Add music controls to Charge 6

[VasVadum]

The music controls on your new Charge 6 are just some advertisement to most. Its for a paid service only and was the only feature that may have convinced me to get the device till I saw. Switch this to use generic commands, to control any music playing on your phone. Generic controls exist on lots of Bluetooth headphones, surely Charge 6 could too.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @VasVadum, and thanks for taking the time to share this product feedback about adding music controls to Charge 6 with us. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this product feedback receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides what product feedback is developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[DanOgburn]

Charge 6 needs generic music controls. It's absolutely insane not to have them. 

I wont be upgrading from my 6 year old surge without them.

[Shauna.psd]

Logged on to add this feedback too. I upgraded from a charge 4 & I'm really missing the Spotify app when working out. Generic music/media controls makes a lot more sense rather excluding a large number of us consumers that don't use the YouTube subscription

[Shauna.psd]

I purchased the charge 6 as a replacement for a broken charge 4. I was extremely disappointed to find the newer Fitbit devices only allow media controls for YouTube Music. As a Spotify user this is frustrating, especially when training. Simple, generic play/pause/skip controls would avoid this & not push one particular subscription.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[darkav]

Same here. I don't have anything against YT, but I listen for podcast when training which are NOT on YT. Same for some webradios. 

For me, just a play/pause button would be enough.  

[Alex_Lane]

Excellent idea.

[Bebopkorsakoff]

I have all my music library on Spotify, there is no way I'm going to pay another subscription just to have controls on a watch, which should be a very basic function 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Shauna.psd, and thanks for taking the time to share this product feedback about adding generic music controls to Charge 6 with us. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this product feedback receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides what product feedback is developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[Slizzap]

I haven’t had a Fitbit since my Ionic got recalled and would buy a charge 6 today if it let me control my music.

[james_467]

@Shauna.psd I've developed an app called Notification Playback that lets you play, pause, and skip tracks directly from the notifications on the charge 5/6. It's still a work in progress, but I think you'll find it useful

If you're interested, you can check it out on Google Play or for more info and instructions on my site. I'd love any feedback or suggestions you might have. No pressure though, just thought I'd share!

[darkav]

@james_467 looks cool. I don't use spotify, though, it would be awesome to have generic media controls implemented in this way. Not sure it's possible through notifications, th..

[james_467]

@darkav Generic controls is something Id like to get working in the future as well.  Making it work with Spotify was first just so I could get feedback.  Hope to make this happen soon 👍

[Shape77]

@LizzyFitbit few people know this place and few people will vote for it. I also came here just by chance looking for a solution for the music player.

All the reviews on the web in fact are full of this criticism about the Charge 6, don't try to hide behind a finger 😉

We're not asking for a complex function: even my 10 years old car and my Xiaomi Mi band 6 can connect via BT to my android smartphone and can control the player I'm using (that, for the record, is the Tidal app). They can also show the track that is playing and can pause or change the track.

All we know that Fitbit is now a Google property, but this behaviour it's really a shot in the dark, c'mon.

[Shape77]

@LizzyFitbit few people know this place and few people will vote for it. I also came here just by chance looking for a solution for the music player.

All the reviews on the web in fact are full of this criticism about the Charge 6, don't try to hide behind a finger 😉

We're not asking for a complex function: even my 10 years old car and my Xiaomi Mi band 6 can connect via BT to my android smartphone and can control the player I'm using (that, for the record, is the Tidal app). They can also show the track that is playing and can pause or change the track.

All we know that Fitbit is now a Google property, but this behaviour it's really a shot in the dark, c'mon.

[CriticalUke]

A chunk of the reasons that I went with the fitbit is because I use spotify! I don't know anybody who even uses YouTube music but if this is the case, why couldn't fitbit just do the generic music controls? I will not be pursuing another music platform so therefore explicit music controls for YouTube would be a completely useless feature for me!

[thecoffeeboss]

Being under the Google umbrella, not only does it need generic media controls, but Google home/Chromecast control when media is playing.

[Jsimon77]

Hi,

I keep seeing "if this request gets enough votes, then dev will include.." but I have a question, at what point do you consider 'enough'..?..

Seems this 'feature' is nothing more than bloatware aimed at generating sales for YT.  While I do watch YT vids for specific areas of interest, I'm not in the market for yet another monthly service (I can live with the commercials), and that's not within the scope of why I bought a FitBit in the first place.

While I agree with the rest on basic controls so I can play 'own' music and am looking forward to you implementing this important feature, how can I remove this usless YouTube 'card' from my device?

Thanks

[darkav]

@Jsimon77 you can remove YT from the app (select your device => Gallery => Apps).

I obviously did it, it's useless in my case: I listen mostly my owned music and podcasts which are not on YT. 

[DarKen78]

This is a basic feature of pretty much every smart wrist wearable of note.

My 4 year old hobbled (due to google play store restrictions) Huawei band could control any music app on my phone (as well as volume and display the song and artist). This is a baked in feature of phones and bluetooth.

There's no legitimate reason this can't be done other than a focus on upselling YouTube music. In fact, it should have been done from the start and the Charge couldn't have controlled YT music in the same way.

My Charge 6 was an Xmas present from my wife - so I'm almost obliged to use it, but this is a major frustration, especially while running when I'd become accustomed to being able to move to the next song using my fitness tracker.

[BohemainSwine]

As has already been stated. Please add music controls to charge 6.

[MannytheMexican]

Please bring back generic music controls for Spotify for the Charge 6

[Europa11]

I am looking at getting a new tracker to replace my Garmin . I used Versa years ago but I am after a smaller more compact watch. 

A shame that Fitbit Charge doesn't have  basic music control capability. I don't use YouTube. I use my Android phone for work and being able to control my music from my watch is a must.

[pttank]

Up voted. This is a basic function. Love the device otherwise.

[NoMisteaks]

I just upgraded from Mi smart band 5 and it had this feature. It's 5 years old and costs a fraction of the charge 6.

It hasn't even occured to me charge 6 may not have this function

I understand that you need to promote your other product (yt music) but come on...

[JRod0064]

I decided to drop the Apple Watch and get a Fitbit again, but I should’ve done more research when purchasing the Charge 6. It is a real let down to see that there is no Music Controls/Spotify. I don’t like YouTube music, honestly a waste of space, which is why I uninstalled it. I know Fitbit got bought out by Google, but come on. Not everyone is going to make the change to YouTube music when we have MUCH better music streaming services.