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Google's Abuse of Fitbit Continues With Web App Shutdown (arstechnica.com) 47

Posted by msmash from the late-night-with-devils dept.
An anonymous reader shares a report: Google's continued abuse of the Fitbit brand is continuing with the shutdown of the web dashboard;. Fitbit.com used to be both a storefront and a way for users to get a big-screen UI to sift through reams of fitness data. The store closed up shop in April, and now the web dashboard is dying in July.

In a post on the "Fitbit Community" forums, the company said: "Next month, weâ(TM)re consolidating the Fitbit.com dashboard into the Fitbit app. The web browser will no longer offer access to the Fitbit.com dashboard after July 8, 2024." That's it. There's no replacement and no new Fitness thing Google is more interested in; web functionality is just being removed. Google, we'll remind you, used to be a web company. Now it's a phone app or nothing. Google did the same thing to its own Google Fit product in 2019, killing off the more powerful website in favor of an app focus.

Google's Abuse of Fitbit Continues With Web App Shutdown More | Reply

Google's Abuse of Fitbit Continues With Web App Shutdown

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  • yup, funny assumption for aging population (Score:5, Insightful)

    by iggymanz ( 596061 ) on Wednesday June 12, 2024 @04:17PM (#64544573)

    funny everyone is assuming everyone has a phone and will use apps on phone, when it's hard for older people and the population is aging. "you're missing out on the latest user experience!" one site keeps nagging me; I'll never look at that phone-only thing.

    go 22+ inch screen or go home

    • Re:yup, funny assumption for aging population (Score:5, Insightful)

      by rahmrh ( 939610 ) on Wednesday June 12, 2024 @04:22PM (#64544599)

      Plus the web app can do things the dumbed down phone app cannot do well.

      Too many people (and possibly the typical naive developers) believe the phone is the ultimate interface for everything and even do stuff on the phone that it is poorly suited for. When the only tool you are familiar with is a hammer everything is a nail.

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by ThosLives ( 686517 )

        I like all the websites that now claim "[site] is better on the app!" and I'm like... "No, it isn't."

        It's also amusing because of the brands that have apps. Nike? Toothpaste? I can't relate, Davey!

      • Nope, they don't care that much about the interface. The reason is because an app can datamine you much more efficiently. Datamining on a website, is possible, of course, but an app can rake in a bunch more info and more easily.

    • How are they setting up the band without a phone? How are they downloading the data to the website without a phone?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Calydor ( 739835 )

        Let's again take the example of the moderately visually impaired elderly person trying to stay in shape.

        Kid or grandkid runs the setup. The phone just lays there, usually just used for actual phone calls (shocking use of a phone, I know), and automatically uploads data. I've never used it myself, I just assume it can automate stuff. The elderly person then moves to the computer with the proper sized screen they can see without getting a headache in half a minute.

        • That doesn't answer the question. The point was that no matter what, a phone is needed. You can't have a Fitbit if you don't own a smartphone to set it up with and use to sync data from the Fitbit to the cloud.

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by clovis ( 4684 )

            That doesn't answer the question. The point was that no matter what, a phone is needed. You can't have a Fitbit if you don't own a smartphone to set it up with and use to sync data from the Fitbit to the cloud.

            A phone is needed now, but it didn't use to be needed..
            I setup my Fitbit Charge 2 using the PC web page dashboard and a bluetooth dongle before Google bought Fitbit.

            Google stopped maintaining the Web page Dashboard and me and many others no longer could sync their fitbit steps, heart rate or anything on the PC.

            There's no reason why a phone is required other than Google is forcing people to use the phone app.
            So I installed the app on my phone, but the app required location services to be turned on to do anyt

            • Re: (Score:1)

              by wfj2fd ( 4643467 )
              I basically just use my fitbit as a silent alarm clock, I put it on when going to bed and take it off in the morning when I get up. I wish there was a non-tracking device that performed the same function, but haven't been able to find one. I thought about putting one together myself, but the form factor sucked, and those tiny vibrating motors are damn hard to solder by hand.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by cdmn1 ( 9615524 )
          Also, via computer/web interface its easy to zoom or apply dark/highcontrast themes and actually make some of these sites usable. Most webapps disregard these features and underlying OS themes, imposing the retina-burning white background with floating light grey text scheme. Even most websites while browsing in mobile mode now choose to disable the browser's zoom function! I have some eyesight problems and its frustrating living in an era that has all the solutions but everything has been enshitified,

    • They don't care if you don't have a phone that collects so much data... Location, habits, purchases, private conversations, and more. Apps do that. Web pages don't.

      And all the app stuff is Web stuff under the hood. It's the data collection that turns me off from installing apps to get freebies, because they aren't.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bn-7bc ( 909819 )
      don't they have a tabvlet optrimized version of the app?

      • over time a 10 inch tablet gets to be too small too

        like I said, 22 inch monitor or bigger on a PC!

    • The fact is that phones represent the worst trade-offs in UI/UX. Multi-touch does not make up for small screens, smaller targets, and the lack of a real keyboard.

    • It's not just the "gotta use a phone" to sync that's the problem, but that before you can even turn them on you have to create an account.

      Warning: old man shakes fist at clouds anecdote ahead

      A few years ago -- before the Google acquisition -- my wife bought me a FitBit, thinking that she was getting something I wanted (having mentioned how nice it would be to track my steps but not wanting a mechanical device that I could feel clicking and clacking on my waistband).

