Fitbit studio for Charge 5 to create clock faces and apps

[jashmead]

While the Charge 5 has 23 different clock faces, it doesn't exactly fit what I would like to see, and others from looking at comments.
If a dev could design and publish a clock face for the Charge 5, I think the majority of complaints related to the clock display would be addressed.
Please! Add support for Charge 5 to the Fitbit Studio!

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and updated label

[Cantime77]

Considering that this question has been asked last October, it is quite
obvious that they simply don't know how to make it. It happens everywhere,
competent programmers leave the company and the downhill begins.

[SunsetRunner]

We've asked for the ability to create our own clock faces..... Response - nothing.... Strike one.

We've asked for more "usable"  clock faces ... Response - another hidious one..... Strike two. 

We've asked for resting heart rate data to be exported... Response - another lesson on how to export. . Strike three! 

Sorry fitbit,  you have struck out. I Have gone to another vendor (as have others here,  if you even care.?)  I will not purchase another one of your devices, nor will I recommend them

[pstz]

I wholeheartedly agree sith the sentiment here. There is not a single clock face available for the Charge 5 that fulfils my basic requirements of being both functional and not fugly. The recent new clock faces were insulting - just more of the same. Custom clock faces seems to be little more than a pipe dream.

This is my first Fitbit and it may very well be my last...

[SunsetRunner]

Latest update added one new face that was no improvement and then all the suggestion threads asking for more were closed as released.  Rubbish.  This was my first step into watches and I won't be bothering progressing to more expensive fitbits. I've just ordered the new Samsung Galaxy.  Goodbye fitbit. 

[後藤颯太]

I really agree.

[olliewills]

I recently purchased a Sense for myself and a Charge 5 for my partner. I have to say my partner really isn't wowed by any of the faces for her Charge and ended up 'settling' for one. 

I agree with what others have said about the available faces all looking gimmicky and overly complicated and stylised. Fitbit really need to provide some more clear/professional/accessible faces or allow people to build custom ones.

Other than this issue we're both happy with our devices however and especially the sleep insights as we both sleep quite differently.

[Cantime77]

They don't care. From their perspective Charge 5 is designed for a
different use altogether and with the programmers' staffing issue they
simply have no resources.
Wait for Charge 6 with a different operating system, Charge 5 is a wash.

[stevefal]

@Cantime77 

Bulls***. If there's a Charge 6 then they have resources. If Fitbit thinks I'm going to solve this by buying a new watch, they can dream on.

[terriness]

Another vote here for a simple Analog clock for a more professional look that I can wear to work like the Charge 3 had.   

[DHGamerMR]

I do wish I'd seen that the clock faces for the Charge 5 would be a significant downgrade from the previous Fitbits I've had. I'm feeling a lot of buyer's remorse right now at seeing the absolute garbage choices since this arrived last night to replace my now dead Charge 4. I think this one might need to be returned, allowing me to find a tracker elsewhere that I won't feel embarrassed for myself and developers whenever I look at the screen.

[wil2006]

I will now be looking at the new Apple Watch ultra and seeing if it’s
useful in low power mode which will give it 2.5 days operation

Sad to leave all my years of Fitbit data but I don’t see any other choice
😞

[CJphresh]

Yes, please add Charge 5 so that users can customize development of clock faces. This is the beauty of Google/Android OS systems....CUSTOMIZATION.

[olliewills]

To be honest, I suspect a big reason we don't have things like custom faces for the Charge 5 and a dark mode for the app/site is because these thing are roadmap-affecting projects. With the Google deal likely being in the works since at least mid-2019, they have probably kept their software roadmap as flexible as possible, not committing large resources to long-run projects.

If the Charge series were to be on its way out that could of course affect it too and I suppose is just as likely. I don't think jumping ship in a hurry or putting other products/companies on pedestals is an appropriate response though since we are all still wearing very effective tools on our wrists. I guess if you bought a fitbit with a focus on it being a watch equally to a tracker then of course you'd be disappointed. 

Note: I design and build software interfaces for a living and so good, accessible design decisions are important to me. I also understnd that some of these things are much harder to achieve than they might appear on the surface. Not impossible mind you, but not always simple.

[olliewills]

Well hopefully you can see from my response to this thread from a few days that I am asking for something, either Studio for Charge 5 or just some new, less-fussy clock faces. I absolutely agree that they are likely very able to deploy a few new clock faces without too much trouble, even if they can't give us Studio. Heck, I'd actually be willing to knock up some design samples based on the input/needs of people here if it would help us get a good result! 

I wasn't trying to apologise for them, plainly there are things they should be able to achieve, I just wanted to provide some insight into how these decisions (right or wrong), get made, based on my own direct experience. I grant you that does little to soothe our wounds, nor should it! I'd actually go one step further than you and say "any user deserves better, regardless of if they are paying or not!". 

