on earth! I can't download the Fiit app so cannot sync when I workout in the gym. This is unacceptable FitBit and I'll be returning it first thing next week unless there is some indication this is going to be resolved in the next few days. It looks like customers need some communication. And if not, after 8 years of faithful use ill be abandoning FitBit in favour of Garmin or Apple! 😡

asiayeah
Pace Setter

1k votes have been received!

 

Joardar73
Recovery Runner

Mine was a gift also. If I would have put my money down on this I would have returned it and bought a Samsung or Garmin.

CallumDickerson
Stepping Up

Like so many others, I purchased this watch assuming (wrongly) that it would have at least the features of the original Sense, plus some new features and upgrades on top. However to my disappointment it doesn't even have half the basic features the original version had. On top of this, the inability to install third party apps and clock faces (which I have developed a couple of my own to suit my needs) makes this product second rate compared the original I bought it to replace.

 

Unfortunately I bought mine from Argos who won't take it back as I've opened the box, so it looks like I shall be putting the watch into a deep sleep in a cupboard somewhere in the hope that Fitbit decide to allow all the previous functionality, including the ability to develop your own apps, back again. There's a reason why I bought this over a Pixel watch...

adamski26
Stepping Up

What does 'Reviewed by Moderator' mean as a status? Does anyone know at what point this would be escalated? It seems to have garnered record support and thumbs in the forums. 

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

I got mine as a gift, as well.  Fortunately, the person who purchased it for me was just as disgusted with the false marketing, they gladly helped me return it.  Seeing as how others have had similar issues and extreme dissatisfaction, I wonder how long it will take this "class" of thousands to take "action" against Alphabet/Google/Fitbit's deceptive business practices...

asiayeah
Pace Setter

What is going on? The only 3rd party app, "MED ID" appeared for a while and it is no longer available now. 

 

(Google Map tile also appeared and then disappeared)

 

It's epic!

jwm12
Jogger

The lack of transparency is really frustrating. @YojanaFitbit is there anything that can be shared at all? The less we know, the more likely we are to abandon this platform for good, at this point.

Clearly things are happening internally and there must be some kind of plan with regard to eventually enabling the core features of these devices (or not). This is brutal for end-users and developers. 

 

Can we please get some kind of update on if this even has a possibility of happening?

Joardar73
Recovery Runner

I would think with all the C.A.L.'s against FitBit that they would try to avoid ticking off their customers.

 

The Med app that popped up in the app list must have slipped by FitBit. Everyone got excited that FitBit  was opening up the third party apps. Apparently that was a fluke.

 

FitBit/Google needs to have a meeting real quick to fix this our it's going to go sideways pretty soon.

asiayeah
Pace Setter

Sounds like a rebellious developer at fitbit tried to open up 3rd party apps. It was discovered quickly and fitbit shut it off again. I hope that developer is still fine.

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

Haha @asiayeah I don't think that's what happened, although I liked the story about the rogue Fitbit developer 🤭 Most probable and mundane reason is some problem with app list filtering, if they're using regex-based filters, version filters or any other, it may happen that one app could show when it isn't supposed to. They simply fixed the field value or the actual filter, either in the frontend or backend.

silvatyrant
Recovery Runner

@YojanaFitbit @LizzyFitbit please can you comment on whether the product team has acknowledged these concerns raised by paying consumers? 

 

@Bilki what's troubling is that the app worked! So there is no technical reason why Fitbit/Google is restricting third-party apps, which infuriates and perplexes.

asiayeah
Pace Setter

@SunsetRunner Now we just need to remove that regular expression filter and we are all set. 

 

 

I still have the MED ID app on my fitbit Sense 2. It is now a collectable item?

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

@silvatyrant well, the OS of both Versa 3 and 4 is the same AFAIK, so not a surprise that apps working for Versa 3 can work for Versa 4 as is. Probably a business/product decision to disable third party support, they could have renamed it or use Charge 5 XL/6 like someone mentioned earlier, adjust the price tag, and nobody would've complained.

 

silvatyrant
Recovery Runner

Agreed. This is sly and unscrupulous business practices. 

jwm12
Jogger

The lack of communication to developers is also problematic for their ability to support customers. They are bearing the brunt of end-user confusion in some cases. 

To comment, you must first accept the terms of the Idea and Feedback Submission policy.