If you have a Fitbit account, a major change is coming your way. According to the company, it will be ending support for Fitbit accounts and will require a Google account instead.
Fitbit officially became a part of Google back in January 2021. Since then, Google has been finding ways to get its ecosystem and Fitbit’s ecosystem closer together. For example, Google has said that its upcoming Pixel Watch will have deep integration with Fitbit. The latest push toward this united front is Fitbit’s new “Fitbit by Google” branding.
On Fitbit’s help page, the company has a FAQ about this new branding and what is in store for the future. In the list of questions and answers, Fitbit talks about Google accounts on Fitbit. It’s here where the firm announces that it will enable Google accounts on Fitbit in 2023 and will support a number of benefits for Google account users including:
- Single logins
- Account security
- Centralized privacy controls for Fitbit user data
Further down the page, however, it’s revealed that some uses of Fitbit will require a Google account after Google accounts on Fitbit is launched in 2023. It also mentions that Fitbit account support will end in 2025, which will require all users to have a Google account going forward. The company states:
If you have a Fitbit account, after the launch of Google accounts on Fitbit, you’ll have the option to move Fitbit to your Google account or to continue to use your existing Fitbit devices and services with your Fitbit account for as long as it’s supported. Support of Fitbit accounts will continue until at least early 2025. After support of Fitbit accounts ends, a Google account will be required to use Fitbit. We’ll be transparent with our customers about the timeline for ending Fitbit accounts through notices within the Fitbit app, by email, and in help articles.
Although this is an interesting development, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. Since Fitbit is now a part of Google, it only makes sense that Google would want to simplify things by replacing Fitbit accounts with Google accounts. At least they’re giving users plenty of time to adjust to the inevitable change.
