What you need to know
- Fitbit has sent an email to its users warning them that its Pay app will disappear later this year, on July 29th.
- The email states that users will “benefit” from Wallet’s extensive list of supported banks/cards and that users can continue to use Fitbit Pay until July 29th.
- Users can now switch to Google Wallet from the Devices section of the Fitbit app when running version 4.14.1 or later.
Fitbit will begin sending emails to users who use its Pay app that the program will soon disappear on July 29 as it continues to integrate with the Google ecosystem.
As DroidLife discovered, the company’s email says it is updating its contactless payment feature “from Fitbit Pay to Google Wallet.” The note goes on to say that thanks to Google Wallet support, users will likely benefit from the change as the number of available banks and cards increases.
The email goes on to say that users have until July 29 before Fitbit Pay officially becomes Google Wallet on its devices. This will allow users to retain the ability to use their cards until the app disappears on the previously specified date. The option to do so add New maps are no longer available at this time.
This decision will impact a variety of Fitbit devices. These watches/trackers are as follows:
Fitbit advised users to switch to Wallet and take their cards with them. As noted in the release, the rollout of Google’s digital wallet began in the Fitbit app starting with version 4.14.1. The company’s email says users can initiate the switch by tapping the “Devices” icon in the app, then tapping the “Wallet” icon.
Fitbit began introducing the Versa 4 and Sense 2 smartwatches in 2022 with support for Google Wallet. Since then, the company has repeatedly foregone its own pay app in favor of Google’s, as we saw with the Charge 6 tracker. Wallet has continued to gain support for even more banks and their cards, and the company added support for 30 more in March.
The app now supports over 5,000 banks and bank cards, after around a hundred more in December and January.
Elsewhere, Google has increasingly pushed Fitbit into its aura. Last week, Fitbit’s standalone store closed and is now directing consumers to the Google Store instead. The company will likely continue producing devices, but its software is really what Google is looking for, as we saw with the Pixel Watch. This move reminds us of the time when Apple took over Beats, also because of its audio software.