Able to return to previous Fitbit app version

[Dsarazin]

Woke up this morning to your new app. To say the least I am not impressed. It lacks color and is boring and adds nothing new to what was there before. I absolutely hate it. I am a longtime Fitbit user but this might actually change that on next purchase.

Moderator edit: Clarified subject

[MarkIndia]

@Catman81 Thanks I was able to set my preferred data accordingly. Unnecessarily painful process to do something like in this day and age though. 

[Ninks919]

Wowzzzza…. This gets worse by the day.  First they did away with the cute game.  Then the challenges and now this horrible app update? I actually found out there’s a website killedbygoogle.com that lists everything google trashed.  I’m going to look at getting an Apple Watch because I don’t want to sit around and wait for the next shoe to drop with Fitbit.  Already canceled premium and the lack of any response from google makes my decision easy.

[ChloeEliz]

Are Fitbit actually reading the feedback and do they have any plans to respond?

[dbbaggs]

Thank you, very helpful.

[Spiyda]

Thanks  PA_Espinosa,

I got the tile, but the numbers are too small and not bold enough, 

I can't read even the main one on the running machine without wearing distance glasses I estimate about 1/20 the height of the display.

If the silly heart wasn't in the middle of the display, there would be plenty of room for larger bolder text.

but I can't find any way of changing it, or any settings for visually impaired people,

My desktop for example features a cursor that is about 5 times bigger that normal so I can find my way round the screen,

Although 67, I'm not particularly visually challenged, but I'm sure the old display was easier to read..  perhaps I'm wrong and my eyesight just got worse.!

[SunsetRunner]

I notice that many online magazines are shy of discussing the current level of protest about the firmware and app rollouts. 

Surely it cannot be that they are influenced by revenue from advertising and click-though sales? 😆

[EllenAviss]

Totally agree I always used the GPS for my distance on my iPhone with tracking and mileage letting me know when I got to half a mile.  Now it is locked and I can't use it at all.   Who is the idiot that changed all this BS.I am so tired of people changing things that worked well. I think I will ask for an Apple Watch for Christmas which I should have done with my Iconic was recalled and I got an amazon card.  

[Spiyda]

Cab someone compare the text size and font of the old main heartrate display with the new one ?

I find the grey graphics merge into the grey background and I find it hard to distinguish all but the largest text.

I think the whole layout is discriminatory against the visually challenged,

Does this mean Fitbit did no research on accessibility ?

[waynecz]

1GinnyME1 - Fitbit has 120 million subscribers and 37 million that use the app at least once a week.  1900 is nowhere near a trigger point. App recommendation is still at a rated 4, even though most of the new reviews are a 1 or 2, the overall average is still high due to the shear number of reviewers over the last few years.  If people went in and modified their previous review of the App in the Google Play Store and/or created a review on the new app that rated it what it deserves, a 1 or 2, and there was a significant downward trend line in reviews, maybe 250k to 500k over the rest of this year it may raise someone's attention.  That is assuming they actually CARE.  Since a Google Pixel device now appears in the Fitbit store on line I think the trend is that Google is taking over and keeps changing the app software to be more in line with what they want to maintain, rather than what the customer wants in the app.  Just my thoughts of course, but based on most of Google's acquisitions, they are not very good at most of them and certainly never seem to consider the customer as they make changes per on line articles.  

[waynecz]

Widdershins - https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/fitbit-fans-arent-happy-about-the-official-apps-redesign-he...

Tech Radar wrote about it. 

[KSF4]

The layout of the new app is bad.... it is like looking at a cartoon sketch.  I have been using it but am finally at the point that when I upgrade by tracking device it will not be a fitbit device. I have used my current fitbit for about 10 years and really have loved it.... and in several weeks time and I am so disappointed in the app that I will no longer support Fitbit products. 

[waynecz]

ChloeEliz - I wouldn't expect a response on any of these Forums or From Fitbit/Google themselves.  A major app update at the beginning of the year removed a lot of challenges and features that Fitbit users loved and a massive amount of complaints were done before the changes were even made and Google did it anyhow.  I am sure Google/Fitbit is doing damage control at the tech publications now to prevent negative articles from being written and of course Google has algorithms in their search engines that can easily steer people away from any negative press anyhow about it.  They are going to wait until it just blows over.  The real issue is how many users are they going to lose once their devices "die" as they typically do between year one and two after purchase.  They sold 9.2 million units in 2022.  2023 numbers are probably pretty much set.  The question is with a growing market still in Smartwatches, how much of a decline in 2024 of actual units purchased, would show that this app update was a bad move?   Or if Google grows its Pixel Watch division at the expense of the death of Fitbit, do they even care?  

