Interacting with Alta

[ErickFitbit]

So you've got yourself an Alta and are wondering "where's the button?" Check out how to interact with Alta!

• How do I view the time on my Alta? 

You have 2 options to view the time on your Alta. 

1. You can use Quick View to wake up your Alta's screen without touching the tracker. Just turn your wrist towards you and the time will appear for a few seconds.
   
   
2. The other option is to double-tap your Alta where the band and tracker meet. This will illuminate the Alta and display the time and date (depending on the clock face that you've selected as default).

• How do I view my daily stats?

To view your daily stats just use Quick View to bring up your clock and then single tap the Alta where the band and tracker meet (as seen in image below) to toggle between your steps, distance, calories burned and Active Minutes stats.

Alother way to do this is to double tap on the Alta to bring up the clock and then single tap the Alta where the band and tracker meet to toggle between stats.

• What's the best way to tap on my Alta?

With a bit of practice, you'll find the best way to tap on your Alta. We advise aiming toward the bottom of its display, and not tapping too hard or too softly. You shouldn't have to hit it with any significant pressure, but you should feel the tap lightly on your wrist.

Make sure to give your device time to react - you shouldn't ever be tapping more than once or twice per second, and may need to pause a moment after your tap before you see the device react. If you're having trouble, try slowing down your taps.

Video below:

[Mytracker]

I sure have, @ErickFitbit.  I received it Monday and have since been struggling with it. I chose this model instead of the basic model because if I wore something on my wrist, I thought it might as well give me the time!

It rarely shows the time when I lift my wrist and turn it towards me. A bit more often, but not consistently, will it show the time, if I tap it. I tap it twice, in the mentioned spot (and have tried others places but @Mhinkle is correct, in that tapping where the band meets the tracker, gets the best result) wait, & nothing. I end up tapping many times b4 it responds.

Most often when it finally responds it will blink the time & quickly shut off b4 I am able to tap it again to get my step or caloric count. Then I have to start the whole tedious process over again. I find that it still has trouble but the likelyhood of it responding is better if I am sitting at my computer and the dongle is in.

[Fitzran]

I feel your pain, took me a while to figure out the tapping. What I found for mone was my tap was to gentle. I Tap right near the band as shown in the display, but it's more of a thump than a tap. Hope that helps.

[ErickFitbit]

@Mytracker Sitting at your desk with the dongle plugged in shouldn't make the tracker respond as it doesn't rely on the dongle to display anything.

I recommend making sure that your tap isn't a soft tap, make sure it is a thump where @Mhinkle  @Fitzran suggested.

Also, when you attempt to use Quick View, make sure that you flick your wrist in order to activate it.

[Imcmom]

I just got my alta this evening. I'm ready to send it back already. I followed all of the steps for syncing and restarting but the blasted thing still will not respond to a single tap our double tap and it doesn't respond to the turning of my wrist. I even Googled the issue to make sure I was wearing the device correctly. I will be so upset if I have to send this back for one that actually works because I've already waited so long for this one!!! Any other advice that hasn't been offered yet because I've tried it all so far..... 😢😢

[zealbala]

Guys.  I got my alta and after hours of tapping found this.  Trust me you will 100% get it working after reading this post! 

• It is really not "tapping" as such BUT rather "knocking" or thumping. 
• Knock around 3/4th distance from the top.  
• Imagine you are knocking the door with only your INDEX finger.  
• This can be using the front tip of your index finger or even your knuckles (reverse).  Note: Just one finger.
• Pressure should medium ~ hard.  
• You might repeat this to see steps and other info! 
• Hurray! It works every single time. 

Try it and let me know if it worked for you!  \m/

Moderator edit: format

[Mytracker]

@ErickFitbit @Fitzran @Mhinkle @Imcmom @zealbala

Thank you for all the help! My alta is working more often now. I don't know if I had to 'wear it in' or if I am just 'thumping' better?! I find I often have to flick my wrist 2 -3 times for a 'Quickview' and thumping at the bottom where @Mhinkle and @Fitzran suggests works, if not the first time, at least by the third. So much better than b4!  I tried what @zealbala said and it worked as well, but not as consistently for me.... maybe with more practice, it could.

