Fitbit is reportedly removing its Guided Programs feature from its app next month as part of a massive overhaul inspired by Google’s Material You design language.
We already knew that the Fitbit app is being redesigned thanks to a Google blog on the subject. But it now seems that more than just the design will be changing. This revelation came in an email, seen by 9to5Google, in which Fitbit supposedly stated that “Guided Programs will be removed on September 19, 2023.” That then, is presumably when the overhauled app will launch, though the email doesn’t specify this.
In any case, the removal of Guided Programs doesn’t mean you’ll lose all the associated workouts, because “most of the workouts and mindfulness sessions from Guided Programs” will be offered in the new app. But it does at the very least mean you’ll lose any progress in Guided Programs that you’re partway through, so make sure you get them finished before September 19.
More troublingly, the wording suggests that these sessions will now just be offered individually, rather than you being able to follow a dedicated program that links together sessions over between one and three weeks.
A great guide gone
The current Guided Programs are a handy feature, making it easy to really target specific goals, with the programs available including things like ‘Run Training’, ‘Mindful Eating’, and ‘Beginner Bodyweight’, among many others. Having a whole program laid out could also prove more motivating than having to choose which workouts to do and when.
So, this feature being removed from the app - if indeed it is - is sure to be a disappointment to many users. Not the only disappointment either, as the new Fitbit app is also removing the Community tab, in a move lamented by TechRadar’s Fitness, Wellness, and Wearables Editor, Matt Evans.
If there’s a good side to the Fitbit app’s overhaul, it’s that it suggests Google isn’t giving up on the brand, and we might therefore see some new Fitbit hardware – such as the Fitbit Charge 6 – in the near future.
That would be good news, as the best Fitbits rank among the best fitness trackers overall. It’s just a shame that some much-loved features are being removed on the software side.
