How to disable NFC opening Fitbit app

[Shadowdragon]

I need to stop the Fitbit app from taking over plain text NFC tags.  I store medical data on a plain text NFC tag like a medic alert bracelet.  Recently when I attempted to read the data,  it opens Fitbit app instead of pulling up my data. Since I have an older Fitbit, it doesn't even have an NFC chip anyways.  I need to disable this feature in the app.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Thanks for joining the Forums @Shadowdragon! 

You should be able to adjust the NFC settings on the mobile device itself. The Fitbit App itself is not designed to work with NFC in any way.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

[Shadowdragon]

 I'm not the only one that has noticed this function.

As for the app not being designed to work worth NFC, a year ago someone copied this from the Fitbit help pages. 

All Fitbit trackers except the One and Zip are equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, allowing them to interact with Android devices that contain an NFC chip.

To sync your tracker using the NFC chip in your mobile device, first download the Fitbit app for Android. Unlock your Android device's screen, then tap it to the top of your tracker. You may need to adjust the location that you tap based on where your Android device’s NFC chip is located. After a moment, the Fitbit app will open with your tracker's information synced to it. If you haven’t opened the Fitbit app recently, launching it will automatically initiate a sync via Bluetooth.

Note that NFC by itself launches the app but does not sync your tracker

[USAF-Larry]

@Shadowdragon, I think the NFC capability existed only in the Flex and the now-retired Force.  I don't believe either the One nor the Zip have the NFC capability.  What I don't understand is that if you are making your own NFC tags, why are those tags opening the Fitbit app?  Unless you place it in your tag, your tag should not open the app.

[Shadowdragon]

Someone else noticed it seems to do it on plain text NFC tags.

They discussed it a little here,  but never seemed to go anywhere. 

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16529414/how-does-fitbit-manage-to-totally-take-over-nfc

And I have the same question,. 

Why is my plain text NFC tag opening the Fitbit app?

Wht can't I disable the option to open the app with NFC if my Fitbit doesn't even have NFC?

[USAF-Larry]

---

@Shadowdragon wrote:

Someone else noticed it seems to do it on plain text NFC tags.

They discussed it a little here,  but never seemed to go anywhere. 

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16529414/how-does-fitbit-manage-to-totally-take-over-nfc

---

I guess all I can say is that it was on the Internet, so it must be true.

Since I don't have any problem with NFC and 3 different Fitbit trackers, I have no idea why or how others would experience a problem with it.

[Shadowdragon]

Yes,  others who notice this issue have posted about it on the internet.  Shocking isn't it. 

The problem isn't with the NFC on the trackers, the problem is when someone more technical than you uses NFC tags for personal data.  

Yes,  some techies use tech in ways you don't,  and when something stops working the way it should,  we post about it.  

It's how we ask for assistance and get these things resolved when they get noticed. 

People who don't use their phones to their full potential won't run into this problem. 

I use my phone as more than just a phone. 

So good for you that your stuff works inside the box,  

I have a problem outside the box and am trying to work with the people who caused the problem in the first place.  

Its kind of like owning at truck and just using it to drive back and forth to work.  You won't know that the truck had issues with the transmission while towing a small trailer full of lumber,  because you use it as a car. 

Please don't insult me because you don't understand the problem. 

[Shadowdragon]

In case you're wondering if anyone else does this. 

Here's a link to Medical Alert NFC tags.

http://steelidjewelry.com/Medical-Jewelry/nfc-id-bracelet/

This is only 1 vendor, there are more. 

If another analogy is needed, think of it this way. 

I want to listen to a radio station FM 95.7. 

When I tune to that station, I instead hear FM 100.3. 

This also happens for every other station I try to tune into, they all are broadcasting 100.3. 

This only happens if you listen on an analog radio, so digital radios and apps work fine. 

But anyone using an analog radio is unable to hear the station they want. 

Now most people use the app or a digital radio, so maybe 10% of the listeners are having this issue. 

Now some people who have a little knowledge of this notice that there are indications of it being that this particular station is using too much power, so they ask others about it to see if they agree. 

When others notice the same thing, they contact the station to inform them of what is going on in the  hopes that an Engineer will notice and resolve the issue. 

This is what's going on here. 

