- Google has delivered another blow to Fitbit users
- It’s quietly withdrawing support for Google Assistant
- It means devices will no longer work with the voice assistant
The death of Fitbit seems more and more inevitable with each passing month, and now Google is ending support for Google Assistant on Fitbit devices, another sure sign of its demise.
While Google Assistant is being replaced with Gemini on the best Android smartwatches, likely starting with the Pixel Watch later this year, there’s no such hope for users of the best Fitbits, who will lose Google Assistant altogether in the coming days.
As noted by multiple outlets, Google recently and quietly announced that Google Assistant support would end on Fitbit.
“Over the next few weeks, we will be progressively phasing out Google Assistant on your Fitbit device. You can learn more about this process here. This change means that Google Assistant voice control for activities will soon no longer be available on your Fitbit device,” the company said in Fitbit’s community forum.
Google added that “We understand that changes can be disruptive, and we value your feedback,” and that it remained “committed to continuously improving your Fitbit app and developing exciting new features. “
Fitbit ends support for Google Assistant
Now, Fitbit users on Reddit are reporting notifications that state “Google Assistant on Fitbit watches is being turned down, this feature will stop working in the coming weeks.”
Fitbit users have been able to use Google Assistant to ask questions, set alarms, check the weather, and perform many other functions on the devices. The withdrawal makes some sense, given that Google is phasing out Assistant elsewhere. However, as noted, on most devices, that’s in favor of the more capable Google Gemini; Fitbit users, however, are simply losing a feature and getting nothing in return.
Google’s erasure of Fitbit continues apace, and all signs now point to the brand’s demise in the future. The company has confirmed that it will sunset Fitbit smartwatches in favor of the Pixel Watch, and chances are its fitness trackers aren’t far behind.
The company has also shuttered the Fitbit website, and recently endured furious user backlash over an update that crushed the battery life of the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 because of overheating concerns.
How many Fitbit users access Google Assistant on a regular basis is unknown, but the loss of functionality symbolizes another nail in the coffin for the brand and is sure to be unpopular with customers.
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