Peloton removes Just Run feature: Difference between revisions
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In June 2021, Peloton rolled out a software update that effectively disabled the "Just Run" feature for users without an active subscription. The company claimed the change was necessary to integrate Tread Lock, enhancing safety. However, this decision rendered the treadmills unusable for basic functionality unless customers subscribed to Peloton's fitness content<ref>Michael Kan, "Peloton Restores Free 'Just Run' Feature for Its Treadmill," PCMag, August 10, 2021. [https://web.archive.org/web/20241210095327/https://www.pcmag.com/news/peloton-axes-free-just-run-feature-from-treadmill-bricking-it-for-non-subscribers]</ref>. | In June 2021, Peloton rolled out a software update that effectively disabled the "Just Run" feature for users without an active subscription. The company claimed the change was necessary to integrate Tread Lock, enhancing safety. However, this decision rendered the treadmills unusable for basic functionality unless customers subscribed to Peloton's fitness content<ref>Michael Kan, "Peloton Restores Free 'Just Run' Feature for Its Treadmill," PCMag, August 10, 2021. [https://web.archive.org/web/20241210095327/https://www.pcmag.com/news/peloton-axes-free-just-run-feature-from-treadmill-bricking-it-for-non-subscribers]</ref>. | ||
The situation escalated when customers like Jennifer Strong, a Tread+ owner | The situation escalated when customers like Jennifer Strong, a Tread+ owner, publicly shared their frustrations. Strong, who purchased her treadmill in 2019, stopped using Peloton's subscription-based content but continued to rely on the free "Just Run" feature. After the update, she discovered she could no longer use her treadmill without paying for a membership<ref>Jennifer Strong, "Peloton Tread+ Facebook Post," Facebook, June 2021. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220428214256im_/https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/03kGxV2wrQ2n7WnIFhrAMnH-2.fit_lim.size_768x.png]</ref>. | ||
Access to Just Run for non-subscribers was restored in August 2021. Peloton maintained throughout that the removal of "Just Run" for non-subscribers was an unavoidable consequence of enabling Tread Lock, rather than a business decision. | Access to Just Run for non-subscribers was restored in August 2021. Peloton maintained throughout that the removal of "Just Run" for non-subscribers was an unavoidable consequence of enabling Tread Lock, rather than a business decision. | ||
== Wider reaction == | ==Wider reaction== | ||
===Regulators and government bodies=== | ===Regulators and government bodies=== | ||