What I have learned: Practice, practice, practice is key...there is a BIG difference between a tap and a thump! AND, I am a terrible wrist flicker!! 🙂

Thank you all again for helping and I wish all a joyful rest of the week!

[CVG1]

i found the ALTA/Fitbit staff to be very helpful. Got mine and had a little frustration, but after 4 days

i'm starting to settle in with it. Make sure your band is snug, that you have it on the right way

and that it's fully charged.

Then when you can't make it do what you hoped, contact HELP from Fitbit,,and they will easily

clear up any hurdles that you've omitted.

[ErickFitbit]

@Imcmom To troubleshoot, I suggest restarting the Alta and then giving it another try with these instructions. Let me know if that helps.

@zealbala Thanks for sharing what's worked for you! Hopefully that helps others here having trouble. I agree that the tap or thump should be semi-medium in intensity.

@Mytracker Haha I think you will get the hang of it after a couple more days. Wrist flicking is a skill that can definitely be learned. I recommend making the flick as somewhat exaggerated to see if that helps a bit. Have a great week as well my friend!

@CVG1 Glad to hear that you found the teams assistance helpful! Wearing is snug but not too tight will definitely improve your experience when double-tapping. Have a great day! 

[oldmanmurray]

I'm finding the same thing. The first few hours it was almost totally unresponsive. now it's more predictable... i still usually have to tap a few times first, but its much better!

[Steff1219]

I sense a pattern here.   I too am very disappointed with the display on the Alta.  Turning my wrist rarely wakes up the screen....and if I'm lucky enough to get it to wake up it's next to impossible to get it to scroll through the stats.  Most of the time when I tap the display once it goes off.   Yes, I've read about tapping where the display meets the band.  I've tried fast, slow, hard, soft, top, bottom and middle.  Nothing works consistently.  Really a poor introduction to Fitbit!

[Raccoon]

Hello,

I got my Alta today and had same feeling as you guys, but finally I found how to interact with Alta.

It seems that Alta detects touch with 'inclining sensor'. I mean, for example my smartphone detects my touch with 'capacitive sensing', but Alta seems not using it.

I tapped Alta a little bit stronger than when I do for smartphones, just to make sure Alta slightly moves and inclines toward inside of my wrist. Actually I could interact with Alta by double-tapping band part that meets the screen, not screen itself.

Hope this helps.

[Eeyorecd73]

I've restarted my Alta 3 times. This last time the tapping seems to be finally working, but the time is wrong. So I synced the Alta to my phone & now I get nothing to display when I tap on it. I'm ready to send this back for a refund. Way too many bugs in the system.

[kay302]

Hey my Alta won't display any text message unless I tap it after it will vibrates. Any idea. On what
The issue is

[dmama1314]

@kay302, mine will work when I flick my wrist as if checking the time. But it took me a few tries to get that down. I had to get it by tap the first time because I was not flicking "correctly".

[kay302]

Hello,

I have the tapping thing down but aren't text messages & phone calls supposed to come across the screen without us tapping them.

[Kmransom123]

@kay302  The screen won't illuminate on its own - you have to wake it up to see the notification.  (Either tapping or using quick view). I have the Blaze, and it is the same way.

[kay302]

Thank You

[Imcmom]

I am finally able to work with my Alta by flicking my wrist but the tapping is still not working very well. I'm hoping that will change. However, why can't I hear anything on my phone when this thing is connected to my Bluetooth? My phone doesn't ring, texts don't alert, I can't hear the keyboard clicks and I can't hear the sound on videos that are playing when I'm going through Facebook....! My phone isn't on silent and I have already reset the Alta several times in an attempt to get the screen to respond to tapping. Help! I have an iPhone 6 plus....Thank you very much!

Moderator edit: format

[kay302]

Hey,

The tapping & flicking of the wrist works for me, I was just under the impression that texts would automatically appear on the screen. Now that I understand that wont happen I'm good. Im sorry but I keep my phone on vibrate and my alta will vibrate when i get a call or text, and my phone also works fine as well on vibrate. I have a iphone 6.

[Cathy9010]

The quick view works fine if I'm looking at the clock, it comes up immediately but when I receive a vibration for a notification like the reminder to move, the quick view doesn't work. The screen remains black when I turn it towards me.