Can't add children to family account

[ben86]

Hi

I can't set up family account to set up Childs ace 3

I bought a ace 3 for my daughter, im not a Fitbit user so had to set an account up 1st. I used my google account to log in. I set up my family how ever on my family it just say

to add children, make sure they're part of your family on Google, then set them up on Fitbit, their name will appear

I have made my daughter a account on my account as she is only 5 and added her to my family on google but nothing is showing up in my family on Fitbit app

please can someone help 

thanks

ben

[DavidFB123]

I am attaching this to the current 'best answer' (which it us not) and thanks to UnknownExplorer who set me on the right path.  After 6 hours of frustration I have got my daughter's Ace 3 working.

The key is to have a 2nd device (I had a Samsung Galaxy tablet) on which you have gone into the devices/system settings and removed all accounts.  I set-up new accounts for me as the parent, and child using the family link app but I'm not convinced that my existing family configuration with Google wasn't OK.

When you go to your child's clean device you must login using the Google account that you created for them as configured in the family link app.  As you progress even to download the Fitbit app will require you to input your parental account password.  At all steps I just agreed to everything but I could likely have been more prohibitive.

It is vital that you go back into the family link app (or perhaps Web page equivalent?) and enable location services on the device that your child is now using to install the Fitbit app.  Without this the Fitbit app will complain during set-up until you do, and you see an unhelpful message regarding needing administrative permission.

To the Fitbit team - I have only used my inspire 3 for a few days but I'm very impressed with it.  However, as this forum shows, what your company has done with the Ace 3 is beyond appalling.  The process needs to be streamlined and helpful messages added.  And the packaging needs to state that you need a clean independent device to get this to work for a child 😞

[DavidFB123]

I have also attached this to the current 'best answer' (which it us not) and thanks to UnknownExplorer who set me on the right path.  After 6 hours of frustration I have got my daughter's Ace 3 working.

The key is to have a 2nd device (I had a Samsung Galaxy tablet) on which you have gone into the devices/system settings and removed all accounts.  I set-up new accounts for me as the parent, and child using the family link app but I'm not convinced that my existing family configuration with Google wasn't OK.

When you go to your child's clean device you must login using the Google account that you created for them as configured in the family link app.  As you progress even to download the Fitbit app will require you to input your parental account password.  At all steps I just agreed to everything but I could likely have been more prohibitive.

It is vital that you go back into the family link app (or perhaps Web page equivalent?) and enable location services on the device that your child is now using to install the Fitbit app.  Without this the Fitbit app will complain during set-up until you do, and you see an unhelpful message regarding needing administrative permission.

To the Fitbit team - I have only used my inspire 3 for a few days but I'm very impressed with it.  However, as this forum shows, what your company has done with the Ace 3 is beyond appalling.  The process needs to be streamlined and helpful messages added.  And the packaging needs to state that you need a clean independent device to get this to work for a child.

[jgjg979797]

Thanks David, does this mean you need 2 separate clean android devices? I take it it doesn’t work with 1 IOS and 1 android? 

[Brad182]

Can someone else confirm that David’s process works? I don’t feel like wasting yet another hour of my life on this product. 

It would also be helpful if someone else, who was able to get success, is able posts the precise steps they took as well - I find David’s instructions a little unclear tbh.

[UnknownExplorer]

FWIW, I was able to set up an Ace 3 with an Android parent device and an
iPad child device. I also created brand new Google accounts for both parent
and child.

It was a long struggle and I definitely agree that this is unacceptable.
This will be my last Fitbit product.

I think we may need to create some noise on social media to get more
traction on this issue.

[Bmcg22]

This is completely wrong. There are serious issues. Never will buy Fitbit again. 

[DavidFB123]

I used an android phone and tablet.  My phone was unchanged because I had setup a new Google account for me as a parent.  Another poster said that they had used an ipad.  I'm guessing that it doesn't matter on the devices.  Or setting up any new accounts.  If you are doing this for the first time try your existing family setup in Google.  The family link app may make a difference but I'm not convinced on that either.

