Losing Steps when syncing between Charge HR adn Alta HR

[cweller]

 Yesterday, 7/30/18, I wore my Charge HR as I needed it to count my flights of stairs while out walking and such. After most of the day, and syncing throughout the six hours, I came home with over 13,000 steps achieved. A few minutes later, the app and both devices had reverted to the 1,400 or so steps that the unworn Alta had on it from earlier that morning. In the past I have tried to sync the Charge away from the Alta, thereby insuring that I would lose no more than a few hundred steps. I have never lost so many steps before. Is the latest update responsible for this problem? Since the Alta doesn't count flight of stairs, I use my Charge HR a lot for workouts and hikes. I would hate to have to stop using it completely. Why can't the app take the largest number of steps, whatever device that might be? I like the Alta as it is smaller and more professional looking for work days but really miss the stair counts.

[JohnnyRow]

Did you sync from the Alta in the morning just before switching to the Charge HR?

[Colinm39 · Accepted solution]

@cwellerI have the One and the Ionic as my multi Fitbits.. I did notice that my One, when not being worn can be auto synced from up to 40' away from Fitbit Connect on my computer.. So Fit's recommendation of at least 10' away doesn't work for me..   The Ionic... Yes....

On my settings I have my main Fitbit, the Ionic set as "No auto sync" and "Always Connected".. On. The Fitbit One I have those both turned off..

I force the sync on the One via the phone as I'm doing now.. It's 40' away through 3 walls in the bedroom..

From reading many posts over the years it's definitely vital you sync the Fitbits as you swap them out and in...

I use mine a different way, in concurrent mode because I use the One to pick up my missing steps from shopping.. Yesterday is was 1100 steps. In that case, to be sure... I turn off the Ionic, sync the One, wait a couple of minutes and then turn the Ionic on and sync it.. Never fails and I have the Ionic with the extra 1100 steps.

I don't have your Fitbit's and I presume to turn off you need the charging cable, but with those significant steps I would be doing that, then sync the Charge... wait, turn on the Charge HR and sync that.. It's worth the couple of minutes..

[cweller]

So, this happened again yesterday...As you mentioned, I turned off the auto sync on the Alta and left it in the car while my husband went off to do errands. I walked 3 plus miles. The Charge HR synced my 9,000 steps and it showed on the phone app as such. I then got into the car, where my Alta was in the glove box. Go into grocery store, add another 1000 steps. Back to the car and I now have 5,600 steps. WHAT? I just don't get it. I don't understand why the programmers can't just tell the FITBIT program to honor the largest number between devices - there has to be a way to code that!

[JohnnyRow]

---

@cweller wrote:

So, this happened again yesterday...As you mentioned, I turned off the auto sync on the Alta and left it in the car while my husband went off to do errands. I walked 3 plus miles. The Charge HR synced my 9,000 steps and it showed on the phone app as such. I then got into the car, where my Alta was in the glove box. Go into grocery store, add another 1000 steps. Back to the car and I now have 5,600 steps. WHAT? I just don't get it. I don't understand why the programmers can't just tell the FITBIT program to honor the largest number between devices - there has to be a way to code that!

---

You say that the 9000 steps from the Charge HR showed on your phone.  But are you sure they actually synced to the Fitbit database?  The steps can show on your phone via direct bluetooth connection to tracker without actually having synced to the Fitbit database.  It's safest to manually initiate a sync before switching trackers.  One way to be sure it has actually synced is to click the 'Account' icon near top right of phone, then right under 'Charge 2', it shows what time the last sync was.

Even though your phone showed 9,000 steps, to get to the Fitbit database they have to actually be synced before you switch trackers.

As far as why isn't it programmed another way, that's beyond the knowledge of anyone on these boards to answer.  If you want to make that a suggestion where the designers/engineers can see it, the Feature Suggestions Board is the place to suggest that.

[Colinm39]

@cweller What @JohnnyRow has posted is vital for your success with multi use of your Fitbits. For quick access to the forums and my Fitbit.com Dashboard I have created url links on my home page on the phone.

I'm always ahead with my Fitbit One so I need to ensure that has synced correctly.

[cweller]

Thanks. I was pretty sure the Charge HR synced with the phone but never thought to check in the account. I will do this from now on.

Just really annoying...personally, I probably would have returned the Alta if I had known ahead of time that the stair counter wasn't included in this new one. It was a gift, so there's that...and I do like the look of it. Thanks again for taking the time to reply to my conundrum.

Cdub