Fitbit kills local music syncing in favor of subscriptions

If you own a Fitbit device and you prefer to ditch your phone when working out to music, I’ve got some bad news for you. 9to5Google spotted an update on the Fitbit support page stating that on October 13th, the option to sync your Fitbit device with the Fitbit Connect app will be removed. This app has been to date the only way to transfer personal music saved on your computer to a Fitbit device.

The Fitbit Connect app was widely used for older Fitbit devices back when they had to be connected to your computer via a dock in order to push updates and content back and forth. Once the app is phased out, the only options left for storing music offline on your Fitbit will be to use Pandora or Deezer which have to be set up via the Fitbit mobile app. However, these services require a subscription in order to enable offline playback. For example, a subscription to Pandora Plus will set you back $4.99 a month and Deezer Premium will cost you $4.99. Fortunately, though, Fitbit’s support page on this issue says that you may be eligible for a 90-day trial to either one of these services.

If you already have a subscription to Spotify and have a Fitbit device that supports it, you can always set it up so that you can use your Fitbit to control playback, however, this will require that you have your phone with you. The same goes for using Fitbit’s classic music controls in order to use other music streaming apps on your phone, such as YouTube Music.

I have personally been holding on to my Versa 2 while I wait for the Pixel Watch to become available, and this new development further cements that I need to upgrade as soon as possible. Those that are die-hard Fitbit fans and prefer this branding to other Wear OS options, such as the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and the upcoming Pixel Watch, may need to wait a little longer for Fitbit OS to be rolled into the Wear OS family.