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 29.
- The email states users will "benefit" from Wallet's extensive list of supported banks/cards and that users can continue to use Fitbit Pay until July 29.
- Users can make the switch to Google Wallet now through the "devices" section of the Fitbit app so long as it's running version 4.14.1 or later.
Fitbit is starting to send emails to users utilizing its Pay app that the program will soon disappear on July 29 as its Google ecosystem integration continues.
As spotted by DroidLife, the company's email states that it is updating its contactless payment feature "from Fitbit Pay to Google Wallet." The notice adds that users are likely to benefit from the change as the number of available banks and cards increases, thanks to Google Wallet's support.
The email adds that users have until July 29 before Fitbit Pay officially becomes Google Wallet on its devices. With that, users will retain the ability to utilize their cards until the app disappears on the previously given date. The option to add new cards will no longer be available at this time.
This decision will impact a wide range of Fitbit's devices, and those watches/trackers are as follows:
- Fitbit Charge 6
- Fitbit Charge 5
- Fitbit Charge 4
- Fitbit Charge 3
- Fitbit Sense 2
- Fitbit Sense
- Fitbit Versa 4
- Fitbit Versa 3
- Fitbit Versa 2
- Fitbit Versa
Fitbit advised users to begin switching to Wallet and taking their cards with them. As the publication notes, Google's digital wallet started rolling out in the Fitbit app through version 4.14.1 and later. The company's email states users can initiate the switch by tapping the "devices" icon in the app and then tapping the "Wallet" icon.
Fitbit started picking up Google Wallet support in 2022 when it launched the Versa 4 and Sense 2 smartwatches. Since then, the company has continued to forgo its own Pay app in favor of Google's, as we've seen 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, following approximately a hundred additional ones from December and January.
Elsewhere, Google has continued to move Fitbit more and more into its aura. Last week, Fitbit's standalone store was shut down, and now, it directs consumers to the Google Store instead. The company will likely continue producing devices, but its software is truly what Google is after, as we've seen with its Pixel Watch. It's a move that reminds us of when Apple acquired Beats, which was also for its audio software.