[radclyff]

With the new update, the bottom function bar is only available on the home screen. This means i have to use “back” sometimes through several screens to get to change what I want to see. Also, I only have access to the “today” button when I’m already there. It’s a waste of time and horrible design.

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[SunsetRunner]

@waynecz  Yes indeed, I have read that link before. Unfortunately it seems to be rather alone. Everyone else is trumpeting a certain online sales event and the launch of some new wearable devices. One did mention that they thought that one new device appears to have had Fitbit capabilities added to it.

[MarkIndia]

That the smartwatch is the product ' we ' own is a myth. Google owns us,
our data and strangely we pay them rent to do so. In a traditional vendor
customer relationship, the vendor would have atleast pretended to pay heed
to customer concerns. Have we experienced that at all? Absolutely not. As
you mentioned the smartwatches we think we own will die off in a year or
two. Some of us may change brands and other remain with Fitbit/ Google.
That is the nature of addiction or a feudal relationship.

[FitFrank]

100%. I was shocked at how terrible the new app is.  It went from a pleasing useful design, to one that is stark, bland, and blasted your eyes with lots of white and muted colors.  I don't understand how anyone could think this was a good move.  

This app is beyond bad, it's inexcusable sabotage.  For something that millions of users use daily, to rip out the old app that gave motivation and information, to a new design that is jarring and sterile, is truly insane.

I've used Fitbit since the original Charge HR, over 10 years ago.  I will now never plan to buy a new Fitbit product unless this is rectified.

And Google - please FIRE any employee who was involved in the app redesign...they are trying to destroy this product and the user base.  This should never be allowed.

[MaireRaven]

They’re never going back to old format. They think we will all just buy their $300+ pixel watch . Well, not me.
I know I can’t get a refund but feel
Like we should flood their mailbox with used Fitbit’s. LOL! 😆

[hellotom]

@BeechewDC
Thank you for your knowlege and bravery!!!

Calling them out like you have is just pure pleasure to me.
Upvote +1,000,000

[Lillieo]

I've always been a Fitbit user but not so sure after this new format. Has no life to it. Please bring back the previous one.

[Kel118]

MarieRaven, yeah I think you're right. We've had no meaningful response even though there have been so many comments expressing our unhappiness.

I think its safe to conclude that they don't care. I won't buy another fitbit and defo won't buy any Google products. Will either go with Garmin or Samsung.

[k1rocker]

The only improvements I see are real time updates of steps and sleep without having to sync (sometimes for sleep I must sync anyway).

That said, I just ordered a new Garmin on Amazon today, and got it on sale! Prime day people! Hurry! 

[Cjl2.0]

I’m not going to bother posting anything after this. I’ve given my
feedback, I’ve updated my reviews. Google have made it very clear how
little they value their Fitbit customers with their lack of response to
thousands upon thousands of comments. I’m just going to vote with the only
thing they listen to which is my spending $. Premium gone, new activity
tracker on the way, loyal customer for over a decade gone for good. I
certainly won’t be looking at any google products ever, can guarantee them
that! Vote with your $ people, it’s the only thing they care about.

[ChloeEliz]

@waynecz  I guess only time will tell. If that’s how they treat their customers then that’s me done with Fitbit - and I certainly won’t be recommending them. Such a shame because I really loved using my Fitbit but the app was a major part of the whole package and the new update has made using it cumbersome and a lot less enjoyable.

[Shadywood]

Someone said that those of taking issue with the terrible update only number around 2000 in this thread.  This is only one of many threads and blogs expressing the same disdain over Google's action resulting in the update and also their total failure to address the damage.

You need to keep in mind that while the volume of comments are in the thousands while the community of Fitbit users in the millions, for every vocal response there are countless owners that feel just as injured but fail to write a comment.  The negative customer response will be seen greater by anyone in Google that understands polling and the dynamics of customer input.  The problem for us is that Google probably does not care.

[ChloeEliz]

@Shadywood I worked in customer care about 20 years ago and we were told that for every one person who had a negative experience and communicated it, there were roughly 25 people who didn’t. I’m sure Google/Fitbit have the best of the best customer care training so they have a rough idea how the numbers really look. If they ignore this, it just shows a complete disdain for their customers who they’ve no interest in listening to.