MobileTrack compatibility and support

[ErickFitbit]

Fitbit Update 06/27/2016: Hi everyone -- I am closing this thread as MobileTrack support is outlined in this help article. 

If you have any questions, feel free to create a new thread and refer to this thread. Thanks everyone!

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Fitbit Update 05/19/2016: As of the release of Android 2.25, if you have a Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P mobile devices running Android Marshmallow 6.0, you can now use the Fitbit app without a Fitbit tracker by using your phone's sensors to track basic activity data including steps, distance, and calories burned.

For more information, see "How do I use MobileTrack?"

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Hi everyone -- Beginning in mid-May 2016, we'll no longer provide support for the MobileTrack feature on the HTC One M8. Recently, Google and HTC made changes that prevents the MobileTrack feature from functioning properly in the Fitbit app for Android on the HTC One M8 device. The focus of our efforts moving forward will be to provide MobileTrack on a larger number of newer Android mobile devices. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. I recommend using a Fitbit tracker to continue tracking your activity. Follow these instructions to pair your tracker to an account.

Check out this help article for more information on MobileTrack.

[Chris-Cross]

I responded with a 1 star review on the play store. I recommend everyone else do the same.

[sinan_mutlu]

I have the same problem with syncing from 20.05.16 up to now. Pls issue the patch update asap..

[Chris-Cross]

Until they start behaving like adults again and stop sulking about their deal with HTC, they won't fix it. They broke it on purpose.

[tchristiansen10]

After the shoddy communication and support for something that I have been using without problems for the previous 2years. Any tracker other than a "FITBIT" tracker seems like a good decision.

[long2know]

I was considering buying a Fitbit One.. With this debacle, not a chance.

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome everyone @jangro @gerrda @Saartje1975 @scribbz82 @DaddyMyth, hope you're doing great! As my friend shared, here is the update in regards to HTC M8 One

-  "Hi everyone -- Beginning in mid-May 2016, we'll no longer provide support for the MobileTrack feature on the HTC One M8. Recently, Google and HTC made changes that prevents the MobileTrack feature from functioning properly in the Fitbit app for Android on the HTC One M8 device. The focus of our efforts moving forward will be to provide MobileTrack on a larger number of newer Android mobile devices. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. I recommend using a Fitbit tracker to continue tracking your activity. Follow these instructions to pair your tracker to an account."

However, you should be able to sync through your Fitbit app as usual. I'd recommend following the steps that my friend @AlejandraFitbit provided here to solve the syncing issues.

Hope that helps!

[Deeps8]

Thank u guys....these messages really helped...since 3 days I was going crazy that why have fitbit on phone have stopped working...

[Deeps8]

Thank you .... Your message reallyh helped

[DaddyMyth]

Some kind of deal went wrong with HTC so you cut down the tracking.

Moderator edit: removed language

[SunriseRunner46]

Since the moderator removed the (very useful) link to the older 2.24 apk that @FlyByNight posted.

I've been trying google fit today - (just search on the app store) it does seem to track steps reasonably (so today was 12,170 on google fit vs 11,353 on the downgraded fitbit app).  Generally I found that fitbut under-reported steps but was happy with the error being in that direction.

I've calmed down a bit from Sunday (but still think not warning was very poor) - fortunately downgrading did work so I didn't loose the 22mile walk I was just about to go for when i discovered that fitbit wasn't working on my phone! (loosing nearly 50,000 steps would make a huge difference in the leader board for the week - competitive - moi? ).

I did like fitbit and it was one of the few apps on my phone which stood the test of time.  And the social side of it is a fun bonus.

So I'm still thinking about buying a fitbit tracker - just trying to confirm that this (either a fitbit one or a blaze not fully decided yet) will sync to my phone - or has fitbit removed the m8 entirely as a supported device?

[ErickFitbit]

@SunriseRunner46 To clarify, we do not allow sharing of APK files as the download source is not from an official Google Play Store or Fitbit source and I would not want to risk member devices getting viruses.

The HTC One M8 is still a supported device when pairing a Fitbit tracker to it, as can be seen here. The only thing that isn't supported on the HTC One M8 is the MobileTrack feature, which doesn't require a Fitbit tracker.

[MassStash]

So basically now that you've grown your user base 2yrs from m8, you decide to just cut support in order to strong arm us into purchasing a band? Not good user treatment and marketing. It supported it, it still does, at least leave support for m8 no? I get it if you don't add support for new devices, but wait, you did! The 5X and 6P right? So why nexus? Why not android 6.0 or something? All the phones have the sensors, and the OS has the calls, I'm sure this htc 10 runs mobile sync great! And then I'd still be in the Fitbit community and using the challenges with friends which just gets you more server hits and usage statistics. Seems like a win win.... Unless you're the sales guy thinking of ways to force people into hardware sales. Need your dev team to step and explain how the world/Internet works nowadays maybe. Please just add support for Android phones to mobilesync. Problem solved. The band should have features a phone can't do. Heart rate, sleep, blah blah. If a user needs those features, then they will get a band because they already in Fitbit world, with friends linked up, doing challenges and stuff. No brainer to just go out get a band to keep up with the friends competing on stats!

[SunriseRunner46]

Hi @ErickFitbit,  Thanks for the information (and confirmation that m8 should work with a tracker).

Regarding the older apk - would you consider making this available via fitbit itself to avoid the possiblility of viruses/unauthorised tampering?

This could simply be for a short period of time but would allow us current users via a m8 phone to transition to whatever tracking solution we find suitable?

[clarro01]

Thanks for the canned response FitBit mods, but the key point to all this is that MobileTrack worked before you guys made this update. So clearly it's not a case of that component being incompatible with the update HTC released but rather that you have just removed support for those specific devices. Whether we can pair a supported FitBit device with the app still is not the point....

I was considering getting a Charge HR prior to this but practices like this definitely make me think twice about it.

Moderator edit: format

[Rich_Laue]

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@Nive wrote:

Last update 19th May... not even pairing the mobile now... nothing changed in between 😞

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@Nive I'm not sure if you're asking a question, asking for help, or commenting on mobile tracking. Mobile track is using the phone in place of the physical fitbit tracker.

[dannyT5000]

So why are you making us download what was a perfectly functional app from fitbit from other riskier sources? This is on fitbit, having us risk getting viruses because they arbitrarily removed support for our device.

[Daximum]

Such a shame that the app is now redundant on my HTC one M8. I would wear a mobile tracker if i could but work doesnt allow it and although i have my phone on my person all day i have no idea if im reaching my step goal, trivial it may seem. Really frustrating considering how id come to rely on the app and found it really useful even for such a basic thing.

[TruBluMajority]

i had a band.  it came apart after a few months, including scratching and irritating my wrist so bad I couldn't sleep in it.  I was glad to discover the option on my phone.  Now I am using another phone app until I figure out what to do.

Moderator edit: removed advertising

[TruBluMajority]

i am surprised at how much i came to rely on it also.  oh well.  nothing good lasts in this modern world.

[ErickFitbit]

@MassStash @Daximum Thanks for the feedback, I will make sure to pass it along to our Android team.

@SunriseRunner46 @dannyT5000 Unfortunately, that's not my call to make. At this time, I have heard of no such decision to release an older version of our app as we prefer all of our users update to our latest version of the Fitbit app. As previously stated, I don't recommend downloading APK files from unauthorized sources as it can cause harm such as virus and malware infections to your mobile devices.