My daughter already uses my Samsung galaxy tab (android).  I went into the system settings - swipe down from top of the screen a couple of times until you see a cog icon.  It's in the section where you turn wifi on etc.  It differs by manufacturer but find the system settings for 'Accounts and backup', then 'Manage accounts'.  You will see a list of all the accounts using the device by their email name.  Click each one and choose to remove the account.

Probably worth rebooting.  If you have already installed fitbit hold the icon down until you can click its information and find its cache.  On the galaxy tab this is under 'Storage' and icons to clear data and cache - clear both.

After reboot go to the playstore.  You have no accounts so it will ask you to log in.  Use the child's account.  And keep using it for the download and running the fitbit app.  Only use the child account.

You will get a whole load of screens where you need to keep typing the parental password.  The only thing you need to go back the your parental device for is to enable location services on the child device.  Hope that helps.

It has been trial and error for me, and likely unnecessary account creation.

If you see a screen that says something along the lines of you can't use the device for a child because it gets complicated when people share a device it is because you have more than just the child's account on the device - and that is what this process appears to need.

[FP83]

I wonder if they will force fitbit to offer me a refund fitbit are refusing 😔

[daytonb]

My eventual success was a long process like this as well. One of the early posts in this forum thread noted that the process wasn't working on iOS devices and that they had borrowed a family-member's Samsung device. I don't actually own any Android devices, so I ended up using the Android Studio development tool's Android emulator to create a virtual Pixel phone. In my previous attempts to get the fitbit app to create a child account, I had created two new Google accounts which I added as children in my newly created Google Family. I never did manage to get the first "child" account to create a fitbit account. When I would try to log into the fitbit app on the virtual Pixel phone I would get an error message about not being able to create an account since this was a supervised account. I did eventually get it to let me log in with the second child account, though. I don't know what I could possibly have done differently with the two. If others don't have an Android device you could try installing Android Studio and using the device emulator to "get" and Android device. You will have to make sure you choose an emulated device with the Google Play Services and you won't be able to actually complete the setup of the Ace 3 on the emulated device since doing so requires making a bluetooth connection to the Ace 3. Anyway, the process was way too long, full of hurdles, and unreliable, but I did eventually finish and have been able to use it to provide a cute watch with the alarms and other features I was seeking for my child.

[Cchmajestic]

No offense daytonb, I am sure you worked hard to get a result.  That is the problem! For a device gear toward 6+, the process should be seamless and completed within minutes not spending a full day and having knowledge of Android Studio and Emulators.  At the end of the day, I just sent mine back and will get a different watch for my daughter.  My daughter almost gave on the idea of even having a tracking watch.  Talk about what a waste the Ace 3 is.  Definitely zero stars from me !  

[AussieNanakaban]

Oh my lord, and here was I thinking I was alone with trying to set up fitbit ace 3 I bought for my grandkids for their birthdays. Argh!! I've done everything they said and still no go smh!!

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I'm feeling your frustration I really am, I'm hoping they can rectify this situation for us real soon, I can't afford to buy 2 fitbits for granddaughters, they are under 13 so didn't want anything expensive 

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I'm hearing you, same here in Australia i've deleted re added aded new apps (family link etc,  if something can't be done soon they need to offer an alternative 

[Thharrison11]

I had the hardest time but finally figured it out!!! Setting up the Ace for my child. This is with the apple apps but I’m sure it’s very similar on any compatible devices.

