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

General Discussion

October 13, 2026 15:53

Answered

Written by Matteo A

214 comments

286 likes

Hi everyone,

I’m writing this because I recently found out about a silent and incredibly anti-consumer change Withings just implemented, and I think the whole community needs to be aware of it.

Starting from October 13th, 2026, any new Withings account is forced to pay for a Withings+ subscription ($99.99/year) just to sync their own data to Apple Health.

I reached out to Customer Support and their response was completely contradictory. They claimed that syncing with Apple Health is a "standard feature that does not require a subscription," but in the very next sentence, they confirmed that "any account created after October 13th will be asked to sign up for a Withings+ subscription in order to export data" justifying it with new "privacy measures" and an "AI connector".

Let's be clear: writing data to Apple Health via HealthKit happens locally on the phone. It does not require complex cloud compute, server costs, or any "AI connector". It's a basic API call. I know we can still manually export a CSV file, but let's be real—nobody wants to manually import CSV files in 2026. Even the absolute cheapest, no-name smart scales on the market offer automatic Apple Health synchronization for free.

Taking a fundamental feature that has always been free and locking it behind a paywall for new users is an obvious cash grab. It ruins the hardware experience and destroys the trust in the brand.

I strongly urge Withings to backtrack on this terrible decision. If you agree, please upvote and reply so they hear us. We shouldn't have to pay a subscription to access our own health data.

286

likes

Comments

Bertie S

October 17, 2026 02:53

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Disgraceful enshitification.

I don’t care that I am grandfathered in - I cannot support a company behaving like this.

It’s cold calculated greed. It’s consumer hostile. If all we can do is vote with our wallets, so be it. Shame on you
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Omar E

October 17, 2026 03:23

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I just purchased a BodyScan and am still within my return window. I love these products and have used Withings for years, but this is crazy.

If they don’t reverse course on this decision, I will be returning the scale for a (much cheaper) competitor that doesn’t force a subscription for basic functions.
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Allan B

October 17, 2026 07:25

Edited

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This is totally unacceptable. Your "growth team" or whatever you have internally at Withings making such decisions should get out of your office and talk with your users about why we bought Withings products in the first place.

Over the +10 years I have had Withings products I have recommended them to many people. But this change combined with multiple other existing free features now locked behind the Withings+ subscription, then I find it very difficult to recommend your products anymore.
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Nathan B

October 17, 2026 07:23

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This is a truly stupid idea! I have a set of scales. I have zero interest in any of the AI rubbish you’re trying to peddle me, and will now be replacing the scales and not buying Withings products anymore.

I’m well aware this won’t affect me as I already have an account, but I don’t care. The principle of it means I’m no longer using Withings products and shall delete my account.
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