Fitbits won't be able to sync with PC and Mac soon
Fitbit's fitness trackers have been on the market for years before smartphone usage became so widespread. As a result, because its earliest days, Fitbit has been connected to Windows PCs and Macs in order to store and upload data. However, today, almost everyone owns a smartphone, including all Fitbit customers. Keeping the PC syncing function may be difficult for Google-owned Fitbit, so it is finally shutting down its Fitbit Connect program for PCs. Unfortunately, that won't be a simple matter of turning off a rarely used functionality, and the closure of Fitbit Connect has significant implications for one fundamental feature.
Features, whether hardware- or software-based, have a cost. Manufacturers are obligated to keep that feature running even when few people use it. If the firm or developer doesn't maintain it, the capability becomes not just a waste but also a liability. An abandoned function in software may provide malicious actors with unlawful entry to a system, for example.
With practically everybody having a smartphone or two, it's probably the case for Fitbit Connect now. It's possible that Fitbit has determined that the software isn't anymore utilized, therefore it's finally safe to pull the plug. Starting on October 13, 2022, customers will no longer be able to sync their data with PCs and Macs through an updated support page for Fitbit. While this may not seem very shocking in itself, one consequence does have a different tone about it.
When Fitbit Connect stops working, Fitbit owners using supported hardware will no longer be able to transfer music from their computers to the internal storage of their smartwatch. The only way to listen to music on the device offline is via this PC-to-Fitbit connection at the moment, which implies users have no direct means for file transfer. They do have an indirect method available, but it will cost them in terms of money.
After October 13, Fitbit updated another support page with instructions on how to use a Fitbit watch to listen to music. The only way to do this is to connect third-party services like Deezer or Pandora to the device using software downloaded from the internet. The issue is that these services are not free; in fact, they might be quite costly after the three-month trial period has ended. Users will have to pay a monthly charge if they want their music files on their computers to sync with their Fitbit device.
It's debatable if many Fitbit watch users make use of this music transfer feature, especially since so many people are now using their phones instead. That said, there may be a few who prefer some offline listening without their phones, especially when going for a run. There hasn't been any negative reaction yet, therefore it seems that the majority of users aren't affected by this upcoming change. It's still too early to tell whether anything will change later on; nevertheless, certain modifications could help this group of people.
Source: www.slashgear.com
