Unacceptable: Apple Health Sync is now behind a $99/year paywall for new accounts

I have a several withings devices, and also have a withings+ subscription, but this decision is really bad, and I wonder what might come next when this path has been chosen. I wanted to buy the BS2 and sleep sensors, but are reconsidering as I don't know what will become of this company in the future.

After being on the fence purchasing a body scan 2 scale due to the price and whether or not it would be useful without a “per person” annual subscription, I took the plunge and just received my body scan 2 yesterday. Apple Health Sync was one of the PRIMARY reasons I went ahead and purchased this scale. I’ve been a long time Withings user over the years and this type of decision is what would make me abandon the entire Withings ecosystem.

This decision is an absolute travesty and I will be returning the scale if this decision is not revisited.

This is insane

I won't be buying anymore Withings products based on this decision. The "grandfathering" doesn't give me any confidence that they won't remove that feature for the rest of us once this all dies down. The Withings products are already priced in the upper tier so forcing a subscription for basic functionality is absurdly greedy.

Enshittification has gone too far, and this is utterly disgusting. Locking BASIC functionality behind a paywall marks the start of the downfall for an app and its products. I always recommended Withings to everyone I knew, but after this change, that’s no longer going to happen. I am seriously considering switching to a brand that doesn't engage in this type of anti-consumer behavior. Unless these changes are reverted, I will make sure everyone I know is aware of these practices and stays far away from Withings.

Horrible move Withings. As a long time customer (since 2011), if you continue with putting basic data sync behind an annual subscription, I'm no longer purchasing any new product from you because it's clear that you don't understand your customer's value. 

And you’ve lost a customer. I don’t want to pay for the privilege of having MY data stored where I decide it should be.

And this whole “only impacts new users” is only until it doesn’t. This transparent attempt to slowly shift the window to lessen the blowback is pathetic.

Let's not forget that you have your Withings+ because of OUR data which we decided to share with you. God knows what models you trained on it.

Now asking us to pay for our data? Joke!

I've bought a scale for myself and two other people so far. I won't be recommending this brand anymore.

Well, that’s a good bye Withings from me as well. The greed knows no limits…

Luckily I am grandfathered in and have an account pre-October 2026, but this is a very poor choice to make for new users. The requirement to have Withings+ on new accounts to sync your data to Apple Health is very anti-consumer. The Apple health syncing was the reason I bought your products in the first place. If this is ever taken away from older accounts I will request a refund for the products bought as that is not how they were advertised, and will not purchase any Withings hardware in the future.

@Team Withings - Congrats, you've lost a customer. I won't purchase another product from you. Your products list Apple Health support on places like Amazon and don't mention "Subscription Required". So that's what we call false advertising. I hope someone gathers a class action lawsuit on your ass.

In the mean time? Your app gets 1 star reviews. Your products get 1 star reviews.

You think you can change the deal on existing products? You can see how much it'll hurt.

Genuinely unbelievable levels of greed. Never buying another Withings product if this decision sticks

The community’s response to Withings’ actions here was aware that existing customers were grandfathered in, that we could export our data, all of that. We all knew everything the official response ‘clarified.’

What happens when my household changes and we want to onboard a new household member to a Withings product?

We are asking for so little, and Withings’ refusal to admit their mistake or even acknowledge the true concerns their customers have shared makes the whole situation even more disappointing.

It’s not like I can recommend against Withings any more intensely, but man, I wish I could. Knowing this is how Withings’ thinks of their customers makes me almost embarrassed to have purchased one if their devices in the first place.

This is a ludicrous policy. The whole point of a smart scale is to remove friction. I had been recommending Withings scales, and like mine, but can't recommend them if health sync is not built in.

This marks the end of my time supporting this brand. Even if you walk this decision back, it's only a matter of time before you try again.

I will no longer buy your products nor suggest them to anyone, inducing subscriptions fees for our own personal health data flowing into apple health and likes so we can manage our conditions is the antithesis of evil, despicable, evil corporate ways when you built your platform on the openness. Fire your consultants who attempted to put a money grab over maintaining a loyal customer base. Shame on you for being in the health industry and taking an already changeable environment of insurance/hospital game-ship and adding further stress to those in need who require this data readily available.

