BUG, NOT RESOLVED: Counting steps during activities on FitBit Exercise App with Google Pixel Watch

[JoRoSaR]

Erroneously marked as resolved, this is a FitBit issue rather than a Pixel Watch issue

Hi all,

I use a Pixel Watch with FitBit, very happily. Recently a hardware issue meant I had to get my watch RMA'ed with Google (again, reasonably smooth and no complaints).

However, I noticed a difference - I wear my tracker while playing tennis regularly, and before the RMA my tennis, when selected under the FitBit Exercise app, would always count my steps. Now, I've noticed no steps are counted?

This isn't the most important thing when measuring activity anyway, but I'd be keen to understand if there's a setting in the app or similar that I should be looking at, that I might have missed?

Thanks in advance!

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity.

[alexthecat]

@JoRoSaR that's not something that I've seen with my Pixel Watch. Have you tried restarting the watch? If you haven't done that before, hold down the crown and the flat, oval button right above it. Various things may appear on the screen, but ignore that and keep pressing the buttons until the watch restarts. 

[JoRoSaR]

Hey Amanda, thanks for the tip! I tried this today (restarted the watch / checked for app updates etc.) and played some tennis in the afternoon, but frustratingly it still shows 0 steps when recording tennis. 😞

[Gregolin]

Exactly the same thing here.

I don't know about your issue, JoRoSar, but in my case, I cannot see my steps when I finish my activity (it always show me as zero), but it is logged... for instante, I can see how many steps I had it while playing tennis last night checking fitbit app... the only issue is related this screen you sent in the first message. I see exactly the same thing.

Thanks.

[RodrigoMFitbit]

@alexthecat Thank you very much for for your help.

@JoRoSaR Welcome to the forums! Thanks for taking the time to share this with the Fitbit community and the explanation. That is certainly odd, given that my Fitbit Sense will record steps during the activity. Have you checked on the Fitbit app if steps are still being counted during that time but probably just not added to the training session? Open the app and tap on step tile and check the step logs during the time of your tennis game. Does it show any steps during that time?

Please note that there are Community Forums for the Google Pixel Watch specifically (click here). I suggest you post this there as well, that way other Pixel Watch users could share their experiences too and see if someone is going through the same situation as you.

[Gregolin]

Rodrigo, in my case the steps are recorded as I said above. I just can see them when I finish the activity (the same screen that JoRoSaR sent with the first message).

[RodrigoMFitbit]

@Gregolin welcome to the forums! I am so sorry, I must have posted my answer right when you came into the thread. I now see your post. Sorry, the questions were directed to the original poster. 

Thanks for letting us know you are experiencing the same thing. Okay, so that means that on the Fitbit app where you find the activtiy log, you are indeed able to see all stats for that training, including steps. That means it is an issue with the information displayed on the watch itself. Thanks for your input. The good thing is, that the steps are indeed recorded. 

I also recommend you to post this in the official Google Pixel Watch community (click here), to keep the boards organazied. That way you will get a reply from the Google team as well. 

[Gregolin]

Ok, I'll post it there, but I think it isn't a device issue, but a Fitbit app issue since the missing info happens only there.

Thanks.

[JoRoSaR]

Hi @RodrigoMFitbit @Gregolin and thank you for the replies!

I can also post this to the Google Pixel Watch community, but like Gregolin I believe it is a Fitbit Exercise app issue on the Pixel Watch, not a device issue.

Steps are counted and are successfully displayed both on the watch and on the Fitbit App, after the exercise is concluded. However, within the FitBit Exercise app specifically it shows 0 steps during the training session.

Other pedometers on the Pixel Watch are unaffected and are successfully counting and displaying steps; it is only the FitBit Exercise app that appears to be impacted.

[RodrigoMFitbit]

@Gregolin @JoRoSaR Thanks for the reply. Yes, I understand. That is exactly what I mean. This is the Fitbit app board for Android devices. According to your explanation, the information is displayed correctly on the Fitbit app. Right? 

The information is not being displayed correctly, but on the watch only. I understand it is the Fitbit app on the Google Pixel watch, but this is the board for the app in smartphone and not the watch. That is why I suggest you post it in the Google Pixel community forum since it is an app on the device itself. Thanks in advance!

[JoRoSaR]

Hi Rodrigo,

Thanks for replying and explaining. I'm afraid not; even on the FitBit Android app the activity shows as 0 steps until after its completed and logged, and only has steps show up later when looking at a summary. So the same symptoms are present on both the Pixel Watch and the Android App.

