Google account will be needed on Fitbit devices from 2023

WASHINGTON: Even though American tech giant Google acquired Fitbit last year, the smart wearables company has continued to launch products as it used to before being rebranded to 'Fitbit by Google'.

This is about to change. According to GSM Arena, the support page of Fitbit has been updated to reveal that after the launch of Google accounts on Fitbit in 2023, "some uses of Fitbit will require a Google account, including to sign up for Fitbit or activate newly released Fitbit devices and features."

However, after the launch, existing users with Fitbit accounts will have the option to move their Fitbit data to their Google accounts or continue to use the existing Fitbit devices and services with the Fitbit accounts as long as they are supported, which will be at least until early 2025, reported GSM Arena.

Fitbit has said Google accounts on Fitbit will "support a number of benefits for Fitbit users, including a single login for Fitbit and other Google services, industry-leading account security, centralized privacy controls for Fitbit user data, and more features from Google on Fitbit."

Those who are concerned about sharing their fitness data with Google should know that Google will abide by the binding commitments it made with the global regulators to complete the Fitbit acquisition, and hence, it will not use the Fitbit health and wellness data for Google Ads, as per GSM Arena.