Several of us that use NFC tags for personal/medical/business use and not just for our Fitbits have noticed that if you have a Plain Text NFC tag, it will open the Fitbit app no matter what is on the tag. 

Now luckily I decided to test something that used to work fine before a medical emergency came up and they sent me into an MRI that then rips my implants out of my head in a random direction. 

When I noticed the problem, I checked around in the application to see if there's a way to disable it. 

When there was none, I checked in the phone's settings to see if it can be disabled there. 

Unfortunately not if it isn't rooted, which I'm trying not to do since it tends to void the warranty.

Investigating led me to some posts where others noticed this and talked about it. 

They don't mention any resolution, so I contacted Fitbit tech support. 

There I talked to someone who didn't even know what NFC was and when I explained the medical reason for wanting to disable the NFC so I can pull up my implant data in case I need to do an MRI, she told me not to wear the Fitbit in the MRI because it has magnetic bits inside.... 

Which led me to posting here to hopefully get the attention of a Fitbit Application Developer.

So @LanuzaFitbit, if you could please let your devs know about this flaw, I would appreciate it. 

[Rich_Laue]

The Flex, Force, Charge, Charge HR, and Surge have NFC tags.

Someplace in your phones settings is a setting that controls what happens when an NFC tag is scanned

My thinking is by reinstalling the medic program it should rewrite these phone settings.

If it still cant be resolved then your best to contact.fitbit.com rather than then aaking Fitbit users.

[Shadowdragon]

It wasn't a program, you just scan it and it pops up in a memo. 

There was no program to read it, you just scan a plain text NFC tag and it displays the data on the screen. 

I did contact Fitbit Tech support, the person I talked to didn't know what NFC was, nor did they understand what I was trying to do. 

They're the one that told me to post to the forum hoping to draw attention to it after I asked them to escalate it to the devs.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @Shadowdragon!

I'd like to take a moment to assure you that nobody is looking to insult you, I'm sure that nothing has been said with that intent.

As for the whole situation, I will make sure to bring it up to the team. I personally don't fully understand how the NFC could be working without any setup done on your part and what could have caused whatever happened.

If there are any updates on the matter we will let everyone know.

Thanks for your patience and understanding. Let me know if you have any questions.

[SunsetRunner]

I have the same problem. I use NFC Ring to open my door, unlock my phone and computer etc. It stores an encrypted password as a text file on the NFC chip. When I unlock my phone in Android using Trusted Devices (a stock android feature)  the fitbat app detects that there is a text string on my NFC chip. and it launches the fitbit app.

Its **Insert Swear Word*** annoying. please make it stop.

Get the developers to add a feature to the FitBit App to turn off NFC interactions and this problem will go away.

FYI- you cannot replicate the issue just by testing android trusted devices. you also have to be using the NFC chip with a text string entry on it. The text string i have is generated by this program which i use to unlock my computer http://www.islog.com/en/software/islog-logon-nfc-community/

I hope this helps identify the issue. It is 100% reproducible across various phones and various NFC chips.

[Alan001]

Same here. Everytime I use the NFC tag to unlock my phone, the Fitbit app opens. Can't you do something so the app stops messing with NFC?

[LanuzaFitbit]

Welcome to the Forums @SunsetRunner and @Alan001!

Thanks for letting us know that you have also experienced a situation like this. At this moment, we do not have any updates on the matter. Having said that, I'll be sure to keep an eye on the matter. 

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

[Gut]

Same problem here. Placing my phone over NFC tag with plain text launches Fitbit app. Why??. 

[Rich_Laue]

@Gut i would say that Fitbit doesnt anylize the tag close enough to determine that it does not belong to Fitbit, and fails to pass it on.

[SunsetRunner]

*push*

same problem here, couldn't find any other solution other than uninstalling the fitbit app...

[allanitis]

Same problem. 

NFC fun vs. Fitbit app. There's a clear winner...

[Gmaclean]

Having same issue.  I have a few plain text nfc tags in the house (i.e. wifi password for guests) 

Every. Single. Person who has the Fitbit app + Android experiences this including myself.

PLEASE fix this, I can uninstall the app, but having guests do the same for a password is an unreasonable ask from me.

[Rich_Laue]

@SantiR is correct, you should be able to in register Fitbit through the NFC settings on the phone. 

Fitbit doesn't have access to NFC