I still maintain though that we need to remember that no product/company is perfect and that these kinds of issues are rife across the industry, the grass is not always greener on the other side! Just because a company's product misses the mark on one point doesn't/shouldn't be cause to invalidate the entire experience, even though I know we are emotional creatures and it's in our nature. Extreme negative reactions like "I'm going to a company that actually cares about its customers" or "I'll never buy a product from X ever again" rarely help to advance any issue in the right direction and more ofthen than not just end up muddying the waters and make a successful resolution even less likely than it may already have been. 

With that said, what ideas have people here thought/seen elsewhere that they might want if a new clockfaces(s) was on the horizon? Me personally, I'd be looking for something with less dramatic font styles/sizes and probably a little less colour variation! I don't think I'd be bothered about it being an analogue style really. Actually the 'Slashed' face could probably be a functional starting point for something more subtle...

[stevefal]

I don't see insight, but an attempt to diminish. We've no idea why the breakdown is occurring - brain drain, cross-group miscommunication, callous greed, bonehead management, underachieving developers, or maybe the team was disbanded or barely ever existed. It doesn't matter.

Leaving the brand is not an extreme negative reaction, nor is it about advancing the issue. The issue is apparently dead, and leaving the brand is a reasonable response to Fitbit's effective disregard for the hundreds of customers pleading here. The gaslighting is abusive. Leaving a bad relationship is healthy. It's competition working.

Anyone still ok with Fitbit, I wish you years of happiness. But for this emotional creature who'd now like to break up, I don't need erasure. "You go girl" is the standard reply.

There can be better fish in the sea.

[DSegal]

Omg, I this is the simplest request ever: 

Allow somebody to create a Charge 5 face with time/date, steps, HR, battery. Tons of people are asking (including me)!
I was preparing to do it myself until I read this thread and found out the toolset doesn’t work with the LATEST Charge device (which I bought today!)

Do I return it after being a loyal Fitbit owner for almost 10 years! Is it really Garmin time???

Fitbit, where the hell are you guys???

[Snufkin]

Yep. I've been searching this thread for months and months. It's just incompetent to 1) not realise how subpar the designs are 2) do nothing to redress this, or allow users to redress this.

Last Fitbit for me.

[Kesrel]

After commenting here nearly a year ago and using the Charge 5 without any updates whatsoever to the customisation of the watch face... I'm done with Fitbit.

I have had Fitbit products since the first Charge in 2015, but they are failing to keep up with their customer's needs. Looking forward to buying into a company that isn't as deaf.

So long Fitbit.

[Johnend87]

Honestly was one of the first things I looked for after buying the charge 5. I love it as a tracker. I don’t want a full on smart watch. But what I do want is:

1. To be able to view the things I want when I want. Clock faces with the stats I want and data at a glance.

2. Fitbit pay to be removable/option to hide.

3. Ability to develop apps. A box breathing app wouldn’t be that difficult to engineer. I mean that’s pretty much what the old relax app used to be. With the advent of so many people using breathwork you’d think this sort of thing would be a no brainier. 

Studio support plz

[DSegal]

100% agree

[MarioDings]

Fitbit is not continuing Studio, because developers have no access to the new Fitbit Sense 2 and Vers 4. Therefore we should not waste any money and efforts to Fitbit any more.

10.000 different clockfaces make Fitbit interesting. Have you ever seen an nice clockface on a iWatch? It is all the same.

I Don't like 95% of the clockfaces, but who cares? It leaves over 500 I do like 🙂  

[AndreasGer]

Alright, found and read this thread because I'm as well sick of the less than ideal choices of watch faces we've got. I can tolerate maybe two of them but don't particular like any so I finally wanted to change it myself. Cue me finding out that Fitbit doesn't care for their customers wishes.

It flat out sucks when you see all the cool watch faces other brands get, either from the developer or from the community (because they do offer customization, what a crazy concept!) and you're stuck with this ugly selection.

Add me to the growing list of (former) customers Fitbit won't see any more money from.

[MamaDog48]

Had I known about the face issue on the Charge 5 I would not have purchased it. All I want to see is the time, date and the number of steps - not the percentage to goal of steps. Except for the clock face issue and lack of choices without tapping it’s a wonderful watch. Unfortunately I will likely return it even though I’ve been wearing Fitbits for many years. A customizable face would solve almost everyone’s issues. It just shouldn’t be that complicated to implement. Plus honestly most of the faces aren’t that attractive. 

[Enddoe]

I got the charge 5 on a massive discount from a retailer and thought it was too good to be true. Well, the device is fine but the customization is AWFUL. My fitbit in 2014 had more customization than this!! The clock faces are simply repulsive and there are no ways to reorganize the layout of the interface?! Shameful! I'll learn how to code to build myself a clock face I'll like!! Do I need to hack the device to do this? Ridiculous. Happy with the hardware, unhappy with the software. Listen to your customers!! It's been years of neglect at this point

[wil2006]

Yes it’s a pain it’s a pity buyers can’t easily see these threads before
they buy.

And not allowing the community to create their own is just a kick in the
guts.