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
Paulina4567
First Steps

So many features and apps gone, very disappointing. Plan on returning my device asap. 

LizzyFitbit
Premium User
Fitbit Moderator
Fitbit Moderator

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womblevra
Recovery Runner

Restore Spotify NOW

Miglė
First Steps

A big part of diabetes community and their caregivers are disappointed with Fitbit decision to remove 3rd party apps from Fitbit Versa gallery. There are some very convenient clock faces that are being used to monitor remotely blood sugar of a persion having diabetes. It's vital to see blood sugar numbers in real time and in a convenient way, especially when a patient is at young age - because caregivers have to quickly respond to critical changes in blood sugar numbers. Many people are forced to buy watches of other brands in order to be sure that they can take care of their or their children's health and wellbeing.

womblevra
Recovery Runner

Bring back apps on sense 2 and Versa 4.

Removing them is a downgrade to my service. 

BRING IT BACK NOW

honaker1234
First Steps

Blatantly blocking something allowed on older models is enough for me to look elsewhere for my next smart watch

JuJuBear999
Stepping Up
Well said. No fix = less repeat buyers
Ronnalee
Jogger

Please bring back the 3rd Party apps for Versa 4. I currently have the Versa 3 and was looking at getting the 4, but I teach an exercise class where the ability to control the Spotify music is needed. IGoogle shouldn’t ignores the pleas of so many of its loyal customers.
I got my Versa 3 before they took over. Now all I see are 4 Pixel smartwatches and only 2 “Real” Fitbit smartwatches. Thought ok maybe I could switch to Pixel, but those are only for Android users. I feel that Google is trying to get rid of all of us iOS users. That’s bad business in my opinion. Would rather stick with FitBit because the over fitness app is better but feel as though they don’t want me.

 

rshelton1993
First Steps

I "upgraded" my device excited to have apps, health tracking and a better battery life. All things they had before but improved...Why wouldn't you think that was the case? Upon talking to help, downloading any new 3rd party apps is no longer supported. I wouldn't have upgraded knowing 3rd party apps couldn't be downloaded. I use so many apps for my daily life including crucial apps like timers for taking pills and such which are no longer available. I can't even access the timer I had set previously so I still have an alarm that goes off that I can't change. If Fitbit doesn't fix this, they've lost me as a customer. I won't be suggesting them or upgrading my device with them in the future. This feels like false advertising and I'm mad I've spent my money on their product.

CTHolt01
Jogger
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.
millymeow
First Steps

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 :'(

Crankybeaver
Base Runner
There is no better Fitbit, Google wants you to buy their overpriced bloat watch so they’ve dumbed down the Fitbit brand.
Sent from my iPhone
LVF
First Steps

I bought this as an upgrade but am finding out this has no capability to add Spotify and other apps.  When or will this be added soon?

CTHolt01
Jogger
Never going to happen
EDTfitforlife
First Steps

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. 

ZiXu
Jogger
Fitbit isn't going to restore 3rd party apps because Google won't let them.
Stepless
Jogger

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. 

Bruiser666
Stepping Up

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! 

Crankybeaver
Base Runner
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
johndavidjohn22
First Steps

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!

MrBV
Recovery Runner

We can post what we want now for 2 years about versa 4, sense 2, etc, but nothing seems to happen in development. That’s a shame!

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

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… 

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

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. 

SunsetRunner
Not applicable

Hey FitBit- 

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? 

fitDanboy
Base Runner
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.

Dan

Verizon Wireless
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