Skip to main content

Have a Fitbit? You’ll soon be forced to link a Google account

After purchasing Fitbit in 2019, Google is moving to mandate the use of Google accounts on new Fitbit devices. The company shared the news on a help page, adding that it would be winding down Fitbit account functionality by 2025. While Google is pushing its own brand of upcoming smartwatches, there’s still substantial interest in Fitbit’s well-known products.

“After we launch Google accounts on Fitbit in 2023, some uses of Fitbit will require a Google account, including to sign up for Fitbit or activate newly released Fitbit devices and features,” Fitbit said “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.”

The Fitbit Inspire 3 in use.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends

In short, you can use your Fitbit without a Google account till 2025 if you already have one, but you’ll almost certainly need one starting next year. Google is launching a Pixel Watch soon, but Fitbits still offer better features, especially when it comes to battery longevity. The Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2 come with six days of battery, while the Pixel Watch is rumored to come with just one day of battery.

Recommended Videos

There is, of course, the question of privacy. With Google mandating Google accounts on a Fitbit, people who would like to use Fitbit but aren’t fans of Google’s data-collection practices might find this off-putting. “We worked with global regulators on an approach which safeguards consumers’ privacy expectations, including a series of binding commitments that confirm Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won’t be used for Google ads and this data will be separated from other Google ads data,” Google’s Rick Osterloh said, but a closer look at those commitments have them limited to users in the European Economic Area only. It’s not entirely clear if the same would apply in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Michael Allison
Former Mobile News Writer
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
Google’s Find My Device tracking tool could soon serve Apple’s best trick
Google's Find My Device app showing linked devices on a phone.

It’s roughly been a year since Google launched its new Find My Device network, fortifying it with security features such as encrypted location sharing, unknown tracker alerts, and more. But so far, it has missed out on a notable feature that enables precise object tracking within Apple’s rival Find My network. 

That is about to change soon, it seems. Talking to The Verge, Google’s Angela Hsiao hinted that the company will soon make an announcement regarding UWB integration within the Find My Device ecosystem. 

Read more
Google Pixel 10: everything you need to know
We're expecting to see the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro Fold very soon
Leaked render of Google Pixel 10 angled view from front and back.

Summer is around the corner, and with it comes talk of the Google Pixel 10. This year, the Made by Google event is scheduled for August 20. At 1 pm ET (10 am PT), the keynote kicks off for what we expect to be a Pixel-packed fest.

The Google Pixel 9 has been enjoying its time in the sun for the last 11 months, thanks to its stunning cameras, spectacular battery life, spontaneous use of Gemini AI, and a matte finish on par with the iPhone 16. We've also seen the affordable Pixel 9a launch, which really does leave things open for the Pixel 10 to be the next smartphone announcement from Google.

Read more
Google Gemini: Everything you need to know
Gemini Live running on Google Pixel 9a.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere right now. Applications like ChatGPT are in the news almost daily for their advancements, while others like Claude are being used to do everything from drafting cover letters to writing (admittedly bad) novels. Google Gemini is Google's latest foray into that AI arena, replacing Google Assistant in many ways — and it's integrated into numerous mobile devices, like the Google Pixel line of phones.

Understanding what Gemini is and what it can do might seem daunting, but it's easier than you think. It can also greatly simplify specific day-to-day tasks and help you find answers to questions you didn't even know you had, all without reading through pages and pages of articles. Here's everything you need to know to not only start using Gemini, but making it work for you.

Read more