From November 28, 2026, Fitbit Sense, Versa and Ionic smartwatches can no longer install or update third-party apps and clock faces. Anything already on your watch keeps working. But if you delete a third-party face or app, or factory reset the watch, you can’t get it back.
Google announced the change on its Google Health help center and in a post on its Fitbit developer forum. Neither document gives a reason. If you rely on a third-party clock face or app, you have until November 28 to set things up.
What changes for Fitbit third-party apps on November 28
After that date, the Fitbit App Gallery will only offer apps and clock faces made by Fitbit and Google. Third-party apps and faces you have already installed stay on the watch and keep running. They just stop receiving updates. Google’s help page spells out the catch:
However, if you choose to delete an app or clock face, or factory reset your device, you will no longer be able to re-install it.
Google also asks users to update the Google Health app to version 5.12 so Fitbit and Google apps keep working as expected. Our Google Health 5.12 coverage explains what else that version adds.
Which Fitbit watches are affected
Google’s help page lists eight models. Its forum post names only six, leaving out the Versa Lite and Ionic, but the help page is the fuller list.
- Sense series: Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Sense
- Versa series: Fitbit Versa 4, Versa 3, Versa 2, Versa Lite and the original Versa
- Ionic: Fitbit Ionic, which is under a voluntary recall; Google’s help page points remaining owners to the recall details
What to do before November 28
- Update the Google Health app to version 5.12 or later.
- Install any third-party clock face or app you want to keep. After November 28, you can’t add it.
- If you were planning a factory reset, do it now and reinstall your third-party faces afterwards. The reinstall limit only applies from November 28.
- After November 28, don’t delete third-party faces or apps, and avoid factory resetting the watch.
If you ever need to reset the watch after the cutoff, those third-party faces and apps are gone for good.
Still on sale, days before the cutoff
Google still sells the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4, and both are part of its Black Friday sale starting November 19. The Sense 2 drops to $199.95 and the Versa 4 to $159.95. Someone who buys either on sale will have at most nine days to load third-party faces, and less if shipping takes a while.
That is a real cost for buyers. Google is discounting watches whose app and clock face choice shrinks nine days after the sale begins. After November 28, a new Sense 2 or Versa 4 owner gets only the faces and apps Fitbit and Google make.
What developers need to know
From November 28, developers can’t upload new apps or clock faces, or push updates to existing ones. Before then, they can download their projects or ask for them to be removed. Google will then retire the Gallery Admin tools. Existing content stays available only to people who already installed it.
Sources: Google Health Help Center, Google Health Community, Google Store
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