Your old Pebble smartwatch now works with Pixel 7

Nearly a decade after its release, the original smartwatch still works with modern phones. A new update to the Pebble app, the first in four years, features several improvements and bug fixes, as well as support for 64-bit-only smartphones like the Pixel 7.

Pebble was supposed to die after Fitbit acquired it in 2016. But two years later, when Fitbit finally shut down Pebble’s servers, it made a nice gesture of goodwill: a final update that brought Pebble back to its community of fans. Version 4.4.2 of the Pebble app, now four years old, unlocked third-party server support for the smartwatch.

This third party support is primarily provided by the Rebble Alliance. But keeping the old platform alive without the help of Google (Fitbit’s new owner) is no easy task. That is why today’s news is so surprising; Google provided the Rebble Alliance with a new version of the Pebble app.

Do you use a Pebble with your Android device? Great news: The Pebble app for Android 4.4.3 has just been released! Yes, four years after 4.4.2.

Adds support for Pixel 7 / Pixel 7 Pro and improves caller ID reliability on recent Android. Grab the app from https://t.co/2GVv68RaZ8

-Katharine Berry (@KatharineBerry) October 25, 2022

Version 4.4.3 of the Pebble app is now available on the Rebble Alliance website. It fixes some annoying bugs, including a persistent notification that some users were dealing with, while maintaining the integration of Google Fit and other app services.

Notably, this update adds support for 64-bit smartphones. While 64-bit Android phones are nothing new, new devices (including the Pixel 7) don’t support 32-bit apps. absolutely. Who knows, this upgrade could add another three or four years to the Pebble’s lifespan.

Katharine Berry, a member of the Rebble Alliance and a Wear OS employee at Google, was the first to announce this update. In her Reddit post, she thanks Google for “one last update.” Hopefully the Pebble app will continue to receive updates, whether from Google or a community of fans.

Source: Rebble Alliance via Katherine Berry