Fitbit has stepped up its offerings for young users with the latest update to its Ace LTE smartwatch, designed for children aged seven and older. As part of a fresh rollout, Fitbit’s kid-friendly wearable now offers new features focused on enhancing family connection and encouraging physical activity. The Ace LTE, launched in May, already appealed to parents by providing tools to monitor their child’s activity, location, and communication in a controlled environment. Now, Fitbit has added more interactive tools, including family group chats, Family Quests, mini-games, and direct messaging for siblings—offering families more ways to stay engaged and active together.
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Group Chat for Families and Direct Sibling Messaging
One of the major new features is the group chat function, which allows for easy family communication directly from the Ace LTE smartwatch and its companion app. This feature enables any member within the Google Family network to participate in the chat, adding a convenient, secure way for parents, guardians, and children to stay connected. For parents, the group chat serves as a useful tool to check in with kids or make plans for the day.
In an exciting move for siblings, Fitbit has also introduced direct messaging, which lets brothers and sisters send texts or make calls to each other within the safety of the Ace LTE environment. Previously, the smartwatch’s strict parental controls limited such communication, but now siblings can interact freely, promoting closer family ties. However, Fitbit maintains its commitment to safety by preventing communication outside the family circle. Friends, for example, cannot be added to the contact list, keeping the device focused on family-friendly interactions.
Controlled Communication and Trusted Contacts
Fitbit’s approach to security remains central to the Ace LTE’s design. Parents or guardians control who can communicate with their child, approving up to 20 trusted contacts to ensure a safe, closed network. This controlled environment offers parents peace of mind while still allowing their children some autonomy to connect with family members.
Family Quests and Digital Pet Engagement
To bring families together through movement, Fitbit’s new Family Quests are a fun, goal-oriented addition. Each quest sets a collective target for the family to achieve together. For example, the Thanksgiving-themed challenge “Turkey Berserky” encourages families to reach a combined goal of 400,000 steps, sparking a healthy, active way to bond over the holiday season. As they reach milestones, kids earn rewards in the form of tickets, which they can use to personalize and care for their digital pets, or Eejies. These Eejies, reminiscent of the popular Tamagotchi pets, give children an engaging way to interact with fitness activities and serve as a delightful incentive to stay active.
Mini-Games and Educational Daily Quests
Beyond family quests, the Ace LTE now includes a variety of mini-games in its Fitbit Arcade, providing an enjoyable experience for kids as they move. One of the latest additions is Solar Sword, a game where players defend their village from virtual monsters, creating a fun way for kids to stay engaged while on the go.
For ongoing learning, the smartwatch also offers 50 new daily quests covering topics from geography and nutrition to sleep hygiene. These mini-lessons provide children with bite-sized educational insights, helping them build healthy habits and awareness in various aspects of life.
A Secure, Connected Way to Get Active as a Family
Fitbit’s Ace LTE smartwatch continues to set itself apart as a family-focused wearable that blends safety, activity tracking, and interactive features designed with young users in mind. By balancing child-friendly engagement with security and parental oversight, Fitbit provides families with an innovative way to bond and prioritize physical wellness together.
With these thoughtful additions, the Ace LTE reinforces Fitbit’s commitment to keeping kids safe, engaged, and active—whether through a simple group chat, a fun fitness quest, or a digital pet adventure. It’s a valuable tool for parents who want a smartwatch that goes beyond standard tracking, helping families stay close and stay moving.
