HR zones changed and I'm getting too many AZM

[dobbyM]

My Fitbit Charge 6 was working reasonably well until yesterday when it suddenly changed the limits for the various zones.

The moderate heart rate zone is now 91 to 92bpm, vigorous is 93 to 94bmp and peak is anything over 95 bpm.

Since I have a slightly higher heart rate, this change means that almost all minutes are now zone minutes and the watch constantly congratulates me for my achievements while I'm just sitting around doing nothing.

Maybe it's just a coincidence but just before all this started the app crashed a couple of times.

I have restarted the watch and I verified that I have the latest version of the app installed.

What may be the cause of this? How can I reset the activity zone limits? I'd like to solve it because I was mainly using the fitbit to track active minutes.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[JohnnyRow]

We don't have much to go on with no idea of what your zones were before, what your resting heart rate is, or what your age is.

But maybe these will reset overnight.

[dobbyM]

Thank you for your reply. I'm around 50, my resting heart rate is around 85 and before the recalculation of the zone limits they were more typical. I don't remember the exact numbers but peak was something like 140 to 155 bpm, vigorous 125 to 140 and moderate started at around 110.

Things have not improved overnight unfortunately. I'm still congratulated regularly for sitting around.

I wonder if someone else has had problems with the app crashing in recent days and whether it might have something to do with the problem. I'm using the android app.

[mUNDh]

I have the same issue: started  15- 16 Jan. 2024 . 2 new things like in your case:

1.  the calories how they were calculated reduced by ~ 25 - 30 %
2.  whatever exceeds resting heart rate is recorded as fatburn and immediately, after 88bpm is recorded as peak (what before was > 155bmp ?) 

    What to say: someone press the release button to a new version without really checking the basics; sad but true; and now some community fitbit members try to convince is you who is doing something wrong without really checking.  

For example last week it showed during Friday i burned 4000Calories and i did some intense exercises but not 4000 Calories intense.

Now looking backwards he re-calculated 3000 actually, not 4000 as he showed untill yesterday.

Actually all my 3 years data was re-computed by 25% less calories : I found it funny and i know cause weekly i place it in an excel and now i can see immediately the difference.

[dobbyM]

@mUNDh, @dtrittenThank you for replying. Since you are both having a similar experience and it all started at around the same time it seems very probable that it's an app update issue.

Is there a way to raise a ticket about this? I tried to contact 24h support but the page will not display properly for me (it starts loading but  then stays blank)

[mUNDh]

I am not aware where to report this and also be heard. I am trying some workarounds with custom max heart rate: i think is working(Fitbit does not blindly state > 70 bpm as cardio/peak zone).

Yesterday it reported more than 900 active minutes.

   I also do not understand how simple things are not checked by the author of the releases. Why not even the possibility to roll back the update ?

   Even as i was writing this reply i was taken out of write menu to be asked if i wanna spend 3 minutes to give a feedback. Really ? You need a PhD to understand the basic stuff ?

  Is my 3rd Fitbit: a charge 4 replaced  with another one on warranty after 6months, then the second broke again and money back. Then a charge 5 that after slightly 1 year slowly could not see anything on the screen due to white bars. Now charge 6 that i like but software instability. 

   I am completely dissatisfied with Fitbit but i somehow repetead same mistake due to the gathered data in 3-4 years and price

[dobbyM]

This is a bug that has appeared in the last 3 or 4 days. It is described in detail in the following thread:
https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-6/Problem-with-active-zones-I-get-active-minutes-while-I-m-re...
It's verified by at least 3 people. This is probably not the right place to get help but the live chat page malfunctioned.

Many features of the app are malfunctioning in the last android update. I've tried submitting a ticket or a report through other channels but I couldn't. I hope someone sees this.

Moderator Edit: Formatting

[Mcav75]

This is most unusual. I've just checked my heart rate zones and they have not changed.

