Pebble has started rolling out an update for its smartwatch app, which will allow devices to run independently even after the company’s servers are shut. Following the company’s acquisition by Fitbit, Pebble said that it will roll out an update that would allow devices to function without cloud services. This would come as good news for Pebble smartwatch owners as they would be able to continue to use their devices. The company was acquired by Fitbit back in December and the deal only includes the acquisition of key personnel and software, not hardware.
In its official developer blog, the company states, “We’re working hard to make sure Pebble users can keep enjoying their smartwatch experience for as long as possible. We’re happy to share the progress made so far with Pebblers today as a part of our continuing efforts to honor Pebble's legacy, ecosystem, and functionality.”
With the new update, users will be able to skip the login process if the authentication services cannot be reached. However, if they skip login, the Pebble app store will not be available. In this case, apps can only be installed via side-loading. Health data collection and various telemetry reporting has also been removed.