EU Fitbit customers to lose entry to 3rd occasion app and watch faces

Fitbit customers throughout the European Union ought to brace for a major shift in the best way they customise their smartwatches. Google has announced the elimination of all third-party apps and clock faces from the Fitbit app gallery beginning in June 2024.

Why the sudden change? The replace factors to newly imposed “regulatory necessities” from the EU as the explanation. In line with the help web page the place the change was quietly introduced, EU Fitbit customers could have till June 2024 so as to add any third-party apps or clock faces earlier than that characteristic is shut down.

What occurs after that? You’ll solely have the ability to set up apps and clocks developed by Fitbit and Google. Nevertheless, in accordance with Android Authority, current third-party content material in your Fitbit will proceed to work after the deadline — you simply will not have the ability to set up or obtain something new. It is usually essential to notice that U.S. customers are unaffected, as this variation is restricted to the E.U.

This variation will influence quite a few well-liked Fitbit smartwatches, akin to:

• Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Sense
• Fitbit Versa 4, Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Versa Lite, Fitbit Versa
• Fitbit Ionic

In the meantime, the precise EU regulation fueling this shift isn’t cited in Google’s announcement, so it’s tough to say the precise motive(s) why that is occurring. It leaves us questioning if this can be a consequence of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) or another regulatory framework Google should adhere to.This transfer does increase quite a few questions concerning the consumer expertise for Fitbit customers in Europe, and extra importantly, is that this an indication of extra restrictive tech laws coming from the EU sooner or later? For now, all we are able to advise you on is to promptly obtain as many third occasion apps and clock faces as you suppose you might want for the longer term, earlier than this restriction goes into impact.