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@LizzyFitbit In your latest response you mentioned "At this moment, this request has been reviewed by our Fitbit moderation team, and we'll update the status of this suggestion once we have more information from our development team."
Is there a date that we can expect their review to be completed by?
Everyone, I think you already have your answer. The moderators have reviewed the request and are “waiting for feedback from the developers”. If this was on the roadmap, they would have already said so, to prevent returns and/or losing customers. They aren’t planning to add 3rd party apps or developer support, so go ahead and return your devices and move along to Garmin or Apple. Fitbit “smart” watches are done.
These are still being sold and marketed as "Smartwatches". This is blatantly false. A smartwatch allows the user to install or remove applications based on what they want. I have been following this very closely and am extremely disappointed by this company. I feel that I have been reloaded despite Downgrading to the Sense. I will be, from this point on Not recommending fitbit as a product from this point forward. I don't believe I am able to return this for a refund at this time so I have option but to keep this. It will be a reminder of a poor decision on my part and to never blindly trust a company that I have given my business to for a number of years. I think that somewhere there is an individual that justified a pay raise by by coming up with this. I hope the pay raise of a few thousand dollars has justified the disgrace that this has caused the brand.These are still being sold and marketed as "Smartwatches". This is blatantly false. A smartwatch allows the user to install or remove applications based on what they want. I have been following this very closely and am extremely disappointed by this company. I feel that I have been reloaded despite Downgrading to the Sense. I will be, from this point on Not recommending fitbit as a product from this point forward. I don't believe I am able to return this for a refund at this time so I have option but to keep this. It will be a reminder of a poor decision on my part and to never blindly trust a company that I have given my business to for a number of years. I think that somewhere there is an individual that justified a pay raise by by coming up with this. I hope the pay raise of a few thousand dollars has justified the disgrace that this has caused the brand.
Hello VanBoren Jogger! I had the same issue after purchasing my Versa 4. Now my biggest complaint is that the Versa 4 does not support third party apps. Also, there are limited clock faces. I have contacted Fitbit and it's moderators regarding this issue and have had no response. There are several other problems with the watch. My Versa 2 worked a thousand times better but unfortunately it stopped charging. The only thing that the Versa 4 watch has going for it is the great battery life. So I finally decided to ditch my Versa 4 and purchased Amazfit GTS 4. The $175 Amazfit GTS 4 puts Fitbit to shame.
Alright Fitbit, It's 2023. Where is are our third party apps for the new watches? There has been a major outcry for them and number of votes keep rising. I know it can't be that hard to push an update for it. Why would you allow it still for your older devices but not your new ones? Everyone is trying to buy your older models hoping they will last a while and not be bricked to atleast have these features. Please help us!!!
That does seem like a bit of a cop out though... Why can't they just fix the issue? Seems like there's some underlying thing we are missing here and for it to have gone on this long with users all up in arms about it. Why would a company want to lose sales? Are they intentionally trying to go under?
It's not too late for me to send my Sense back and get a refund from Amazon. @LizzyFitbit or @YojanaFitbit can you explain to us how to return these pieces of garbage. I am beyond upset at how I have been treated as a customer by this company. Blatelant false advertising and trying to cover it up after the fact. I'm done with this company
What with the lack of communication from fitbit, and the news that music playback is pulled from previous generations, I for one will not be surprised to hear if fitbit will soon announce that they will pull 3rd-party apps from previous generations too. Too bad I foolishly bought it on release day for 300 EUR, without realizing it was a big downgrade (it DID say "download hundreds of apps" on their website), and to add insult to injury just a month later it was on sale for 200 EUR. It is hard for me to express the disgust I feel towards fitbit at the moment!
PS: Google is not converting any fitbit customers to Pixel watch customers, as the battery life on that thing is pathetic. Not to mention that half the fitbit customers are using Apple devices...
I want to thank you guys who commented for helping me decide not to get a Versa 4. Seems to me that Google ruined yet another company just like they did with Nest.
@LizzyFitbit or @YojanaFitbit I know you guys are just messengers here, but honestly if I were you I'd be quite upset at your product manager & upper management.
@LTarr Makes sense on promoting the Pixel now that you mention it.
@Denmike That's part of the reason why I preferred the Versa 4 was the battery life.
I came from a Versa which decided to finally crap out on me and won't charge or turn on.... I have heard rumors about older models being bricked after updates which is the only reason I didn't go with the ever seemingly harder to find Versa 3. The thing isn't even offered on their site anymore, yet an older version is. Smh, it truely is a shame. I don't want a Pixel or an Apple watch, I just want my fitbit to work like it is supposed to.
The lack of 3rd party apps is something that is unforgivable with such a watch. It's a nice design and all around lovely watch, but will advise people against it as long as this problem stands!
