Fitbit Sense and Versa lose third-party apps and clock faces on Nov. 28: what to do now

The skim

• The date: starting Nov. 28, 2026, you can't install or update third-party apps or clock faces on Fitbit Sense, Versa and Ionic smartwatches.
• What keeps working: anything already installed stays on your watch. But if you delete it or factory reset the watch, Google says you won't be able to reinstall it.
• What to do now: install the third-party faces and apps you want to keep before Nov. 28, and avoid deleting them or resetting your watch afterward.

What's changing

Google has updated its Fitbit help page with a notice: "Starting on November 28, 2026, you can no longer install or update third-party apps and clocks on Fitbit smartwatches." After that, the Fitbit App Gallery will only offer apps and clock faces made by Fitbit and Google.

The affected watches, per Google:

• Fitbit Sense 2 and Sense
• Fitbit Versa 4, Versa 3, Versa 2, Versa Lite and the original Versa
• Fitbit Ionic (which was recalled in 2022; Google links to the recall notice)

Google says installed third-party apps and faces "will continue to work." The catch is that the change works like a one-way door: "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." Those apps and faces also won't get any more updates, because developers lose the ability to publish them. According to 9to5Google, Google told developers the Gallery Admin tools will be retired, leaving their content "accessible only to users who have already installed it."

What owners should do before Nov. 28

• Install what you want to keep. In the Google Health app (Google's companion app for Fitbit watches), tap Connections at the top left, then your device, then Watch faces. Browse the Clocks tab and tap Install.
• Use your saved slots. Sense and Versa watches can save up to five clock faces and switch between them. Keeping your third-party favorites saved means you can swap faces without deleting one.
• Don't factory reset casually. A reset after Nov. 28 wipes third-party faces and apps for good. If your watch is acting up, try a restart first.
• Update the app. Google asks owners to update to app version 5.12 so its own apps and faces keep working.

Why it matters

Older Versa and Sense models are the hardest hit. They supported full third-party apps, and when they launched, the gallery's mix of apps and indie watch faces was a big part of their appeal. The Sense 2 and Versa 4 never got third-party apps at launch, but they kept third-party clock faces, and those now freeze too. Android Authority notes that Google already pulled third-party content from the gallery in the EU in 2024. Google didn't give a new reason for the global change.

It's another sign that Google is steering smartwatch buyers toward Wear OS and the Pixel Watch rather than Fitbit's own platform. If you're shopping for a watch this holiday season and care about third-party apps, keep that in mind before buying a discounted Sense 2 or Versa 4. Pixel Watch owners can check our Pixel Watch update coverage.

Sources: Google Health Help: Change the clock face on your Fitbit device (read Nov. 10, 2026); 9to5Google (Nov. 9, 2026); Android Authority; The Verge.