Summary
Google reorganizes Fitbit division, now called “Google Fitbit,” with new team structure and minor brand changes.
Internal changes within Google led to combining Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit teams, resulting in staff reductions.
Fitbit users are now prompted to use Google accounts, signaling deeper integration with Google services in the future.
When a company becomes as large as Google, a little housekeeping is necessary every now and then to keep operations running smoothly. In some instances, it looks like restructuring and a change in staff. Google recently began reorganizing its teams to align with its evolving products and services. As a result, a new name is being introduced to reflect some of the changes happening to its Fitbit division, in particular.
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As spotted by 9to5Google and reflected on the official Fitbit website, Fitbit by Google has been shortened to just “Google Fitbit.” There has also been a slight change to capitalization — the Fitbit wordmark has a capitalized “F,” and the Google Sans font is used throughout. Several Fitbit accessories have been added to the Google Store, and a small tweak has been made to the “Watches” category, now being referred to as “Watches and Trackers.”
Internal changes sweep through Google
There have been several internal changes at Google since the beginning of the year, and the Fitbit division has not been exempted. Cofounders James Park and Eric Friedman left the company, and separate teams have been combined — Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit are all now managed by a single lead. In total, a few hundred positions were eliminated.
Although Google acquired Fitbit years ago, it has made more significant moves in recent months to further integrate the brand with the business. In 2023, for example, it started shifting Fitbit device users away from their accounts — the company started urging device owners to log in with their Google accounts instead. New Fitbit device owners began being prompted to activate them via a Google account, rather than create a Fitbit account.
While the new branding isn’t something that directly impacts Google customers, it does seem reflective of what’s happening behind the scenes. Depending on what exactly changes, however, tweaks to the products and services offered by Google can shift over time. In this instance, Fitbit products seem to be relatively the same, but that isn’t to say a shake-up couldn’t look different in the future.