The previous post appears to have been marked as best answer, I do not know if I have accidentally clicked something wrong on my phone. I'm afraid the problem is not resolved and the previous answer incorrectly diagnoses the issue as being with hardware rather than with the Fitbit app, so if there is a way for me to unselect it as best answer please let me know. Many thanks.

Thanks, John

This issue has not been resolved and I'd welcome hearing from anyone else who has similar issues or has solved them.

I have been in correspondence with Google Pixel Watch support who have confirmed that this is a FitBit app issue, which is useful to know:

• The only other way to track steps on the Google Watch is with the Google Fit app, however this actually tracks via FitBit being connected to the watch so it's the same connection
• The FitBit Exercise app seems to track steps fine if you select Running specifically, so it's only (for me) Tennis that seems to have this issue

The Android App section of this forum seems to be the most appropriate place for this thread as there's no Pixel Watch Device section specific to the FitBit community forums (which would be ideal), so I don't see a better place to post this. If @RodrigoMFitbit could kindly mark the topic as not resolved (possibly my mistake when logging in from my phone earlier) that would be great so we can see if others are also experiencing this issue, and if not, I'd love to hear from them and understand how their app is configured differently.

[Gregolin]

Hi @RodrigoMFitbit 

An interesting thing: yesterday I ran in a treadmill and the steps were counted and showed correctly in the Fitbit app, so the issue with tennis sessions it's a Fitbit issue, not a Pixel Watch issue.

I've noticed I turned off the GPS in the Fitbit app... of course it shouldn't cause anything related to steps counting during tennis session, but I'll test it tonight with it turned on.

Thanks.

[JoRoSaR]

Further to this, I tested using Steps elsewhere on the screen (in image below) as well as displaying both Distance and Steps (not pictured).

Neither works. Pictured is when I set the Steps as the main stat to display. Distance updates correctly when I put it there, but steps still shows as 0.

The FitBit Exercise app will add the steps to my daily total at the end of the day, but during the exercise the number of steps stays stubbornly at zero.

[RodrigoMFitbit]

@JoRoSaR @Gregolin Hello there. Hope you are doing well. 

Thanks for the explanation and the results of the tests you have conducted. I understand this is related to the Fitbit app on the Pixel Watch. However, please note that the steps will be counted by the device regardless of the app on your smartphone. This board refers to the Android Fitbit app, which is actually displaying the information correctly, right? This seems to be an issue with the information displayed on the device, within the Fitbit app for the watch. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We will continue to monitor this situation and see if other users experience the same. I appreciate your patience!

[JoRoSaR]

Hi Rodrigo - thank you for the clarification. To be completely clear and transparent, the Android Fitbit app (not the watch) also does not display steps during exercise, and therefore this is a problem that is affecting the Android Fitbit app.

Please let me know if this is unclear, and apologies if I wasn't clear about this above.

The Android Fitbit app eventually syncs to have the correct steps, after the conclusion of the exercise (usually a few hours afterwards when re-syncing). If you attempt to sync the watch with the Android Fitbit app during the exercise, the calories, heart rate information etc. appears to sync but still shows as 0 steps.

This bug affects both the information displayed on the device, as well as the Android Fitbit app, simultaneously. It is not one or the other.

Hopefully this is an adequate explanation. Thanks for understanding. 🙂

[RodrigoMFitbit]

@JoRoSaR Thanks for the reply and explanation. Well that is exactly how the synchronization works. The data will be gathered by the device and after it is done recording the whole activity it will sync and the information will be shown on the app. This will only be shown until the training session is over and synced. The training information being recorded by the device is not sent to the Fitbit app by the minute. The Fitbit device will record the activity, log it and when it connects to your smartphone, all of the information will be synced until then. That is the reason you do not see a specific step count on the app for your current activity, aside from the fact that the activity is not running on the Fitbit app.  I never carry my phone during an exercise with me, so I will have to try and replicate what you are experiencing. However, I think that is not a bug but how the data transfer for the Fitbit app works.

The situation on the watch itself is different from what you are describing on the Android Fitbit app. The activity is running on the Pixel Watch but the step count remains at zero. Right? That is an issue with the information displayed on the Pixel Watch during exercise. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We will keep on monitoring this situation. We shall see if other users are experiencing the same. Thanks again. 

[JoRoSaR]

Makes sense, thanks for the explanation. It is reassuring to know that other users in other locations are experiencing the same bug. Hopefully this can be fixed at some point in the future.

[RodrigoMFitbit]

@JoRoSaR Thanks for your swift reply. I will keep an eye on this thread, in case there are more reports. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention. Good day to you!