GoKawiilTL;DR Google has announced that it’s dropping a ton of Fitbit features as part of the switch to Google Health.
The Google Health app won’t offer badges, a variety of social options, sleep profiles, sleep animals, and more.
The new app also drops several key features for diabetics and others who want to track their blood glucose levels.
Google just announced the Google Health app yesterday, which is effectively a rebranded Fitbit app. The company outlined the new app’s features at the time of the announcement, but it quietly revealed some bad news for Fitbit app users.
A Google support page (spotted by 9to5Google) reveals that a host of Fitbit features have been dropped or substantially changed as part of the transition to the Google Health app. For starters, the Fitbit app’s badges are disappearing altogether.
“Badges will no longer be supported. New badges won’t be generated, and your historical badges will be deleted,” Google explains. Instead, the company says the Google Health Coach “will help to celebrate your progress and accomplishment.” Yes, Google thinks its AI chatbot is a replacement for the badge system.
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Google is also freezing social features in the Fitbit app as part of the switch to Google Health. However, the new app will drop a variety of legacy social options. This includes the ability to choose unique usernames and profile pictures, support for direct messages and notifications, groups, and community feeds. The company also says child profiles can no longer have or add friends, while the weekly leaderboard now supports steps and cardio load.
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