Q: "I am looking to buy an activity tracker to get fitter and heathier and listen to some audio. Fitbit watches are considered among the best with absolute advantages. When running, I want to listen to some Audible audiobooks but cannot do. Can I access Audible on Fitbit Versa? Is there a detailed method to tell me how to play Audible on Fitbit?"
For many people, a Fitbit is a handy tool to track health and fitness. But listening to audiobooks is not always easy. You might want to play your Audible books while you work out. The problem is, there is no official Audible app for Fitbit.
So, can you still listen to Audible on your Fitbit? Yes. With the right method, it is possible. In this guide, we will show you how to get and listen to Audible on Fitbit Versa and Sense, step by step.
Part 1. Can You Use Audible on Fitbit Smartwatches?
Many people ask if they can listen to Audible books right on their Fitbit watches. The quick answer is: officially, no. Fitbit does not have a special Audible app built into the Versa, Versa 2, Versa 3, Versa 4, or Sense models. This means you can't just open the Audible app and begin listening like you would on your phone or a tablet.
Fitbit watches are good for music apps such as Deezer or Pandora, but the Audible app is not a standard feature. Older models, like the Versa and Versa 2, used to let you save your own music files on the watch, but Fitbit stopped this feature completely in October 2022. This change means the old ways to make Audible files work are no longer possible.
In the next parts, we will show you how to get Audible audiobooks on your Fitbit Versa and Sense, step by step.
Part 2. How to Get Audible on Fitbit Versa and Sense
Since late 2022, Fitbit stopped using a tool called Fitbit Connect. This means you can no longer move Audible book files directly to your watch. The "Personal Music" option in the Fitbit app, which was used for this, is also gone.
How to Still Hear Your Audible Books on Fitbit Smartwatches?
So, how can you listen to Audible on your Fitbit now? The best way is to use your phone as the music source and let your Fitbit act like a remote control. This clever method works for all Fitbit Versa and Sense watches, including the newer Versa 3, Versa 4, Sense, and Sense 2.
No matter which audiobook app you use on your phone, your Fitbit has the built-in tools to:
- Play and pause the book.
- Skip forward or backward.
- Change the volume.
With this simple trick, you can listen to your Audible books while you run, walk, or work out, even though the watch itself doesn't have the Audible app.
Part 3. How to Listen to Audible on Fitbit Versa and Sense
The easiest and only way to listen to Audible with a Fitbit is to use your watch to control the Audible app on your phone.
This method works the same for all Versa and Sense models, plus many other Fitbit trackers. It also works for any audio playing on your phone, whether it's from Audible, Spotify, or a podcast app.
How to Control Audible Playback with Your Fitbit
Step 1 Connect your Fitbit to your phone
Make sure your Fitbit watch is connected to your phone using Bluetooth.
- Open the Fitbit app on your phone.
- Create an account or sign in with your Google account.
- Tap the devices icon in the upper-left corner.
- Select "Add Device."
- Choose your Fitbit model from the list.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
- A code will appear on your watch.
- Enter this code into the app when asked.
- Follow any final prompts to finish pairing your watch.
Step 2 Open the music controls on your Fitbit
The way to open the music screen depends on your watch:
- Versa 3, Versa 4, Sense, and Sense 2: Press the side button twice quickly to see your shortcuts. Then, tap the Music icon.
- Older Versa and Ionic: Press and hold the left side button to bring up the music control screen.
- Charge models: Swipe down from the main screen to see notifications, swipe down again to open the control center, and then tap the music controls.
Step 3 Select your audio source
On the music screen, tap the small source icon to make sure it is set to "Mobile" or shows the picture of a phone. This tells your watch to control your phone.
Step 4 Start Audible on your phone
Open the Audible app on your phone and start playing the audiobook you want to hear.
Step 5 Control your audiobook
From this music control screen on your watch, you can now:
- Play and pause the audiobook.
- Skip forward or backward (this usually jumps by a chapter or section).
- Change the volume level.
It is a very convenient and comfortable way to listen to Audible files through Bluetooth, check this tutorial to find out more about Bluetooth and how to do that easily.
Tips for the Best Listening Experience:
- Keep Audible Active: The controls will only work if the Audible app is open and the book is playing on your phone.
- Connect Headphones to Your Phone: You should connect your Bluetooth headphones to your phone, not your watch. This is because your phone is the one actually playing the Audible sound.
- Fix Audible Pausing Issues: Since Audible and Fitbit do not work together directly, you might have some problems with playing or pausing your book when you connect them with Bluetooth. If your audiobook stops playing when your phone screen turns off, you might need to change your phone's battery settings. Some phones will make apps like Audible stop running in the background to save power. You should check your phone's settings to allow Audible to run all the time, even when the screen is dark.
If you follow the steps above to control your phone with your watch but the Audible book still gives you trouble, there is another option.
You can use a tool like ViWizard Audible Converter. This tool can download your Audible books, both ones you bought and ones from the Plus Catalog, and turn them into common file types like MP3, M4A, M4B, FLAC, WAv, or AIFF. It keeps all the chapter and book details too.
Convert any protected Audible audiobook to lossless audio, MP3, FLAC, M4A, M4B, WAV, and AIFF formats with full ID3 tags, up to 100 times faster.
After the conversion, you can play your audiobook in a different, more standard music player app on your phone. This may give you a smoother listening experience when using your Fitbit as a remote control. You will also have a copy of the book on your phone, so you can listen without using your phone's data plan.
Part 4. FAQs About Audible on Fitbit
Why can't I transfer MP3 files to my Fitbit Versa anymore?
Why did Fitbit remove the local music transfer feature?
- Few people used it. Most users stream music now.
- Focus on the phone app. Fitbit wanted people to use their phone app, not the computer program.
- Streaming deals. Fitbit pushed people to services like Pandora and Deezer. They had partnerships with those companies. In March 2023, these integrations were also removed.
- Shift to Wear OS. As part of Google, Fitbit's more advanced wearable audio features are now integrated into devices like the Google Pixel Watch, which runs Google's Wear OS and has a dedicated Audible for Wear OS app.
Why can't my phone find my Fitbit in Bluetooth settings?
- Check other devices. Is your Fitbit connected to another phone? It can only connect to one at a time.
- Turn Bluetooth off and on.
- Restart your phone.
- Make sure the Fitbit app has permission to use Bluetooth on your phone.
- Restart your Fitbit.
- "Forget" the device. In your phone's Bluetooth menu, find your Fitbit. Choose to "Forget this device." Then, restart your phone. Pair the Fitbit again using the Fitbit app.
How do I use my Fitbit to skip chapters in Audible?
- Start Audible on your phone.
- Open music controls on your Fitbit.
- Tap the forward arrow to skip to the next track. Audible usually marks tracks as chapters.
- To skip a specific number of seconds, do it in the Audible app on your phone.
Will a future Fitbit get an Audible app?
Conclusion
Even though Fitbit does not have a native Audible app, you can still enjoy your audiobooks using your phone as the audio source. With the right setup, your Fitbit Versa or Sense can control playback while you listen. If you face playback issues, using ViWizard Audible Converter lets you convert your Audible books for smooth listening. Start using these methods today and enjoy Audible on your Fitbit anytime.
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Matt Smith, a digital entertainment industry enthusiast at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing insightful commentary and solutions for music and media-related topics, including industry trends, analysis, and recommendations.
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