Fitbit dropping Deezer from its supported products

[KamHaider]

Email received from Fit Bit today

We noticed you’ve used Pandora or Deezer within the past 6 months and wanted to share an important update. Pandora and Deezer will be removed as of March 31, 2023. This means you will no longer be able to download Pandora stations or add Deezer playlists to your device, nor will you be able to play anything that you have previously downloaded.

Must say that is dissapointing news. I've spent much time building up playlists on Deezer. Will now to switch to Spotify and cancel my Deezer membership.

What are people's thoughts on this ? Spotify any good?

Moderator edit: format. 

[Zach_91]

Just got this email myself. I am quite upset by this, as pandora integration was one of the reasons I got the sense in the first place. There will now be no way to play music from the watch, forcing me to bring my phone on runs/walks to listen to music.

Why are they removing music playback? Features we paid for? They're turning my "smartwatch" Into a fitness tracker and forcing me to carry my big ol' phone on runs. Ridiculous!

[Dandydemon]

£10.00 a month for Spotify. You have to have premium.  And - unless I am wrong, you can't create playlists to use offline - you have to have your phone with you.  Crap for running and the gym.

Less than impressed - after the issue with the recall of the Ionic last year.  Should have gone to Garmin

-----------------

Totally agree - it's why I paid extra for the Ionic, which they recalled, so I had the versa 3 instead.  My understanding is that Spotify is still supported, but ten quid a month, and you can't do playlists offline.

The whole reason I went Fitbit is I could have GPS and music on the watch.  I do not want to take a phone walking or using free weights

[Zach_91]

I thought the spotify app for the sense was just to control music playback on your phone (play, pause, skip tracks etc)? Deezer and pandora were the only apps able to download and play music right from the watch? Correct me if i'm wrong, but I won't be switching to spotify regardless and this is a big slap in the face from fitbit.

[KamHaider]

Oh.. that's truly awful. I had considered Spotify provided I don't have to take my smartphone on runs with me. But looks like as others on this thread have said that is not possible. First fit bit stop you from uploading mp3's whilst pointing you to using apps (Deezer) and now this. Along with the issues of the badly designed charger (Sense) for me this is the last straw. As soon as Deezer stops working I will change to another smart watch. I've been loyal to Fit Bit ever since its hit the market but this is it.

I wonder what the reasons are? Must be a financial decision ?

[Zach_91]

I'm not sure what fitbit has against letting you play music from your "smartwatch", but this has me looking at other devices. Unfortunately, it appears the only platform with a working pandora app for smartwatches is apple watches (android user here, so not an option).

Like i said, pandora integration was a big selling point for me (longtime pandora user with logs of stations etc) and this leaves me with a device that has the ability to play music (internal storage, bluetooth connectivity), just no software to do so. Would be curious to know from fitbit why we can no longer have music playback of any kind on our "smartwatches"? 

[Maverick1975]

I also find this very disappointing. What will fully replace this service? Spotify does not allow you download music on to your Fitbit, so it’s not a replacement service. I will be forced to carry my phone while running.☹️

[t.parker]

@KamHaider new Sense 2 and Versa 4 have no any music features at all (not even Spotify, which is just a remote controller for mobile phone app). This seems like planned direction to strip all devices from any music-related capabilities. Removing Deezer and Pandora from Sense wasn't expected but I must say it doesn't surprise me.

[ksven]

Unfortunately if you stay off-line too long the license will expire and
music playback disables.

[SunsetRunner]

Goodbye Fitbit, hello Garmin. Like others, my primary reason for having the Versa 3 is to be able to exercise and listen to music without lugging my phone along. I've been using Fitbit for over 6 years, but this is a deal-breaker.

[Zach_91]

An explanation of some kind from fitbit as to why they're removing key features from our devices would be great! This some bait and switch BS!

[Dopovo]

@--Smeagol-- you forgot that recently they removed the PC/MAC support and even the possibility to store your personal music files.

Sense /Versa 3/Versa 2 are becoming very similar to Sense 2/Versa4, I wonder when the gallery will be removed altogether.

Just an example of what's happening:

yesterday I wanted to take my kids to some place and asked them to enter the car, they couldn't sit in the car because the backseat was removed via a firmware update happened overnight.

[Guy_]

Hi @Dandydemon - just to be clear, on a Sense and Versa 3, you need Spotify premium to use their app but you can't use it without a phone, it's only an app to control music on the phone.

A better solution is to use the built-in Music controls which allows you to control any music app on the phone, including Spotify without premium.

The good thing is you can also control the volume and all without stopping whatever app or clock face you are using.

It is possible of course that Fitbit may also disable this feature in the future, as they seem intent on getting rid of music capabilities.

[3v1lkr0w]

With the news that Deezer and Pandora support is being killed off end of March, what is the replacement?  Will Spotify finally allow downloaded playlists, will Fitbit add Youtube Music?  I feel like removing the ability to have music on your Sense is a really horrible move and it will make a lot of people move away from Fitbit.  And if the answer is "Get a Pixel Watch" make a better watch

Moderator Edit: Word choice

[Guy_]

Hi @3v1lkr0w - why Fitbit is removing music from watches is not known, and given the removal of existing music features it will be highly unlikely they will start adding anything music related.

Other manufacturers provide such features so rather than hoping for the unlikely it's a open market to choose from.

[3v1lkr0w]

@Guy_ Yea, it sucks that Fitbit is removing these features.  Both my wife and I enjoyed our Fitbits, but I might just sell (maybe return) my Sense 1 and get something else.  It really sucks because I sold my Sense 2 to buy a Sense 1 because of the ability to play music and just got my Sense 1 like a week ago.  I enjoy Google products, been using Google phones since the Nexus, but they are screwing Fitbit users over by forcing us to use the Pixel Watch if we want Fitbit and music.

Moderator Edit: Formatting / Word choice

[ciaby]

I have to say that I'm disappointed but not surprised. The entire fitbit strategy at this point is to piss off the userbase and die. I already complained about my Aria 2 becoming useless after a factory reset, I now have a smartwatch that's actively removing features I use. What's the point?

Moderator Edit: Formatting / Word choice

[SunsetRunner]

Okay I will get a new Garmin or Samsung watch or anything but a Google or a pixel watch.   Fitbit really knows how to lose customers

[t.parker]

@Dopovo Your example with car reminds me that infamous overnight deletion of web community groups with no word of warning prior to that. One day groups where there, people had groups for competing in challenges (leaderboards, group communication, often whole companies who decided to get employees Fitbits as part of internal health&wellness programs)  etc. and next day - puff... all gone. Recently removed features we kind of being prepared for it ahead of time (end of PC/Mac support, end of music upload, end of Deezer/Pandora).

[Alandotts]

I am a long time fitbit user for the charge 1.

I got a sense because it appeared its features would rival other smart watches, but now I fee cheated.

I will be switching to Samsung.