What you need to know
- The brand-new Oppo Find X8 series includes the Fitbit app in the pre-installed Google folder by default.
- While most Android phones ship with a slew of pre-installed Android apps, this is the first time the Fitbit app has been included.
- The presence of the Fitbit app on the Oppo Find X8 series could be a precursor to it being included on more Android phones in the future.
The Oppo Find X8 and Oppo Find X8 Pro are now available globally, and we’ve reviewed the Find X8 Pro as one of the best Android phones you can buy — if you’re outside of North America. Aside from packing a great camera and impressive specs, the Oppo Find X8 series includes a new, pre-installed Google app for the first time: Fitbit.
The move, initially spotted by 9to5Google, represents a first for an Android phone. On Find X8 phones, the Fitbit app is pre-installed and appears in the Google folder. Interestingly, the Fitbit app seemingly replaces the Google Fit app in this folder, since the latter isn’t installed by default. While the company’s own Google Pixel brand has included the Fitbit app on its phones, the Oppo Find X8 lineup represents the first time a partner OEM made the switch.
This comes as Google tries to streamline its fitness offerings. The company shut down the Fitbit web dashboard earlier this year, but is simultaneously going all-in on the Fitbit app for mobile. In fact, Google Fit APIs are being discontinued, and Google is giving developers until June 30, 2025 to switch, according to a support document.
While most Android users in the U.S. probably aren’t importing an Oppo Find X8 device, the inclusion of the Fitbit app could be a sign of what’s to come stateside. Future phones from the likes of Samsung, Nothing, and OnePlus could similarly feature the pre-installed Fitbit app, taking the place of Google Fit. Although many users like Fitbit and the features it offers, some users are unsatisfied by how it feels out of place beside other stock Google apps, using its own color theme and ignoring system defaults.
“The Fitbit app has been available since earlier this year to Android OEMs as we continue to support the health and wellness of more consumers,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to Android Central. “Several device manufacturers have chosen to preload the app on their mobile devices.”
This statement reveals that while Oppo is the first partner OEM to include Fitbit in its default apps package, other companies have had the opportunity to as well dating back to early 2024. Presumably, more brands will follow as Google Fit continues to give way for Fitbit as Android’s top fitness service.
Update (Nov. 21, 2:45 p.m. ET): Added comment from Google spokesperson.
