ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Google is slowly sunsetting some Fitbit Versa and Sense watch features.
- You can no longer install or update third-party apps on these smartwatches.
- The change goes into effect on Nov. 28.
If you have a Fitbit Versa or Fitbit Sense smartwatch, you’ll soon be unable to update the third-party apps on these devices. Google announced on Monday an update to its older lineup of devices that may signify the beginning of obsolescence. Users can no longer install or update third-party apps or clocks on these Fitbit smartwatches, beginning on Nov. 28.
Also: Google’s Fitbit Air is a $99 screenless wearable that I can actually take seriously
The apps will continue to work after that date, but if users delete any of these apps, they will not be able to reinstall them. The changes affect the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Sense 2, as well as the Fitbit Versa, Fitbit Versa Lite, Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Versa 3, and Fitbit Versa 4.
Google noted that users will still have access to Fitbit- and Google-developed apps and clocks, and that they should update to the latest app versions to keep those apps functioning properly.
The watches won’t stop working
So the smartwatches aren’t dead — they can still perform the same primary functions, like recording workouts or receiving or responding to messages and calls. Still, the news is a downer for Versa and Sense users who’ve been using their smartwatches and the many third-party apps on them for anywhere from two to eight years now.
All signs point to these devices being slowly phased out in favor of Google’s latest lineup of fitness trackers and smartwatches.
Also: Google’s new Fitbit Edge solves my biggest gripe with the Pixel Watch
Within the past few years, Google has unveiled an impressive new lineup of health trackers, including the screenless Fitbit Air, the screened Fitbit Edge, and the Pixel Watch 5. For those looking to ditch their Versa or Sense, a few affordable options exist in the ecosystem to take their place.
The earliest and most recent Fitbit Versa models were launched in 2018 and 2022, respectively, and the first and last Fitbit Sense models launched in 2020 and 2022, respectively — making the oldest of these devices eight years old.