Switching from kid to parent view

[Roni_S]

When in kid view and you want to switch back to parent view, you need to enter a password and then instead of actually switching you back, it completely logs the parent out of the Fitbit app!  Why require a password if you then have to log back in again with email and password from scratch?!

Moderator edit: subject format

[tallbird]

Good to hear fitbit are listening on this and I really hope you change the double password / log out / log in scenario when switching views because it is giving me the rage!!   

[HappyGirlMary]

Thank you so much for your reply! It is very appreciated. 

What I want to ensure that Fitbit hears is that this goes beyond "not an ideal experience" for me as a consumer.  Especially because making purchases for my children I hold companies to a higher standard.  I really hope that Fitbit understands that this keeps my child from using the product for the reasons we purchased it.  Please keep the updates coming!

Have a great day!!

[PhillyPhitBit]

Add me to the list of disappointed customers.  I've been a FitBit user going back to the Ultra and have upgraded through many models...plus two Arias...and given many many FitBits as gifts through the years.  Unfortunately the Ace was a great idea with terrible execution. 

My kids have their own devices so they can synch without encountering this issue but the fact that there is no way to view my entire family from a parent dashboard and instead I need to view each child individually -- and then enter my password TWICE just to return to view my own account -- is a terrible experience. 

I'm also disappointed that this thread has been open for over a month and is now being marked as "solved" because this infuriating experience is "expected".

My kids were so excited to finally have their own devices but unfortunately I'll be returning them until the user experience is better thought through.

[FreddBit]

Might I suggest using Touch ID (on iOS anyway) to be able to quickly change back to parent view ?   Of course without having to log back into my own account.

Also, +1 for the iPad app.    

And why no computer sync for Ace?

Fred, daddy of two aces

[Julia_G]

Hi, @FreddBit, if you have a computer running Windows 10, with built in Bluetooth, you can download the Fitbit Windows app and then you will be able to sync your children's Aces that way.

The advantage of having two devices for syncing is that you can keep one in Parent View and one in Kid View so you won't have to switch back and forth.  However, you should temporarily turn off bluetooth on the device you aren't syncing with, or keep it out of range, because Fitbits (like other BT devices) can only form one Bluetooth bond at a time and having two syncing devices within range of each other is likely to prevent either of them from syncing.

For Feature Requests and Suggestions, please visit the Feature Suggestion forums.  You can suggest a new feature, or, if someone else has already sugessted it (please do a search) you can vote for it, and comment on it, there.

[FreddBit]

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 Hi, @FreddBit, if you have a computer running Windows 10, with built in Bluetooth, you can download the Fitbit Windows app and then you will be able to sync your children's Aces that way.

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Hi @Julia_G, thanks for the fast reply!    We all have Macs in our family, including our children.   If they were able to sync with their own Mac, that would be awesome.
I was looking for a way to do that, sync an Ace with a Mac, but I did not find a working solution.    Suggestions greatly appreciated !

[Julia_G]

Hi, @FreddBit, the Ace (as well as the Family Account itself) can only been seen on mobile devices.  You can install the mobile app on Windows 10 computers, so it does work with them and you can sync and view on Windows 10.  However, Mac computers will only use the Fitbit Connect software (not the iOS mobile app), and therefore you can't set up, view, or even sync an Ace.  I agree that that is a serious limitation.

I am sorry not to have better news for you.

[HappyGirlMary]

Thank you for also voicing your disappointment.  You perfectly expressed how disappointing it is to have a product that you love and can finally introduce it to your kids and have it be "meh".

[tallbird]

I'm on the verge of returning the ACE  - the whole thing (especially the app) feels like it's still at the tester stage, but I've forked out £80 for it and it's just not ready.   

The account switching means that my son's account is often a day behind on sync because it's just too painful to do - ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT HANGS PRETTY MUCH EVERY TIME I TRY TO SWITCH INTO KID VIEW - and then I have to log in AGAIN and maybe, just maybe I can switch to kid view (but it's not guaranteed), and that's before you even consider the rage I'm getting because after going through that upset I have to type my password in once, and then fully log in AGAIN to get back to my own dashboard.   Plus  I'm having issues adding "family" - not all, just some - and I don't really like having to make my son's friends my friends before i can add them to my "family".  Oh, and I had to buy a seperate strap for the thing before we  even started because the standard ACE strap was too tight on my son's wrist.  

