Support Google Workspace accounts to log in to Fitbit account

[pgaleone]

Right now people like myself that use a Google Workspace (so not something [at] gmail.com) account as their main account, are locked out of Fitbit "login with Google" features - and our accounts can't be migrated.

Moderator edit: Clarified subject and updated label

[gravax]

So the fun part... Google is also shooting themselves in the foot. If you go to the FitBit app using a Workspace account and tell it to talk to Health Connect it will complain and not let you, asking for a Gmail account. But if you go in your phone settings to Health Connect (while using a phone with ah Workspace account) from there you can check the "share with FitBit" box. 🙂 That allows you to sync with other apps.

Once sync is on, you have all the data in Google Fit (which doesn't complain about a Workspace account).

There are plenty of other health trackers out there that talk to Health Connect and then sync with Google Fit (or Samsung Health since that too talks Health Connect).

Migration to any of these health trackers is then trivial... 

I've been playing with a few such trackers like connected rings. I've got one (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0D9VPZG5R/) that provides rather coherent blood pressure readings (not perfectly calibrated, but they raise when BP raises, and they lower when it does, so that's what I really need), SpO2, steps, heart rate, sleep...

Do I need a FitBit device? Not really for the health tracking.

If I want more, I'll go for a Samsung Galaxy Watch (but since it's a hefty price, I'll wait until FitBit leaves me no other choice).

FitBit has already lost me... it's just a question of time. The moment they flip definitively the Workspace switch, I'm gone to competition. Simple as that.

[GDGCFP]

Thanks! I new about the Health Connect issue. But again, it's not the
consumer experience a bunch of us paid for. What's reallllllllllll
frustrating is Google shutting down the workaround to syncing to a Pixel I
and FitBit. My Pixel2 watch and Pixel2 phone just got retired, and they
decided to BLOCK this for some reason.

Out of curiosity, do Google Workspace accounts block certain data points
that a Gmail account does not block? In other words, are Gmail accounts
more valuable to Google from a tracking perspective than a Workspace
account is?


Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[gravax]

I *THINK* (I may be wrong) that Workspace accounts being normally "corporate"... They aren't to be used personally, so sharing medical data may be frowned upon. Which could be the issue. Note that Workspace accounts don't work in Android auto cars either...

[JamieJamie]

My Workspace account works on my car's Android Auto perfectly fine.

Google could easily add a Workspace Admin Console switch for admin's to turn Fitbit access on/off with a notification to users that they would be storing their data in their Workspace account etc etc...  That type of warning already exists for logging into the Chrome browser as a Workspace user account, and Admin Console switches exist for every product already. 

None of this is new, none of this is difficult, but from a product perspective none of this is exciting and none of this will earn someone a promotion.

[Dyltone]

Tangent Alert: I wouldn't say Workspace accounts work "perfectly" with Android Auto... I would say it's functional.

I always have weird issues with calendar syncing and other things that should just work, like having an appointment on my calendar and maps not prompting me to drive to list address in Google Maps.

[gravax]

My Volvo doesn't let me log in with a Workspace account... I can only use a gmail account...

[Dyltone]

So here I sit... Pixel Watch 3 in hand, along with the trade in return box for my Pixel Watch 2.

Option 1: Return the PW3 and cancel the trade in for PW2, then keep the PW2 without the Fitbit functionality?
Option 2: Finish the trade in of the PW2 and keep the PW3 without the Fitbit functionality? 
Option 3: Finish the trade in of the PW2, sell the PW3, and buy something that allows fitness tracking and is a functional swart watch?
Option 4: Cancel the trade in of the PW2, sell both the used PW2 and new PW3, then buy something that allows fitness tracking and is a functional swart watch?

Since I don't need Google store credits they are going to give me for returning the PW3 or trade in credit for the PW2, I'm leaning towards Option 4.

[Adriansito]

If you have restored factory settings on your PW2, you might as well
already exchange it because you won't be able to connect it again

[Dyltone]

---

@Adriansito  wrote:
If you have restored factory settings on your PW2, you might as well
already exchange it because you won't be able to connect it again

---

Yeah, I restored it to factory last week when I switched from the Pixel 8 pro to the 9 pro fold...
I tried like a hundred times to get it to connect back to fitbit, but it won't. It connects to the phone as a smart watch just fine, but none of the fitbit stuff works (or syncs). I can see my heartrate on the watch face, but clicking it takes me to the fitbit tile on the watch which wants me to sign in and then I get mooned.

[OldBob3301]

I'll just add my vote to the idea that no allowing workspace accounts to access fitbit is stupid and shortsighted.  I have a personal workspace account because google made me do it.  I started out many years ago with a google application (I forgot what it was even called).  It was a simplte gmail account with my own domain.  Now, I have to have a google account that ONLY is used to access fitbit, which is required to make my pixel watch usable.  That is really dumb.  I do like the pixel watch better than my previous fitbit bands and early smartwatches, but having 2 extra accounts (fitbit & gmail) is stupid and also makes using my pixel phone a bit more complicated.  I didn't gain a thing by my transfer to workspace, everything is now just unnecessarily more complex

[crazy_vag]

Google misses the point with their Google Account explanation.

