Fitbit Challenges and open groups are no longer available as Google pulls the plug

Following an announcement earlier this year, Fitbit has today pulled the plug on challenges and open groups, two longtime features of its app.

As of today, March 27, Fitbit has discontinued support for four different “legacy” features within its app. Available since 2017, those most notably include “Challenges & Adventures,” which were social activities that allowed Fitbit owners to compete with one another with real-life movement and activity goals. The challenges included:

• Challenges: Find the extra encouragement to move more by competing with friends and family.
• Virtual Premium Challenges: It’s even easier to play! For a limited time, earn bonus active minutes and Active Zone Minutes during challenges.
• Adventure Races: Virtually race against your friends along real-life locations.
• Solo Adventures: Virtually explore real-life locations.

Further, Fitbit has also today removed open groups from its app, now limiting the feature to only private groups with friends. Open groups allowed Fitbit owners to share progress and discuss topics on a public forum accessible through the Fitbit app.

Google and Fitbit said that the reason for removing Challenges and open groups was in an effort to “streamline areas” of the Fitbit app as the two companies move toward further Google integration.

We’re working hard behind the scenes to enhance the Fitbit app with Google technology this year. As a result, we’re streamlining areas of the Fitbit app and will remove all challenges, including adventures, and trophies on March 27, 2023.

However, both of these removals have not been well-received by the community. Longtime Fitbit owners have expressed their outrage at the decision, and called on Google repeatedly to reverse the decision. At this point, though, the features have already shut down, and it seems they’re unlikely to make a return unless Google opts to reinvent them in the future.

Related: Are you sticking with Fitbit following recent feature removals and outages? [Poll]

The “Discover” tab in the Fitbit app is now lacking these longtime features, instead only showing workout guides, mindfulness and nutrition content, and similar programs and content.

Recently, Google did open up Fitbit’s Health Metrics dashboard to non-paying users.

More on Fitbit:

• How to enable and use ‘Find my Phone’ on Fitbit Sense 2
• Does Fitbit still make a smartwatch?
• Fitbit 3rd-party development is for watch faces, not apps, on Sense 2 and Versa 4

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