Fitbit users are getting a major new feature - but there's one catch

Since being snapped up by Google in 2021, Fitbit has been busy launching new activity trackers and updating its companion app for iPhone and Android . However, not all Fitbit enthusiasts are thrilled with the changes.

Google has axed popular features like competitive leaderboards where users could compete over step counts, and it seems the Versa 4 and Sense 2 may be the last smartwatches to bear the Fitbit brand.

Despite these changes, Google insists it's committed to the Fitbit brand, and the recent Charge 6 tracker is one of the top slim wearables on the market. A recent update to the Fitbit app now allows all users free access to their daily readiness score , a feature previously locked behind the pesky Fitbit Premium $7.99 per month subscription.

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It seems Fitbit is gradually introducing more new features into the app, and in line with the hottest tech buzzwords from 2024, it's all about AI. As spotted by 9to5Google, Fitbit Labs is a brand new tool rolling out to select Fitbit users that utilises Google's Gemini AI chatbot to analyse your health and fitness data collected by your Fitbit trackers.

Users can then type questions and queries for it to answer, reports the Express .

Fitbit Labs has unveiled an 'insights explorer' feature, now popping up in the You tab for a lucky few Fitbit users on Android who are also subscribed to Fitbit Premium. Unfortunately, there's no opting in at present; it comes down to chance as Google puts this fresh tool through its paces.

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Here's how you can join the club to use the new insights explorer:

• Have an active Fitbit Premium subscription
• Use the Fitbit app on an Android phone
• Be located in the United States and use the Fitbit app in English
• Be at least 18 years old
• Sign in to the Fitbit app using a Google Account
• Have an offer to join the Insight Explorer lab on the You tab in the Fitbit App

For those in the UK, it's a bit of a letdown since the feature is so far exclusive to American users only, but fingers crossed that Fitbit will soon roll out Fitbit Labs more widely.

With queries like "what was my average daily step count last month? " or "what day did I sleep the longest last month", you can interrogate the tool. Even though Google has eliminated some of the old and reliable features from the Fitbit app, the introduction of functions like Gemini is a solid reminder of how being snapped up by a tech behemoth can have its upsides.

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