Ryan Haines / Android Authority
long story short
- Google has announced that it will remove third-party apps and watch faces from the Fitbit app library in the EU.
- EU users will continue to be able to download and install third-party apps until June 2024.
- Users outside the EU will not be affected.
Updated: March 22, 2024 (12:36 PM ET): A Google spokesperson has been contacted Android Authority Confirm that EU owners can still access third-party apps and clock faces they download. This means you won’t be able to download new third-party apps or watch faces after June 2024, but you will be able to continue using those in your library.
Original article: March 22, 2024 (11:27 a.m. ET): If you’re a Fitbit user in the EU, Google is about to make a change that could have a big impact on how you use your device. Over the next few months, these owners will no longer be able to download and install third-party apps and clock faces.
On the Fitbit Help Center support page, Google announced that it will be removing third-party apps and clock faces from the Fitbit app library for EU users. The company said the decision was made after “careful evaluation of the impact of new regulatory requirements.” Google didn’t elaborate on the regulatory requirements it was referring to, but it could be talking about the Digital Markets Act (DMA), or possibly some other recently implemented regulations.
These apps are scheduled to be removed from the Fitbit app library in June 2024. EU users will continue to be able to download and install third-party apps and watch faces until this date, the company said. However, Google did not clarify whether installed third-party apps and watch faces can continue to be used after June.
These changes will affect Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 4, Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Versa Lite, Fitbit Versa, and Fitbit Ionic. It’s worth noting that Fitbit trackers and two generations of Pixel Watch don’t appear to be affected by this change.
Google added that after June, EU Fitbit users will have access to a “diverse library of apps and clocks developed by Fitbit and Google.” If you are a Fitbit user living outside the EU, you will not be affected by this decision.
Android Authority Google has been contacted for comment. We will update this article if new information becomes available.