[Tech2Goddess]

Same problem here with my Charge 6 and Android app, beginning on Tuesday, January 16, I am scoring sky-high zone minutes for nothing unusual in my daily activities. (Example of sky-high: 900 on Tuesday, 1085 on Wednesday and 600 Thursday.) I had 52 active zone minutes before I got out of bed the other day!

It has continued through today, Friday, January 19, with no resolve. I have restarted the device, but the issue continues, and I am also congratulated regularly for sitting around or eating a sandwich. 🙄  I've been wearing some version of a Fitbit since 2014 and this is not normal.

UPDATE:  After a Live Chat with a Fitbit Rep, he recommended syncing & then doing a Factory Reset & then re-pairing the device to my app.  I'll see if that helps.

[Plainswoman]

Same problem. I just updated to the 194.1 firmware 3 days ago and it started doing it. I now have 4500 zone minutes over 3 days. It won't reset. I'm hoping someone has an answer for us.

[Nienja]

Hello,

My active minutes changed. Normally I got slower active minutes (between 15 till 120). And know I got so many in one day (like between 400 and 700 minutes). What is the problem and what can I do about it?

Thank u for helping!

[AxB]

That's indeed a lot of active zone minutes. I guess the first thing one could try is to reset the device.

1. Keep scrolling down from the main clock screen until you get to the Settings app. It should be a symbol resembling a gear.
2. In the Settings app, scroll up all the way and tap on Restart Device, and then Restart.
3. Your device should shut down and power on again after a few seconds.

[Nienja]

Thank you! I already done that. But it doesn't work. It collected really quick active minutes also when I do nothing.

[AxB]

Try the following. Go to Charge 6 settings and turn off the Heart rate option. Then go to the Fitbit app and make sure to sync Charge 6 with the app. After that turn Heart rate option on Charge 6 on again and again make sure to sync Charge 6 with the Fitbit app afterwards.

This apparently worked for someone with a similar issue, though on a different Fitbit device (Versa). Apart that, I would try to contact customer support.

[gdio53]

@Nienja 

Have you changed your Heart Rate Zones?
In the app, tap your profile picture at the top right of the Today screen, the select Fitbit settings.
Select Activity & Wellness, then Heart Settings.
Select Heart Rate Zones and verify that the rates are what you want them to be.  You can select a Custom Max Heart and Custom Zone.

Also verify that your Birthday is set correctly in your profile. 

[Soniclife]

I'm seeing the same thing. I checked a day last year when I was very active, and my heart rate chart reflects that, and Friday this week when I didn't do much. The active day scored 259 azm, Friday was 516. Lots of fat burn zones minutes have moved up to other zones. My cardio fitness score has also jumped up.

I have rebooted the Fitbit a few times since noticing, no change, and checked it's readings against other devices, they match. It's the app that seems to be confused, and it updated 2 recently.

[Soniclife · Accepted solution]

I think I've worked my problem out. I converted to a Google account months ago, this week it seems to have picked up my DOB from the Google account, which was very wrong. After fixing the graphs look correct, but it will take some time to verify.

[gidofalouse]

My resting heart rate is usually around the low 60s. Since I updated my fitbit I'm now getting active zone minutes at much low heart rates than previously (today it is 75 for moderate, 82 for vigorous, and 90 for peak). Yesterday I did no exercise, I barely left my sofa, but I got almost 500 active minutes. I am not sick or stressed or anything that would raise my heartrate. My resting heart rate is still as before the update. If I get active minutes for simply being alive, they are worthless. Can this be resolved?

[Sachitra]

I have not even worked out today but doing kitchen work and kneading atta showing more zone minutes than actually working out for more than 30 mins. Why the zone mins are incorrect?

[LZeeW]

Hello @Sachitra and welcome to the Community.  Active Zone minutes are heart rate based and are given for many types of activity, not just exercise.  To help others, atta is a type of whole wheat flour that is native to the Indian subcontinent.