If you’re a Fitbit Versa, Versa 2, or Ionic owner, you’ll soon no longer be able to stream music from your computer to your Fitbit device. In a support page spotted by 9to5Google, Fitbit said it will discontinue its Fitbit Connect app on October 13, leaving you with only two ways to download music to your device: a paid subscription to Pandora or Deezer.
Fitbit Connect is a companion app for Mac and Windows computers that lets you sync fitness data between devices and transfer music to older Fitbit devices. Fitbit has been phasing out the software in favor of its mobile app because it no longer recommends users download it on its settings page.
However, without access to Connect, you can’t download music to your Fitbit without a paid subscription to Pandora or Deezer. On its support page, Fitbit says “you may be eligible for a 90-day trial” for both services, and once the trial ends, Deezer Premium costs $9.99 per month and Pandora Plus costs $4.99 per month.
However, this change won’t affect newer Fitbit models, as they don’t have the option to transfer files between your PC and Fitbit device (devices like the Versa 3 and Sense already only allow you to download music via Deezer or Pandora). If you have an older version of Fitbit that can store music, you can still access your music files on your Fitbit device right now—you won’t be able to download any other songs without Pandora or Deezer past the October deadline.
Many users use their Fitbit devices to control the music they play on their smartphones, whether they’re streaming music through Spotify or listening to songs already downloaded on their phones. However, if you listen to music offline or want to use Fitbit without a smartphone, accessing local music files can still come in handy.
While Fitbit didn’t explain why it’s getting rid of Fitbit Connect, it’s likely that there isn’t enough demand to keep the service running. Google, Fitbit’s parent company, did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
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