Runkeeper is killing its Wear OS app
What you need to know
- Runkeeper will end support for its Wear OS app starting with version 9.13 of the app.
- The app is being canned due to bugs, difficulty to maintain, and only a small portion of the community using it.
- This is another sign Wear OS is struggling as a platform, and according to recent sales data, it has only a tiny fraction of the wearables market.
Recently, the popular fitness app Runkeeper began sending out emails that it is ending support for its Wear OS app. The app, which is developed by ASICS, helps you track running, walking, biking, and more with GPS.
Unfortunately, if you were hoping to track your workouts with a Wear OS watch, that option will no longer be available as of version 9.13 of the app. The email informing users of the untimely demise was recently posted by a Reddit use and reads:
As the email states, you can reach out with any questions, and Reddit user MyStuffBreaks did just that. In response, the Runkeeper support team further elaborated on the reasons for killing off the Wear OS app.
As disappointing as it is for a popular fitness app to end support for the Wear OS platform, it's difficult to argue with ASICS' reasoning. Even with Runkeeper boasting "50 million users and counting", if the majority of your users aren't using the Wear OS app, there isn't much use of pouring more resources into it.
It's just another example of the sad state the Wear OS platform is in overall. Even the most recent data from Canalys painted a pretty dismal picture for the second quarter, where the most popular Wear OS brand, Fossil, only snagged 4.1% of the market.
With the recent release of the Gen 5 Fossil watches, it's possible we could see an uptick in the third quarter, but I won't be holding my breath. As for all you Wear OS fans looking to track your runs, it appears you'll have to switch to another app soon or start bringing your phone if you want to stick with Runkeeper.
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