It's not that people don't want to use a Google Account that's at issue. 

It's that people want to use their other email with the Google Account.

Just how I can use ANY email address with my Amazon account; I should be allowed to use any email address with my Google Account!

[Adriansito]

I don't think they necessarily need to support workspace accounts, just
allow a non-social login. What is unacceptable is that it only lets you
login with a Google account and that your watch/phone won't let you use
that account just to login to this service without adding it to the device.

Having multiple Google accounts in a device is a nightmare. Everytime you
change a counts the assistant stops working on the watch, some features of
Google home like broadcasting are disabled, and other problems everywhere
from wifi to keyboard shortcuts. And if you're bilingual, it's even worse!

[SlinStream]

Please Google

This is so important (enabling fit bit accounts for google workspace), we are many that have a private domain using google "workspace" (renamed multiple times), now google is forcing me to create a generic google email instead of the private  account i have been using for the last 20 years, for the sake of using fit bit for my private health data ????

I did set up generic google account for this, but now i have my private data split over two accounts and i am not liking it at all.

I am on a Charge 6 and think the device is fine but the app and especially the fact that it is not connected to my "own" account is letting me off, as a minimum google shuld let me create a new fit bit account based on email (let me choose)

[Sparticuz]

Just bought a pixel watch 3 and am unable to use the fitness features because I can't use my (personal) Google workspace account.

[swaldman]

So... like so many others here I bought a Pixel Watch 3 in the black friday sale, and am now considering returning it within the 14-day window.

I don't mind setting up a gmail account for fitbit. But I still need my workspace account connected to the watch for all the other functions. And every time I try to have the two different accounts, I get chucked out of fitbit with an error.

Is there an accepted way to deal with this now? Or do I need to start the likely-painful experience of persuading the Google Store that I have the right to return it for a refund?

[Willperson]

Mine was old enough that I chucked it, I would suggest you start down the refund route.

[Sparticuz]

I think mine is working. I have my Fitbit account in a regular Gmail. Which
is syncing to Google fit and health connect using the health sync app.
Everything seems to be working.

[swaldman]

@Sparticuzand do you also have your workspace account connected to the watch?

If so, can you talk us through how you managed this?

thanks!

[Sparticuz]

Yep, just make sure both accounts are loaded on your watch, then you can
login to Fitbit using the normal Gmail account. I remember the app crashed
while I was logging in, but then it just worked.

[GDGCFP]

No offense, but you are missing the point of this 1,378 post thread.

We do not want to use our normal Gmail account

Google has f*cied a large group of GSuite users on Fitbit and Google Home.
They do not listen to their customers that pay their bills

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed and formatting

[swaldman]

@SparticuzThanks. After some trial and error, I think the trick is to make sure the "normal" gmail account is the *first* one, the one that the watch is set up with. Then the Workspace account can be added later. I've forwarded mail from the gmail one to the workspace one, so that I don't have to worry about another email account. Things seem to work OK, with the annoyance that I often have to select which google account I want to use for something. It's tolerable.

@GDGCFPThere is a mixture of people in this thread. Those who are prepared to use non-ideal workarounds, and those for whom nothing but the ideal is acceptable. I agree that being able to use Workspace accounts is what should happen, but Google is hardly known for listening to customer feedback, and I doubt that rage here is ever even seen by anybody in a position to make a difference. So I'm prepared to be pragmatic and use a workaround. And probably look to move myself away from Google as much as possible in the longer term.

[GDGCFP]

Please let US know if you can see your GSuite stats in your GSuite accout

[Adriansito]

But having both accounts will mess up your assistant. Every time for some
reason you change your account, assistant on your watch will stop working

[MiZo]

I'm a Fitbit customer since 9 years. Google Workspace account since the beginning. 
All my family are under Workspace and use Fitbit products, including the Apple products users!

Google acquired Fitbit, why not.

Google wants to integrate Fitbit health data inside their database, why not.

But I will never create a dummy email account just for Fitbit. And workspace is not the only way to get your domain name managed. If I move out of workspace, it will not work either because you NEED a gmail account with a Fitbit device. NO WAY

I acquired a Fitbit, not a Gmail tracker. I want to use my OWN domain name.

Imagine that all your IOT devices need another email... How would this work? Would you agree? For sure NO.

So Please GOOGLE, create a database for users that don't own a gmail.com (as it is now for Fitbit or ANY other app/device). Don't try to monopolize the email account market. It might become a monopolistic offense.

I also own others health devices and it's not an issue to use my workspace account... Why is it a problem for google to allow non gmail.com accounts?

[Vwalking]

I'm joining this chorus about migration from Fitbit account to an administered or managed Workspace Google account -- a chorus that has been very vocal for a year and a half. Knowing that the 2025 deadline was approaching, I read the various threads on this frustrating matter and tried folks' suggestions. Nothing has worked -- more an indictment of Google than smart Fitbit users. I tried setting up another Google account; I tried creating a new gmail address within my current Google account; etc. etc. I've been a loyal Fitbit user for years, but this is probably the end of the line.

Has Google support and/or development listened to these grumbles AND solved the problem we're all experiencing? If not, I'm afraid it's goodbye to Fitbit.