News

A New Look, Upgraded Fitbit App Will Arrive Later This Year

The new overhaul will include a streamlined, minimalistic design that will match upcoming Pixel Watch 2 watch faces.

Published

3 years ago

August 2, 2023

Nour Nasir

a new look upgraded fitbit app will arrive later this year

Google

Fitbit has announced an updated version of its app that will be released later this year. The new design will focus on essential health and wellness metrics while receiving a usability makeover.

A select group of Fitbit users has been chosen to test the app before its official release, with feedback from their experiences helping the company to meet customer expectations and needs.

One of the most significant changes comes in the form of a three-tab “Today”, “Coach”, and “You” layout. The aim is to help users easily achieve their daily goals, access motivational content, and review personal achievements. In addition, it’s now easier to log steps, exercise duration, and water intake on a smartphone so that users can track their goals even without a Fitbit device.

Fitbit’s design refresh includes a new color palette, updated photography, and illustrations, plus updated icons. In addition, the company has implemented Google Material Design standards, ensuring the new app remains intuitive and user-friendly.

Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East

Because Fitbit is now backed by Google, the new app will also deliver an easier-to-understand privacy experience featuring unified controls to manage Fitbit data and permissions. It’s also worth noting that Fitbit health and wellness data won’t be used for Google ads and will be kept entirely separate from the search giant’s data collection practices.

It’s clear that the Fitbit refresh is part of Google’s groundwork for the upcoming Pixel Watch 2, which is expected to launch later this year alongside the Pixel 8 smartphone.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.