So, in summary, a disappointing experience so far. 

Shame really.

[DavideFitbit]

Hi everyone, @tallbird, @HappyGirlMary, @PhillyPhitBit, @FreddBit, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on the double login characteristic, switching from parent view to kid view, and welcome to all the new users. 

As it was previously mentioned, the Fitbit team is aware of the comments and suggestions that users have provided about their experience with the family account option; at the moment this is the expected behavior for this feature, but I'm sure the feedback that Fitbit has been gathering from its users will be of great help for possible updates in the future. 

Fitbit's goal is to keep improving their user's experience by gathering important feedback from the Fitbit Community and implementing and enhancing new features and products.  

Thanks for all the help @Julia_G! Very useful tips

[HappyGirlMary]

@tallbird, @PhillyPhitBit, @FreddBit 

Thank you for the response.  I keep posting because  Fitbit does not understand our consumer complaints or they would stop informing us (repeatedly) that this is expected behavior or "not an ideal experience".   Every response from Fitbit that says that this is normal behavior just makes people upset because it feels like you are informing us that it isn't that big of an issue and we should get used to it.  I don't want to get used to poor design or execution - or get used to companies that tell us we should ignore poor design and execution.

I appreciate that you like to hear our thoughts. What I would love to hear - this is an issue, we are fixing this issue, here is the timeline of when you will hear updates on when this issue will be resolved. 

This should be viewed as an issue to be resolved to keep consumers and get new consumers and not something that may or may not be fixed in possible updates.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @HappyGirlMary, I think that when the Fitbit Moderators say it is "expected behaviour" what they mean is that this is the way it was designed -- that is, nothing is actually wrong according to the instructions.  It is working just the way it was intended.

Not a single person from Fitbit who is answering here is responsible for the design of the product.  The only thing they can do is feed back to the people who do design it that from a user point of view it is not a good design and they should re-think the design.  And I am pretty sure that that is exactly what they are doing.

However, the Moderators' job, besides feeding back to the design team, is to help people use the products as they are designed (even when the design doesn't seem to make much sense to anyone).  In this case the Moderators are only the messengers -- so don't shoot the messenger!

DO, on the other hand, keep letting Fitbit know that as parents you want a more streamlined way to switch between kid view and parent view.  The Moderators will definitely pass this on.  

I'm guessing that this message is being heard loud and clear with the design team, and hopefully you will see different "expected behaviour" in the future.

This is not to discourage you from posting your concerns!  I am just trying to explain my experience from being on these boards quite some time why the Moderator Team are responding the way they are -- they can only explain how it is meant to work and pass on your comments.  It doesn't mean that they aren't listening or don't think your experiences matter.

[tallbird]

Woah - I just logged back in to parent view with just the one password entry!!

Was it a fluke?  Or have improvements been made?

I hope it’s the latter.  If so - well done fitbit! 

[Roni_S]

@tallbird, yes!!!  It worked for me too just now!  Hopefully NOT a fluke; I think they finally really heard us!  

[KateFitbit]

@HappyGirlMary as I mentioned in my posts in this thread and here, our team is listening and working on correct the experience. I can confirm switching from kid to parent view is available on the latest iOS and should be available on the latest Android app version. 

@tallbird is you iOS app still hanging when switching to kid view? This should be corrected as well. 

[tallbird]

Hi Kate 

yep - it’s still hanging maybe 1 in 3 times.  I also had it hang going from kid to parent view as well.   😢

highs and and lows today! 

[KateFitbit]

@tallbird that's very strange, we've not had reports of it hanging when going from parent view back to kid and have not had recent reports of hanging when switching to child mode. What do see when it hangs? Do you see an infinite spin and have to force quit the app? 

[tallbird]

Yep.  

[DramaQueenDiva]

I've had no problems switching from the kid to the parent view and vice versa ever since the last update.  Is everyone's app up to date?

[KiwiMack]

Thanks for streamlining this process! Only having to enter the parent password once is much less cumbersome.