Active minutes

[gateswood]

Why don't active minutes logged by my Charge 2 transfer when syncing to your silly smartphone app? Like so many things about fitbit, this is really goofed up (like logging more than 20,000 floors that I've never climbed).

 My fitbit sense transfers a somewhat accurate record of active minutes to the fitbit.com dashboard while the Charge 2 transfers precise records when syncing to the real dashboard rather than this smartphone app you've forced everyone to use.

How do I set this silly app to accept active minutes when syncing to my Charge 2?

[Julia_G]

Hi, @gateswood , unfortunately the Charge 2 is a very old device (old in terms of electronics, that is!).  On more recent devices, as you know, Fitbit has switched from “active minutes” to “active zone minutes”.  The older measurement, “active minutes” was basically determined by how fast your Fitbit was registering steps.  If it was registering them fast enough to indicate you were achieving at least a brisk walking pace, you got awarded minutes.  This obviously worked pretty well for step based activities, like walking or running, but less well for other vigourous activities that aren’t step based.

From the Charge 4 on Fitbit moved to “Active Zone Minutes” which are based on heart rate, rather than step, detection.  The heart rate triggers to achieve AZM are also personalised, based on your own HR zones (which unless you create custom ones, are based on age).  So an elderly person my achieve AZM with a HR of, say, 110, while a young person might need to have an HR or 130 to get the same number of AZM.  I hope I am making sense.

I think the general consensus that this more individualised approach is an improvement, and as the apps are designed and upgraded to reflect the trackers most used, the app now only records active zone minutes and not active minutes.

It’s great that you are finding that the web based dashboard gives you the data that you want and it continues to be available to you.  As you have noted there are several options (including that one) which can only be accessed via the dashboard and not the app.

It is fair to say that you are “forced” to use the smartphone app to set up newer Fitbit devices.  But once set up, you can refer to whichever you feel gives you the best insight into your health and fitness goals.  It is also the case that these days many users never ever look at the web based dashboard and only consult the app.  I’m guessing that you might not think that’s progress!

I am afraid that the short answer to your question is, the app, in its current form, won’t accept Active Minutes - only Active Zone Minutes, and you cannot tweak your set up to change that.  You may be able to download an older version of the app; however, you may find that in that case your Sense no longer gives you the data you require...

As the Brits say, “swings and roundabouts”!

I am sorry not to have a better solution for you.

[Lilbiddy]

@Julia_G  the problem is that Fitbit have withdrawn all official previous versions of the app. So when the current one is riddled with bugs or designed not to work well with older Fitbit devices the company's advice is buy our latest toy and a new phone which will only work until Android updates again.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Lilbiddy , the problem in this case is that @gateswood wants to combine a Fitbit Sense with a Fitbit Charge 2, and there is no problem doing that except that the Charge 2 is pretty old and uses a different metric (Active minutes) and the Sense is very new and uses Active Zine Minutes.

So it wouldn’t really help even if all previous versions of the Fitbit app were officially available.  (I think Fitbit’s withdrawal of older app versions is standard practice, and, of course older versions are available from third parties, if you trust them.)

I think it is actually pretty impressive that the newest app can still register and interpret the Charge 2 (except for Active Minutes) when it is positively geriatric in electronics terms (years!) and that the website based dashboard can still accommodate both.

It actually underscores Fitbit’s commitment to support devices through their lifetime (my oldest Fitbit is 7 years old.  Still works and syncs to my account)!

[Lilbiddy]

@Julia_G  I've got 3.59.1 on my phone but it wouldn't sync with my charge 2 so I'm using 2.63 on my Kindle to sync. The data synch across ok but obviously I get no phone messages etc.but couldn't get any advice for this except device is too old buy a new one. App doesn't like your phone, buy a new one. I can only speak from my personal experience.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Lilbiddy I actually have an old Charge 2 (I keep it in case folks need help answering questions).  I have just this minute  successfully set up my Charge 2 on my Samsung S9 phone running the latest version of the Fitbit app (updated 19 May 2022).

The Fitbit apps, even the newest Fitbit apps, support their oldest devices.

It may be that your *phone* can’t cope with the newest Fitbit app - Fitbit cannot control what phones do or do not do.  But their apps definitely support Fitbit devices throughout their life time.  If your phone can do it, your Fitbit can!

[gateswood]

What nonsense. You're too easily impressed. If the Sense can log stats to the online dashboard (even if never quite correct..., like everything Fitbit), Charge 2 should be able to log all stats to the phone app. Active minutes are the most important thing a Fitbit can track. Mets are mets and active zone minutes are active zone minutes. That's what confirms how hard someone actually worked. Fitbit does nothing accurately anyway so why does it matter if the Charger 2 sends met-based data to the phone app rather than the fat burn/cardio info? If it really mattered, why doesn't Fitbit give more credit for minutes spent in the peak zone?

Fitbit should quit trying to re-invent the wheel and spend more time and effort coming up with a simple fitness product that's accurate and dependable. The Sense works no more accurately than the Charge 2 or the Charge HR. I know. I've been using them since 2015. They're all nothing but toys but the information gathered from toys still has value. It's sad the new toys are no more accurate than any before them. They just have more garbage packed into them.

And yes, Fitbit loves to cover their tracks. Back when Fitbit Connect was in use, it was a very good idea to store previous versions on your computer to roll back as needed.

[Julia_G]

@gateswood . No nonsense and no one said anything about being impressed. Just facts:

Main issue:  earlier Fitbits used a metric called “Active minutes”. Newer Fitbits use a metric called “Active Zone Minutes”. If you want to see the older metric as well as the newer one you need to consult the broader web based Fitbit programme.

The simpler, app version mainly caterers to newer trackers so only Active Zone Minutes are shown there.  Users of newer trackers can also access the web based version.

You are able to set up and sync even the oldest trackers via the newest Fitbit apps provided your phone is able to handle the latest apps.

I think that sums up the situation and the current discussion nicely.

[gateswood]

You seemed inordinately impressed when you said;

"I think it is actually pretty impressive that the newest app can still register and interpret the Charge 2 (except for Active Minutes) when it is positively geriatric in electronics terms (years!) and that the website based dashboard can still accommodate both."

There's plenty of nonsense but thank you for trying. This is not rocket science. It's nothing but wireless transmission of very simple data points collected every 5 seconds or so. Fitbit simply chose not to collect this vital stat in the phone app. Nothing has changed with the Fitbit playbook. Remove value from the old to sell the latest and greatest. The older heart rate trackers go with MET's. What makes active zone minutes more important or more accurate than MET's when the extra work of peak minutes aren't even accounted for in the new system? Just another attempt to reinvent the wheel and force people into upgrades while never improving the most basic of functions.

I think my posts more aptly sum up the reality of situation. I use fitbits and appreciate the information they provide despite all the inaccuracies and shortcomings. The Sense is no improvement over the "geriatric" versions. It's as laughable as any. On a recent day it gave me 79 floors along with my 16,810 steps and 221 zone minutes. My feet never left the ground and my physical altitude never changed by more than inches as I worked in a small section of our land. This was during a hot, humid and windless high pressure day. Fitbit is a toy and great for providing comic relief. I am not a fanboy.

[gateswood]

@Lilbiddy I have the same version 3.59.1 on my phone, a Samsung A20. This phone started out on Android 8 or 9 and is presently up to Android 11. It syncs with my Charge 2 every time I go into my office where it lives connected to the charger. Ready for use when my Sense wacks out for one reason or another. The Sense and the Charge 2 are both in my bluetooth list but neither one ever shows as "Connected". They're paired but connected in the background, I suppose.