Fitbit owners are used to features being redesigned or dropped entirely since Google’s 2021 acquisition, but the latest change could end up being a good one. Google shuts down Fitbit Pay and forces users to switch to Google Wallet.
As noted by Droid lifeFitbit has sent emails to owners of its smartwatches and fitness trackers stating that Fitbit Pay will be completely replaced by Google Wallet on July 29. Google’s contactless payment app has been available on the Versa, Sense and Charge for a while now, but this move will make the switch mandatory.
The change has been hailed as positive by Fitbit and Google, with the former’s email stating that the move to Google Wallet will “increase the number of banks and cards available for contactless payments on your Fitbit device.”
While few people will actively miss Fitbit Pay, the switch means you’ll have to change your contactless payment method in the coming months (more on that below). In the meantime, you can still use cards currently stored in your Fitbit Pay account, but you won’t be able to add new cards to it.
The news follows a recent update to the sleep page in the Fitbit app, which didn’t go down well with fans, with many calling it a “downgrade.” On the plus side, though, Google has also shown a willingness to bring AI-powered health tracking features to Fitbit, including a new chatbot that will (apparently) reach Android “later this year.”
Hopefully we’ll hear more about that, and other new Fitbit features, at Google IO 2024, which starts on May 14.
How to switch to Google Wallet
If you want to switch from Fitbit Pay to Google Wallet in advance to avoid last-minute panic, the process is as follows Google’s support page in the Fitbit Help Center.
On the Today tab of the Fitbit app, tap your device icon (top left), then tap the Wallet tile (top right). Now click on Update to Google Wallet and log in to your Google account. From here, simply follow the on-screen instructions to add your card to Wallet.
Once you set up Google Wallet, the Wallet tile in the Fitbit app automatically switches to the Google Wallet tile for your contactless payments.
The change is an unsurprising end to a Fitbit feature that first appeared in 2017 during the brand’s heyday. Google Wallet itself is a replacement for Google Pay, which will officially be retired at the end of June.
Hopefully this streamlining of mobile payment experiences will make things a little less confusing, but then you never know which service Google will send to the Google Graveyard next.