Fitbit OS 5.1 Comes to Fitbit Sense and Versa 3

Fitbit announced today that Fitbit OS 5.1 is now available for its Sense and Versa 3 smartwatches with Google Assistant support, Bluetooth calling, and more.

“As we head further into the flu season amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, keeping an eye on changes to your day-to-day health metrics is more important than ever,” Fitbit co-founder and CEO James Park said in a prepared statement. “Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 are Fitbit’s most innovative devices yet and can play an important role in making new information available about your physical and mental health and wellbeing. We’re empowering you with the tools you need to better understand and take control of your health and wellness.”

Fitbit OS 5.1 is specific to Fitbit’s newest smartwatches and will not be ported to older smartwatches or fitness wearables. New features include:

Improved SpO2 tracking. Answering what has to be the number one feature request, users can now track their blood oxygen levels while sleeping and see their average in the Fitbit app without using a specific SpO2 clock face.

Google Assistant support. Now, in addition to on-device access to Amazon Alexa, users can choose Google’s voice assistant instead, at least in the U.S. More Assistant features are coming in the future, Fitbit says.

Hands-free Bluetooth calls. Using the devices’ microphone and speakers, users can now send incoming calls to voicemail and control volume without reaching for their phone. Android users can also respond to text messages on-the-go with voice-to-text commands.