FitBit Lifts Paywall and Lets Users See Health Data for Free
It’s frustrating to have to pay for something that’s already available to you. FitBit users had to pay $10 per month to access detailed historical data, which was redundant and annoying. Competitors like Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, and Huawei already let users access all their data for free. After years of complaints, Google has finally made the Health Metrics Dashboard available to all users, including those who haven’t subscribed to the premium tier.
Different devices collect different types of data, depending on model and sensors.
What’s New?
Users can now see their data for periods of up to 90 days, which can then be further segregated into weeks, months, and so forth for free. This includes information about:
- Breathing rate
- Heart rate
- Skin temperature
- Oxygen saturation
- Sleep data
- Resting heart rate
- Step count
- Traveled distance
- Calories burned
Although there’s still a 90-day cap on historical data, this change brings FitBit and Google closer to the competition. The Pixel Watch was also part of this paywall issue, but after this change, it has all the more reason to be one of the best Android smartwatches around.
What Does This Mean for Users?
This change raises the bar for all major competitors in the race, but it’s also a small yet valuable victory for user data. Considering that the smartwatch of today can save lives, it’s definitely worth having access to this data if need be.