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.

I was considering getting a Body Scan 2 to replace my old scale, but not now, even though I'm grandfathered in. 

Wow. So I won’t be charged as I’m an existing customer but this is such a dumbass thing to do. Withings is already a premium product at a premium price point. Syncing to Apple Health is table stakes for any health or wellness device now. Even with the fact I have an account so it’s free, it feels so wrong that I can’t possibly buy another Withings product again. There’s no shortage of choice too. I understand there’s a long term cost in maintaining apps and services but I suspect most people just want a nice device which syncs the data to Apple or Google health. The rest of the app is nice and all but it’s not what I bought the device for. I’ve tried the plus service and thought it was well designed but didn’t click with me the way Apple Health does. Think of it this way, if a new customer buys a £100 scale that they keep for 7 years, they need to spend an additional £700 just to get their weight metrics into Apple Health. Who would do this now?

Horrific decision, I will bin my scale if they ever charge me to sync data to apple health. Will certainly never recommend your products again.

Very disappointed by this decision, even if existing accounts are grandfathered. Withings makes premium hardware that's often the most expensive in the product class, Apple Health sync is still being promoted in product pages and on product boxes as an included feature. 

I've convinced a few friends to purchase Withings products based on my experiences, I was planning on upgrading to a Body Scan 2 later this year and subscribing to Withings+. This change and the tone-deaf response has broken my trust in the Withings brand and I will be actively recommending friends and family avoid Withings products. 

You're not slick. It won't affect just new subscribers. They're coming for you too. Everyone sees the game plan:

1. Continue enshitifying the product for non-subscribers untill it's no different than a dumb scale.
2. Jack up the prices for subscribers.

Gone are the days of improving the product to make more money. Did a private equity firm purchase withings?

I was going to purchase a Bodyscan 2 when it came out in white. I was even going to try out the subscription. That's off the table. I've purchased a Wyze scale.

For $100 year you can just get an actual DEXA scan a year. The tradeoffs just aren't compelling.

I have 2 withings scales, the thermometer, and the BP cuff. I will never buy another Withings product if this isn't reversed. This is the first step in enshittification. Where do you get off charging for a LOCAL API on the phone to sync with Apple Health? You don't even have to run a server for that.

I have 2 scales, a thermometer, and a blood pressure cuff.  They are great and I enjoy using them.  One of the reasons for that is that I have trusted Withings up until now.  If this decision is not reversed, it's an unmistakable sign of the future direction of the company.  And it would seriously degrade that trust.  If Withings will listen to its customers, that's a sign that the company is still trustworthy for consumers.

Well done, you have just lost another customer. I own three Withings products and intended to upgrade my scale, but I certainly will not do so now.

I no longer trust Withings, and I will not recommend your products to my friends anymore.

This is simply unacceptable behavior. I’ve been recommending Withings products to friends and family for years and I will now stop immediately and tell everyone to stay away from this company and all of its products. News flash, there are better and cheaper alternatives out there.

I have four Withings devices, and was considering a couple more. But unless they reverse this decision, I will no longer buy any Withings products.

Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.

Guys, I spent probably a few thousand Euros on Withing products: 5 scales, a blood pressure monitor, 3 watches (and like 15 absurdly priced bands). But I refuse to pay for basic functionality like sending my weight or my steps to Apple Health.

I have seen scales on Amazon fror 40 Euros that can do this. And I have opted to not buy an Apple watch. Out of loyalty to Withings.

But now? 

Yes, I am a customer since 2010 - so no "paid upgrade" for me. But this step could endanger the whole Withing ecosystem.

If you need to create money to stay afloat, tell us. But if this is simple greed, then you will loose dearly on your best customers.

What a foolish move ...

Well, that’s that as far as Withings is concerned for me.

Charging extra for something that happens on my phone and then waffling about “AI connectors” and bullshit is just enshittification and you know it.

No one is foolish enough to believe that grandfathering in existing users will last, that’s just smoke and mirrors.

Time to find a new scale, I guess.