11 Year Old Child using a Fitbit Versa

[Rotmm]

I currently use an Ionic and my wife a Charge2 and when looking at a Fitbit for my son I fell on the Versa, as it offers the colour screen benefits of the Ionic. I did look at the Ace devices but they seemed too similar to the Alta and Charge 2, which I personally find underwhelming.

When I went to set up an account on his phone, it told me I needed to create a kids account. When creating one and then looking for answers through the forum here, it seems one is only able to use those substandard kids devices on a kid account.

So now I have to create a new account and lie about the age. Not ideal of course, but can you please advise on the age I need to pretend my son is (13, 16, 18?) so that I can pair his new Versa with his phone. I'd rather get it right first time as I assume "changing" an age on an account later could be problematic.

Many thanks.

[JohnnyRow · Accepted solution]

Child must be 13 to have own account.  That is not Fitbit's doing, but an internet account regulation.

[Rotmm]

Thanks Johnny. I assumed it was 13 but wanted to make sure so I could keep the account as close to his real age as possible.

I also appreciate it's not Fitbit's doing, though locking child accounts to such a limited range of devices is very much so.

Cheers.

[JuanJoFitbit]

@Rotmm I'm sorry for the late response. However, I'm glad to hear that you found @JohnnyRow's information helpful. Thank you for posting the update here.

I'd like to invite you to visit our Discussions board, where you can share your experiences, meet people and create new topics.

Hope to see you in our Fitbit Community more often! 

[TTSS]

I ran into the same issue. And no, it is not an internet account regulation issue: it is an issue with Fitbit tryin to make money from a substandard device (I bought the equivalent of an Ace on amazon for $19 for my 6yo), without allowing parents to pass down their older devices to their kids. 

If it was an internet account issue, then the Ace should not have worked either. Fitbit is pushing the users to buy an Ace-type device, or they cannot have a family service. 

So, sorry JohnnyRow, that is not a solution, it is an excuse.

[mbarylski]

What happens to the Fitbit account once my kid actually turns 13. So, if he is 8 now and I say he's 13 in order to create the account, and then change his age to 13 when he actually turns 13 is the account going to get wiped out? That's what happens with a Google account, does that also happen with a Fitbit account?

[LZeeW]

@mbarylski   There is a section in the managing family accounts Help article that lets you upgrade a child account to their own account.  It says that all data is transferred.  I have not personally had to use this feature.