Fitbit App Review

 

The Fitbit Sense 2 is a watch that works similarly to the Apple Watch and can do much of the same functionality.  When you purchase a Fitbit of any model, it directs you to download the Fitbit app.  Once downloaded, the app wants to pair with the Fitbit Sense 2 using Bluetooth.  The first image shows the home screen where the Fitbit app can track health info like steps walked, calories (energy) burned, sleep duration, how many days you have exercised, floors you have walked up and down, heart rate, weight, skin temperature, and others.  

 

The Fitbit app can also be used to take calls, read texts, pay for purchases (like Apple Pay), display weather information, play music and the face can be modified with free or purchased faces.  This second image shows the Sense 2 options where you can configure forms of payment for the wallet, change your Sense 2 clock face in the gallery, or set up the voice assistant, which can be synced to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.

 

The Fitbit app is very user-friendly and has many functions or apps that can be used.  However, there are a few things that I want to make a note of that could improve the overall design and functionality.  Recently, Google acquired Fitbit and changed the Fitbit pay to Google Wallet.  Even though this app works fine through the Fitbit app, the old Fitbit pay icon is still on the Sense 2, and it won't update to the Google Wallet.  To improve Fitbit Sense 2 and the app, an update to the OS on the watch needs to be implemented so that the Fitbit can again be used at stores to pay for purchases.  This function is now not working since the Sense 2 won't update to the Google Wallet.

Another area that could use a tweak would be the Gallery where the watch faces can be selected.  Currently, all the clock faces are combined under Gallery, and some are free, but others are only available through purchase.  There is a filter that can be selected to show all Free faces and all paid faces, but I recommend some additional filters in conjunction with these so a narrower selection can be viewed.  For example, select Free and then a sub-filter where you can select a genre like Sci-Fi, Holiday, etc.  

A third observation and suggestion would be to have more apps available for Sense 2.  The third image is a list of apps that can be installed for Sense 2.  Right now, the apps are limited.  An example would be wanting to listen to music.  The only music app is Spotify, but many people have Pandora, I Heart Radio, and YouTube, to name some popular ones.  Not everyone has a Spotify subscription, so a user can't listen to music unless they join Spotify, which would be an additional cost.

 

The overall functionality and usability of the applications are good, but since Google just purchased Fitbit, reworking some of the functions and apps for the Fitbit line of smartwatches would go a long way to making happy customers long-lasting customers.

References

Google.com. (n.d.). How do I use the Fitbit app? - Fitbit Help Center [Image]. In support.google.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024, from https://support.google.com/fitbit/answer/14237011?hl=en