Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has introduced it would take away third-party apps and watch faces from the Fitbit app gallery within the EU.
- EU customers will have the ability to proceed downloading and putting in third-party apps till June 2024.
- Customers outdoors of the EU shall be unaffected.
Replace: March 22, 2024 (12:36 PM ET): A Google spokesperson has reached out to Android Authority to substantiate that EU house owners will nonetheless have entry to the third-party apps and clock faces they’ve downloaded. This implies you received’t have the ability to obtain new third-party apps or watch faces after June 2024, however you’ll have the ability to proceed utilizing those sitting in your library.
Authentic article: March 22, 2024 (11:27 AM ET): In case you’re a Fitbit proprietor within the EU, Google is about to make a change that would have a big effect on how you utilize your system. These house owners will now not have the ability to obtain and set up third-party apps and clock faces within the subsequent few months.
In a assist web page on the Fitbit Assist Heart, Google introduced it would take away third-party apps and clock faces from the Fitbit app gallery for customers within the EU. The corporate says this choice was made after “a cautious evaluation of the influence of recent regulatory necessities.” Google doesn’t elaborate on what regulatory necessities it’s referring to, however it’s seemingly speaking concerning the Digital Markets Act (DMA), or perhaps another regulation that was not too long ago applied.
These apps are scheduled to be faraway from the Fitbit app gallery in June 2024. The agency states that EU customers will have the ability to proceed downloading and putting in third-party apps and watch faces till this date. Nonetheless, Google doesn’t make clear if already put in third-party apps and watch faces will proceed to work after June.
These modifications will have an effect on the Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 4, Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Versa Lite, Fitbit Versa, and Fitbit Ionic. It’s vital to notice that Fitbit trackers, in addition to each generations of the Pixel Watch, seem like unaffected by the change.
Google provides that after June, EU Fitbit customers could have entry to “a various gallery of apps and clocks developed by Fitbit and Google.” In case you’re a Fitbit person who lives outdoors of the EU, you received’t be impacted by this choice.
Android Authority has reached out to Google for remark. We are going to replace this text if and when new info is obtainable.