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.

752 Comments
Llesly
Recovery Runner
According to Fitbit, they do not aim to update 3rd party apps or music at
any time. I'm sticking to my versa 3 n selling my new 4 as its not fit for
purpose and we were all mis-sold it
Vaughn2
Jogger

https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/smartwatches/sense2

 

I had the original Sense smartwatch and for the Sense 2…I purchased it as an upgrade with additional features , but instead , got the opposite. So , my question to Fitbit is when will Wi-Fi be enabled on this device and when will I be able to ‘download hundreds of apps…’ ???? this is what is advertised and thus, that’s what is expected. Anything else would be grossly misleading and false advertising. So let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and just call this a sloppy rollout. 

 

ChriguB
First Steps

I've just bought a Fitbit Versa 4.

All my family members own a FitBit Versa (Light or Versa 2) except me, until now. They use a lot of 3rd party apps on their watches and are very happy with them. 3rd party apps were the main reasons to buy a Versa for me aswell. But now I'm very disappointed of my brand new Versa 4!

I also wanted to begin programming own apps for the Versa, but as I've seen in the Fitbit Dev Space, it's not possible at all!

Please bring 3rd party apps back on the new devices asap!

Fatal23
Recovery Runner

@YojanaFitbit with all due respect, but do you have any idea what our posts are about? They are NOT suggestions, they are complaints about our brandnew "smartwatches" that promised a lot (as successors of Versa 3 and Sense), but do not deliver.

Dopovo
Pace Setter

Even more, @ccjlipin is asking for an app made by Fitbit, hence not even a third party app as this thread where @YojanaFitbit moved his suggestion.to

Lucid.lynx
Jogger

I was so excited to go back from Garmin to Fitbit. I had the first Versa a few years ago, then moved to Garmin, and ever since I was waiting for something really cool from Fitbit. I decided that waiting for 2nd Sense generation will be a good idea. Feature wise it seemed to be awesome, but now when I have it and when I found out, that no apps are available - I am a bit furious. No, I don't need anything fancy, I don't use my watch as navigation or whatever, but MUSIC is crucial. It's a fitness god **ahem** watch after all, and I hate carrying my phone around while working out. You don't want to integrate with Spotify, Pandora or whatever - ok, I am good with that, but then KEEP the on-device storage and ability to upload music. Yes, I am totally angry about this. Fitbit, hear your customers! New products shouldn't be an overpriced downgrade...I feel that despite the more cool UI and more sensors this is sitll a downgrade even from the first old Versa. 

AuntieKim
Base Runner

Hi, Be prepared for a shock if you use the fitbit "return tool" to start a Versa 4 return to fitbit.  Looks like they start the 45 day count for returns on the day you pre-ordered.  I received my Versa 4 on September 23, but the tool lists October 10 as the last day to return.  Whoa...heart rate spike, anyone?  I called to confirm my correct return schedule and was told I had to use the new return label they would be sending me.  Just wanted to share.  Good luck!

LTarr
Jogger

I'm new to the fitbit community as I have just purchased a sense 2 device, one of the main features I was looking forward to was developing my own clock faces.

 

What I don't understand is:

- Why there is a debugging mode that doesn't work?

- Why is there a lack of comments from Fitbit about this if its the most requested feature by far?

- If it is something to do with the google acquisition (which I'm assuming to be the only reasonable explanation) why not just let us know with some form of suggested timescale?

 

I'm now really nervous about keeping my watch because there doesn't appear to be anywhere that tells me 'You will be able to develop for your new watch'.

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

I agree with all others here 100 percent. My frustration continues to grow with fitbit and this new versa 4. It is a DOWNGRADE from my versa 2. 

No Spotify, no strava, no uber, no google maps!!!??? No decent useful apps to add ar all  and the limited clockfaces ...majority "not optimized" for use on versa 4. Really starting to rethink my fitbit membership altogether. 

I vote to reinstall these functionalities and let users feel that they have upgraded not downgraded and wasted money.

Rex_LYK
Jogger

To be honest I feel that my Versa 2 is much smarter than Sense 2 now 

scottbhwang
First Steps

When will we know if it will be added back?

DsprteMeasres
First Steps

I am pretty disappointed with my sense 2.  While it has alot of "neat" features like the ECG and mood scanning I find it is lacking in big features it promised such as on wrist call answering and maps with no word on when these will be integrated.  Add on to that the lack of 3rd party apps, and I should have stayed with my original Versa!  Bring back the 3rd party support, I can't function without my spotify app!  Will be looking into returning this, feel like I payed $300 to downgrade.

wp2022
Jogger

Glad I didn't jump on the Sense 2.  The Barcode app is one that I use constantly and as far as I know Fitbit was the only OS that had it. 

Justcruzinthru
Recovery Runner

Loved my Versa 2 - only replaced it because the battery would no longer last the day. Had been considering a Versa 3 but waited for the Versa 4 to get the Graphite Aluminum edging that was similar to the Carbon Aluminum edging on the Versa 2, Versa 3 didn't offer these edging options. Never in my wildest dreams did I think to confirm I would be able to continue to: 
1. Download third-party apps that I used daily on my Versa 2 such as (a) Starbucks, (2) Flashlight, (3) Agenda, (4) Number, (5) Find Phone -- which Fitbit says is on the Versa 4 but nowhere I can find. No third party apps on Versa 4. 