I returned my Sense 2 and got a Sense. There is no communication from Fitbit about this. The longer it goes, the more it seems that Google doesn't care about the consumer and is trying to push their garbage Pixel watch. If I were you, I'd return it and put your money into something else no rather than get stuck with what amounts to a Charge 5 with bigger face.
Are third-party apps (Spotify and Google Assistant) available on Sense 2?
Can anyone help. Just got a sense 2 (previously had a versa 2) and added new device, synced etc etc BUT I’m unable to instal Spotify and Google Assistant. Watch is pretty pointless if I can’t control my music on it, which seems stupid for an apparently better watch.
if someone can help on the Spotify and Google Assistant issue I’d really appreciate it - thanks all
Our family is new to FitBit (and "Smart" watches for that matter) and we live in Australia. We just bought a Versa 4 for my son and was hoping it would help him manage school lessons times, events etc. with him going into high school. After unpacking and connecting to the phone app I was perplexed when I couldn't find the Agenda app (as I saw many instructional web posts pointing to). Further reading then discovered that NO third party apps are supported! I couldn't believe it! What is ironic is that my son had grabbed the Versa 3 in the store but I promptly told him the Versa 4 would be "better" being a newer model. Boy did I make a mistake!
We are now stuck with an overpriced (almost $AU400) fitness tracker that the retailer will not exchange as they do not do "change of mind" exchanges when a product is not defective. I argued that the product is not fit for purpose however I was told that I should have confirmed with a store attendant that it had the functionality we needed before buying it (I doubt the store attendant would have even known unless they were a FitBit enthusiast).
I liken it to buying the next gen iPad (under the assumption that it will be an upgrade) getting it home and realising it will only run Apple apps!! To add insult to injury I believe if I had purchased the product directly via the FitBit website I could have returned it within 45 days. I argued this point as well with the retailer (The Good Guys, yes the name is ironic) but again I was rebuffed.
I've read the whole theory that since Google's acquisition of FitBit they have intentionally crippled the Sense 2 & Versa 4 products to make way for the Pixel Watch. These big tech companies makes billions from us but the consumer seems to have very little power in these situations.
Absolutely disgusted with the whole experience and would not touch another FitBit product, not to mention the poor treatment from the retailer.
The packaging on many new Fitbits lists the ability to run "hundreds of apps." If your packaging is the same, you might be able to argue that it's defective because it won't do what the box and advertisement says it will. Good luck!
Personally, I’m coming from a Versa Lite so any other Fitbit smart watch is an upgrade, just for the standard features alone. However I’m finding that the Versa 4 has been rushed out to catch the Christmas shopping period and get the sense that it’s just not finished.
It appears that Versa 4/Sense 2 are using a new FitbitOS version that is a halfway house between the FitbitOS on Versa 3/Sense and WearOS used on Google smart watches. The fact that it’s a new and unique OS, and potentially rushed to market, means there’s no SDK for app developers - whether this is a deliberate choice by the senior powers at Fitbit or just a delay in development, I do not know.
The introduction of Google Wallet and Google Maps seems to suggest to me that MAYBE there’s some Google store potential, however I have still not been able to set up my cards on Google Wallet after back and forth between 2 banks and Fitbit support. This makes the NFC feature redundant as I can’t revert to Fitbit Pay. Also, I have seen bad reviews on the maps feature (I’m on iOS so don’t have this yet!)
Again, the fact that the OS is not, in my opinion, truly Google-made means that the Google apps for these device are glitchy at best (again, in my opinion)
In short:
1 - Allow 3rd party apps on these watches
2 - Fix the glitches with the google apps
Fitbit needs to ask themselves:
Are customers satisfied with this product at the price that they paid?
I’ve seen lots of comments of people returning the latest watches as they are not getting what they paid for, this should be addressed by Fitbit.
After weeks of deafening silence, I purchased six new Garmin devices to replace all of my family's devices. Fitbit left me without crucial third party apps that I purchased lifetime memberships to and refused to respond with any type of certainty to us.
My experience of importing all of my activity history was straightforward, and while I regretted the inertia of moving so much over, I feel a little stronger that Garmin has incentive to keep improving their offering and customer experience—something none of us can say about Fitbit.
As a member, and fan, of Google's ecosystem, with subscriptions to most of the main services and dozens of pieces of hardware, this has left me reevaluating the entire relationship. I don't think I'm alone in this sentiment. This may seem like a small feature request, but it's showing either intentionality in giving us a bad experience or carelessness to their customer base.
@Plod-Along It is definitely not a technical reason not to provide SDK nor 3rd party apps on Versa 4 or Sense 2. Indeed there was a leak and one 3rd party app was made available but later removed. Given it is just a new version of the fitbit OS and their technical resources, it is likely a management decision or mis-judge.
IMHO, I'm afraid only fitbit shareholders can question fitbit and Google and ask them about what's happening.
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