EU Fitbit users to lose access to third party app and watch faces،
Fitbit users in the European Union should prepare for a significant change in how they personalize their smartwatches. Google announced removing all third-party apps and clock faces from the Fitbit app gallery starting June 2024.
Why this sudden change? The update points to newly imposed “regulatory requirements” by the EU as the reason. According to the support page where the change was quietly announced, European Fitbit users will have until June 2024 to add third-party apps or clock faces before this feature is discontinued.
What happens after that? You will only be able to install apps and clocks developed by Fitbit and Google. However, according to Android Authority, existing third-party content on your Fitbit will continue to work after the deadline: you simply won't be able to install or download anything new. It's also important to note that US users are not affected, as this change is EU-specific.
This change will impact many popular Fitbit smartwatches, such as:
- Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Sense
- Fitbit Versa 4, Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Versa Lite, Fitbit Versa
- Fitbit Ionic
At the same time, the specific European regulation fueling this change isn't cited in Google's announcement, so it's hard to say the exact reason(s) why this is happening. This makes us wonder whether this is a consequence of the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) or some other regulatory framework that Google must adhere to. This move raises many questions regarding the user experience for Fitbit users in Europe and, more importantly, is this a sign of more restrictive tech regulations coming from the EU in the future? For now, all we can advise is to quickly download as many third-party apps and clock faces as you think you will need in the future, before this restriction comes into effect.