2. Select which phone apps I wanted to receive notifications from on my watch, such as (1) Medisafe, (2) Messages, (3) Zoom, along with the Versa 2 standards: (a) calls, (b) text messages (which I selected WhatsApp, because the option was available to choose), and (c) emails, along with the ability to customize quick replies directly from my watch. These features no longer exist on Versa 4.

3. Connect my watch to my earbuds and play music. There is NO MUSIC in any capacity on the Versa 4. No iTunes download, no Spotify, on Dreezer. 

I agree with the poster above who mentioned they believe this is an intentional move on the part of Google. It seems they acquired Fitbit to gain ownership of the select Intellectual Property for their own new Pixel line and purchase customer lists/order histories, while constraining investment in the future of Fitbit. I also agree with several prior posters who said it's false advertising to refer to the Versa 4 as a smartwatch; it IS a FITNESS TRACKER. 

 

And wait, there's more! I'm also disappointed that the Versa 4 does not allow the owner to remove preloaded apps either. Huh? Nope, I don't want Alexa on my watch, nor Fitbit Pay, but surprise! Nope, it's going to clutter up your watch whether you like it or not. 

 

Overall, incredibly disappointed and will be returned. 

NedPetrov
Recovery Runner

I am so disappointed about Sense 2 not having 3rd Party App Support, no music controls, expected Google Assistant as well. Why would Goggle allow such a massive mistake? I understand they want to sell the Pixel Watch but to degrade this, could be wonderful, device only to be able to push their other Watch in the market is a shameful thing to do by a company I usually have respect for. 

Fatal23
Recovery Runner

Could we get some kind of formal reaction from Fitbit please?

AuntieKim
Base Runner

I could not agree more!  My Versa 4 was returned to Fitbit last week.

gianiaz
Base Runner

I just received my sense2.

The thing that convinced me to buy this device after years of charge was the ability to write my own app.
Hope something is going to change soon.

 

How do you weight votes? In faq there's this:

    • Scale of demand. It might seem like a lot of members want a Feature to be developed but it’s useful to bear scale in mind here. For example, we have over 500,000 (as of summer 2017) registered community members, so an idea with 500 votes actually represents a small percentage of our community and an even smaller subset of the total global Fitbit user population. That isn’t to say that these voices aren’t important, see more in the paragraph below.

    Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and label.

     


    But personally I don't think it's the right way to see it, I'm a registered user from years, but I'm here very rarely.

    I'm pretty sure that from 500.000 users registered a lot of them now does not own a fitbit anymore.
RowdyDangerous
First Steps

Yeah, this is false advertising. I had the sense 2 for a while and still couldn't get the gallery to open think it was a bug. I am going to have to return this. Is Google just trying to destroy fitbit? 

LizzyFitbit
Premium User
Fitbit Moderator
Fitbit Moderator

Hi everyone, and thanks for your participation. Let me share the Feature Suggestions board is a place where you can share the ideas that you wish to see in the future, so our developers can take them into consideration for new updates and product development.

 

We appreciate your feedback about being able to install third-party apps on the Sense 2 and Versa 4, and we'll update the status of this suggestion as soon as we have more details. To learn more about this board and how Fitbit decides what suggestions get released, see our FAQs.

AlBob75
Jogger

Not sure what that response means to be honest. Even if it's to indicate that this might happen in the future, it's too little too late for me. My return window was coming to an end, so I've sent mine back.

 

In my opinion these smartwatches should not have been marketed as successors to the versa and sense, when so much functionality was removed.

 

 

cyberdog433
First Steps

Without the 3rd Party Support, and of course missing Google Assistant, Wallet, and other features which are present and work on my original Sense, I didn't take their upgrade offer of $100 off, sent a couple weeks back.  My wife decided she also wants a watch like my Sense, as her Samsung miscounts steps, and doesn't offer the sleep monitoring present on my Sense. - Guess what model she's getting, yup, an ORIGINAL Sense, that has those features.

 

Hopefully the wake up and release an update that enables the missing & disabled features.  I'd love the updates on the monitoring offered in the Sense 2, but not at the cost of the missing/disabled items.

chacho92
First Steps
No 3rd Party Apps on Versa 4???? - TERRIBLE DEV. C'mon!!!!! This is ridiculous. Dev team has gone BACKWARDS. WHY????
Sirrunsalot
First Steps

This is ridiculous, I don't know if it's to boost up sales for the pixel watch or the urgency to go to market, but removing 3rd party app support makes the sense 2 and versa 4 undesirable. I'll not be upgrading to the sense 2 unless 3rd party app support is enabled again 

 

asiayeah
Pace Setter

When using fitbit's comparison tool on Sense and Sense 2, I don't think it's showing the big difference that Sense supports 3rd party apps but Sense 2 doesn't. That's probably the biggest information hiding from fitbit's marketing. 

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