      After unboxing the thoughtful gift, I q

  • I was already done with buying any more fitbits... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by rahmrh ( 939610 ) on Wednesday June 12, 2024 @04:19PM (#64544583)

    I have almost been using fitbit's since they were released but before this Google's bahavior had already convinced me that I was already done with buying any more fitbits...

    The web app has required multiple clicks to login every 12 hours or so since integrating with google accounts (this has been months clearly they could care less about their customers).

    Google has become a standard corporate POS.

    The designed a good search algorithm years ago and appear to have stopped innovating since then. Search has become marginally better and may become worthless AI garbage shortly.

    • I bought one with EKG shortly before Google bought them and then a few months later I bought a family member a Garmin because I knew the Fitbit would become worthless.

      Ask: is this product essential to the manufacturer?

      The more it is the happier you will be.

      Google could shut down the entire watch business tomorrow and barely notice it.

      Garmin would have an arterial bleed.

      Good luck.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Shakrai ( 717556 )

        People like the Fitbit because it's small and unobtrusive. Garmin (and Polar; my personal favorite) make products designed for athletes. The unwashed masses essentially just want a pedometer with a few extra features. I've tried to talk my partner into a Polar or Garmin -- her Fitbits have a life expectancy measured in months; build quality has gone absolutely to hell -- but she refuses to wear something "that big".

      • +1 on the motivation and going Garmin. This is also the reason why my car GPS was and still is after 15 years iGO (a small Hungarian company).

  • Anyone still using (Score:3)

    by gabrieltss ( 64078 ) on Wednesday June 12, 2024 @04:25PM (#64544609)
    Is anyone still using FitBit? All the people in my family stopped using it over a year ago - gave up on it.

    • Re:Anyone still using (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Pascoea ( 968200 ) on Wednesday June 12, 2024 @04:34PM (#64544647)

      Is anyone still using FitBit?

      Yes. Wearing one now. I bought it because I wanted was a small smart-ish watch with a pedometer and a heart rate monitor. Check. Check. Check. Check. I don't give a shit about "advanced health stats" or "online dashboards". They could shut all of that garbage down tomorrow and I wouldn't even notice.

      • Do yourself a favor:

        Go buy a Xiaomi Mi Band 7. Not the Pro, and not the 8, for about $45:

        https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-... [amazon.com]

        Then use it with the Zepp Life app.

        You'll thank me! This is the best combo out there. I can request my data and it's emailed to me instantly. It federates with APple Fitness, Google Fitness, and others. ANd it's free.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Pascoea ( 968200 )
          Whenever the Fitbit dies, I'll definitely be looking into other options. However I tend to avoid no-name junk from Amazon, especially when it wants to connect to my phone, internet, etc. Not necessarily saying that "no-name junk" moniker applies to that one you shared, but based on the name and price I'd personally be cautions. I appreciate the suggestion, though, always nice to hear other's opinions.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by cusco ( 717999 )

          I got the Amazfit band about a year ago, which also uses Zepp. Does pretty much what I want and nothing else. Has the same type of band as the Xaiomi though, which I hate. I do a lot of gardening and it snags on stuff a couple of times a day.

        • Thanks, I'll have to try that one out.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Nkwe ( 604125 )
      So what is a good alternative? I have had a fitbit for years, and I probably won't get another one without a real website behind it. I don't want a fancy or expensive smartwatch, but I do want something to count / track steps and heart rate.
      • The authoritative DCRainmaker recently wrote:

        "The activity band market continues to wane, both for Garmin and others. For a company like Fitbit however, they can still convert millions of existing long-term Fitbit band users to a new unit. Thus it’s worthwhile to invest in that form factor. Whereas Garmin appears to have made the accounting calculus that it’s just not worth investing in anything more than a basic rebranding as a new model. And frankly, if I was in Garmin’s shoe

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by cowdung ( 702933 )

      Fitbit is good for running. Not as great as Garmin or Coros, but not as ugly.

      Apple watch is frankly annoying for runners. And Android watches seem to copy them as well.

      I'll probably switch to Garmin or Coros after my current Fitbit dies.

  • I liked my Fitbit Charge 5 and my recently purchased Fitbit Charge 6.
    Both of my Fitbit Charge watches only have less than a five hour battery life while using GPS for cycling, running or walking.
    I recently switched to using a Garmin Forerunner smartwatch.
    Two big difference between the Garmin Forerunner are that there is no monthly charge for the Garmin device.
    The second difference is that the battery in the Garmin Forerunner lasts for several days including a full day riding a bike using GPS.
    I have my Fitb

  • While it is a cloud integration and still dependent upon Google's willingness to continue running server, there is a Home Assistant integration for Fitbit, which exposes 37 sensors. You can customize your dashboard any way you want, create your own automation based on sensor values, etc.

    Of course, for those not already running Home Assistant, it is a steep learning curve and requires another device to run it on, preferably a low-power one like a Raspberry Pi.

    I think there should be some sort of regulation t

  • I was a Pebble owner. Then Fitbit bought them. I liked the new Fitbits based on the Pebble.

    But now Google bought them. May need to switch to Garmin or Coros.

  • Is no one else going to say it? (Score:3)

    by Subsentient ( 6901388 ) on Wednesday June 12, 2024 @10:37PM (#64545313)
    Am I the only one who thinks that companies are killing webpages and forcing you into apps because the app can spy on you more effectively, since it runs usually unsandboxed and often with background daemons?

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