1. Set up your own Fitbit account but make sure you choose “sign in with Google”. If you already have a fit it account not through Google you can log in to that and s left to change it to google (I didn’t do this so that’s all I know about that).
2. Click the gear on the top left
3. If it says “my family” beneath your name, then you’re good to move to the next step. If it doesn’t, then it should say “set up family”; click that. Then it should open and show you as the manager but say you have no kids linked to it.
4. Go back, click the gear, and log out
5. Download the “family link” app by Google (or maybe you can just do this online if you Google “google family link”), and log in with the same gmail account you logged in to your Fitbit with.
1. YOU HAVE TO SET UP TOTALLY NEW KID ACCTS EVEN IF YOU ALREADY HAVE ONES. This must be a glitch/issue, but that’s what you have to do or it will NOT WORK.
2. Click the menu bars at the top left and click “add a child”
3. Click NO to the question “does your child already have a Google account”. If you try to use an existing one it will not work.
4. Click NEXT to create an account for them. It’ll open within this app. Complete the steps that way and put their correct birthday (which should be UNDER AGE 13, because that’s what the Fitbit ace is for).
5. Create a new email address and password for them
6. Scroll down, check the 2 boxes, and agree.
7. Next, enter the password to YOUR ADULT ACCOUNT to prove your identity
8. Click next, next, next, and it’ll create an account.
9. Now you can leave the Family Link App
6. Open Fitbit app again
7. Google sign in with child’s new acct you made
8. To sign in and then say “get help from a parent”. Click next , agree, then enter YOUR PASSWORD TO YOUR ACCT again.
9. Then itll ask their height and info and finish registration
10. It’ll ask if you want to pair an ACE! Choose the one you have.
11. Agree/next and type your password again
12. Charge the ace Fitbit
13. Set it up through instructions
14. Then you can log into the Fitbit account on their own device and Bluetooth it to their device
15. Go to settings on your phone to Bluetooth and forget the ace
16. On their phone log in to their account
17. Try to add the ace but if it doesn’t work hood both sides of the ace (while in charger) to turn it off and back on and then it’ll show a code to type in the phone

[Cchmajestic]

@Thharrison11  I did everything on your list and it still didn't work!   

Just face it the Ace 3 is a horrible product.  

Thumbs down 👎🏼  from me.  

[Brad182]

Thanks. I confirm it works and that the key step is to create a new account (as I’ve spent hours trying every other possible avenue).

I confirm there’s no need for a new/blank Android device. I got it working on an old iPad but I did make sure all Google accounts were removed from the iPad before starting the process (cannot confirm if it would have made a difference though).

My OCD made it hard for me to press theta “create account” button. I hope now the FitBit Ace3 is activated that I can migrate it to the child’s proper Google account.

My thanks to ThHarrison & David.

Side note: its very poor form to institute a change like this and not do basic testing (like whether it works with existing child accounts which it doesn’t appear to). Can’t be sure if 100% of existing child accounts do not work but it’s a reasonable amount.

[Thharrison11]

I did this with 4 separate ace watches TODAY, connecting them all to my account through my iPhone, then connecting them all to the phones of the kids, and they all worked. And I had been trying for 2 days prior, all failing, after seriously probably 4 hours combined. It was nuts.

Did you try turning the watch off and back on?

When you set up the gmail accounts for the kids did you set them up brand new today through the “family link” app? And as children under age 13?
& did you go into fit bit to your adult account and turn on the family thing? You could try deleting the family though Fitbit it and turning it back on

Haleigh

[Nsansa]

After a very frustrating couple of days, and a sad 8 year old, I can confirm that @Thharrison11 ‘s solution works. Don’t think the device matters, the key is adding a new child to family link and then setting up the Fitbit app with that account. 

Thanks!

[Dizzkat]

Thanks, this worked for me! Saved me a lot of frustration. 

[timaras]

This solution indeed worked for me, after wasting many hours. Basically it requires a brand new kid account to be added to Google Family Link, before signing it with it on the Fitbit app. Good luck if you have a large family and existing kid google accounts.

[AussieNanakaban]

I have literally tried everything,  I called the fitbit help line last week and the person I spoke with tried everything with me but nothing worked and I'm so not tech savy,  she has now forwarded my issues to the return hub? I'm assuming to return to point of purchase? But I'd really rather they fixed the issue. Btw I'm using Android 

[AussieNanakaban]

Haha I don't trust myself to do this, I'm so not tech savy, I'm using Android, the person I spoke with last week got me to do pretty much the same except I had to get the family link as well I literally tried it while she was still on the phone with me, getting account for 1 child and then I hit another brick wall which I've added a photo of, she sent my case through to the "return hub" which I'm still waiting to hear from almost a week later 

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I'll have to give it a whirl and follow it to the T with instructions
infront of me ...I simply don't trust myself to not stuff it up 😉