Google’s acquisition of Fitbit closed in early 2021, however we’ve not seen a lot in the best way of adjustments but. 9to5Google noticed an enormous upcoming change posted on Fitbit’s assist website: account migrations! A brand new Fitbit assist web page has outlined the plan for the approaching Google account migration. If this goes something just like the Nest account migrations (carried out by the identical Google {Hardware} division), Fitbit customers are in for a wild experience.
Google’s assist web page says, “We plan to allow use of Fitbit with a Google account someday in 2023” and that at that time “some makes use of of Fitbit would require a Google account, together with to enroll in Fitbit or activate newly launched Fitbit gadgets and options.” Meaning non-compulsory account migrations for present customers in 2023. Google additionally says, “Assist of Fitbit accounts will proceed till at the least early 2025. After assist of Fitbit accounts ends, a Google account will likely be required to make use of Fitbit. We’ll be clear with our clients in regards to the timeline for ending Fitbit accounts by notices throughout the Fitbit app, by electronic mail, and in assist articles.”
The merging of accounts will, after all, imply that Google will get your well being knowledge. Google says that “you’ll have to consent to switch your Fitbit person knowledge from Fitbit to Google” and that “Google will then offer you Fitbit below Google’s Phrases of Service, Privateness Coverage, and binding commitments for Fitbit.” A part of these EU commitments, which Google selected to use to the entire world, is that “Google is not going to use Fitbit well being and wellness knowledge for Google Adverts.”
Google’s gross sales pitch for why you’d need to switch says, “Google accounts on Fitbit will assist a number of advantages for Fitbit customers, together with a single login for Fitbit and different Google providers, industry-leading account safety, centralized privateness controls for Fitbit person knowledge, and extra options from Google on Fitbit.” Actually, although, with Fitbit’s borgification being obligatory in 2025, resistance is futile.
Let’s hope this goes higher than Nest
The closest expertise we now have to those main account migrations is the Google dealing with of Nest accounts in 2019. That was (and nonetheless is) a really bumpy street. After years of coexistence following Google’s Nest acquisition in 2014, Google determined to kill Nest accounts after 5 years and migrate everybody to a Google account. You were not pressured to change, however not switching solely meant a sluggish demise of your account, since you were not allowed so as to add new gadgets and would not get any new options. The account transfer ended up altering quite a bit about how Nest works and what Nest works with, introducing regressions just like the lack of location-based thermostat management for a number of months, breaking present compatibility with third-party apps, and the demise of the “Works with Nest” ecosystem. This additionally marked the top of Google’s siloing of Nest knowledge from all of Google’s different knowledge assortment.
Nest nonetheless hasn’t actually recovered from its Google-ification. The unique Nest app continues to be being overwhelmed to demise with the “not invented right here” stick, and Google needs everybody (and compelled some merchandise) to maneuver to the Google House app. Google’s app is an unorganized dumping floor for each Google good house product, although, and is definitely the corporate’s worst and most incomprehensible app. It is nonetheless not feature-complete with the Nest app, and also you do not have to look far to seek out indignant clients. Google additionally would not supply an internet interface for something, whereas beforehand, house.nest.com supplied net performance for thermostats and cameras. Google has owned Nest for seven years and nonetheless hasn’t figured this out.
To this point, the one distinction we have seen from the Google/Fitbit team-up is the Fitbit branding giving option to “Fitbit by Google” branding. If we comply with historical past’s instance and assume Google would not be taught from its errors, Fitbit’s transition maps very properly to Nest’s. We think about the Fitbit app and web site being hit with the identical “not invented right here” stick and Google Match taking up as the brand new Fitbit companion app (Google Match not has a useful web site). Fitbit has quite a lot of integration with different providers, however that may in all probability must be transitioned to some Google API just like the Google Match API as a substitute. Naturally, that may contain some performance surviving, some performance being utterly misplaced, and a few builders being unwilling to make the soar and re-code beforehand working integrations. Buckle up!
Google says extra data will likely be obtainable nearer to the 2023 launch date.