Fitbit’s kids smartwatch gets family group chats | TechCrunch

Fitbit’s Ace LTE, the smartwatch designed for ages 7+, is introducing new features to help families stay connected and get active together. 

On Wednesday, Fitbit announced a slew of new features, including group chats, family quests, a new mini-game, and two new watch faces. There’s also a new direct message feature for siblings to text and call each other using their devices.

Ace LTE, launched in May, is designed to provide parents with a sense of security. It allows them to text and call their kids, track their location, and monitor their activity level. The device restricts kids’ ability to add contacts. Instead, guardians can approve and add up to 20 trusted adults to the account, ensuring that communication stays in a controlled network.

A newly introduced feature enhances this experience by enabling a group chat function within the Ace LTE device and the companion Ace app. Anyone within the Google Family can be added to the chat. 

Previously, siblings were unable to call or message each other due to parental controls. Starting today, this restriction has been lifted, allowing siblings to communicate freely via their Ace LTE devices. However, it’s important to note that while this encourages familial interaction, children are still unable to communicate with friends through the device. Instead, they can add each other in Bit Valley, where their virtual pets, called Eejies — Fitbit’s take on Tamagotchi — live.

Additionally, Family Quests aim to promote family bonding through fitness activities. The latest quest, named Turkey Berserky, is a Thanksgiving-themed challenge that tracks the family’s steps using the Ace LTE and Ace app. The collective goal is to reach 400,000 steps, and as families achieve goals, kids earn tickets to spend on digital items for their Eejies. There are also 50 new daily quests designed to teach kids about geography, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and other topics.

Along with quests, the smartwatch includes a Fitbit Arcade for kids to play while they walk or exercise. The newest title is Solar Sword, where players have to protect their village from invading monsters.

Fitbit also rolled out two new watch faces to help kids reach their movement goals. The watch face can be changed by long-pressing the home screen.  

The Ace LTE is priced at $230, which aligns with the prices of Google’s older products, such as the Fitbit Sense 2 and Google Pixel Watch 2.

To access any of the features of the Ace LTE, users must sign up for Fitbit’s Ace Pass plan, which costs $10 per month or $119 per year. Additionally, siblings who subscribe to the plan from now until January 31 will receive a 50% discount.